(Didn't see Part One?, Click HERE)
RADIO 101
I know firsthand what being in the media is like.
Though I’ve never been in front of the camera (not that I’ll mention anyway), being the go-to person when the public needs to know is sometimes a hard job to handle.
When things go right, you get no credit and when things go wrong it’s all your fault.
You could get frostbite from how cold the media world can be.
Still, some of us love our world.
We love to inform, entertain and make friends with our audience. We even like to open the eyes and minds of young people who may want to enter this world of ours.
Quenn Echols loves what he does. Why else would he still be doing it after 3 decades. While others have come and gone and come back again (much like his own story), Quenn stood the tests of time.
And now he’s passing his wisdom on.
In Part Two of my interview, Quenn schools us with Radio 101:
How radio has changed since his interning days. How aspiring jocks can get their foot in the door, and most importantly how artists can get their work on the AIR:
ME: How is radio different now from when you first started?
QE: It’s not as personable as it once was. Back then you could reach out to a disc jockey 24 hours a day. That doesn’t exist anymore. When I started, Black stations were tax-write offs. We’ve gone from an afterthought to the priority.
I remember when people thought rap wasn’t going to last. Look at it now. We’ve superseded Country music and have become the cash cow of the industry.
ME: What exactly does a Program Director do?
QE: We influence the music that you, the listener, hear. I make decisions on how the radio sounds, everything from the words the DJ says to the order of the music. I decide the overall sound of the station – what is said and what is played. I am the musical gatekeeper.
ME: What’s the hardest part of your job?
QE: Keeping us (the staff) focused and never taking success for granted.
ME: What’s the best part of your job?
QE: When I walk into the studio and it’s time to go on the air, and I put my headphones on and I hear the music in them … I zone into this place and at that point I know I’m about to tell someone out there something. I know for that brief moment I’m touching lives … every day.
I get to talk to my listeners more than their minister, parent or even their boss.
I impact someone’s life in some small way everyday and I really enjoy that. I’ve been blessed to live a rich man’s life poor.
ME: What’s your advice for those pursuing careers in radio?
QE: Be very well-rounded in a lot of areas. In some markets, the radio announcer is the closest thing to a celebrity and you’re the first point of information for that market, you have to know a lot. You’ll have to know production, announcing, sales, etc.
Our business has evolved to where if you can fill a need, you create longevity. It takes a special kind of person to last in the media. Announcers of today don’t have the kind of time I did to develop. Larger markets are looking for developed people/announcers. Opportunities have become fewer.
ME: I’m sure people seek you out all the time trying to get on the air and become announcers/DJs, what do you look for in a good announcer?
QE: They have to have self-confidence and a swagger or bravado about them. They have to have a gift for gab or witness. And they must have an awareness of what’s going on in entertainment. They have to know what’s hot. They also need a passion for entertainment and have to want to be in the spotlight. Oh and they have to LISTEN!
ME: Do you think a formal education is necessary to get into or succeed in the business?
QE: It’s not as important as it once was. One of my top DJs at KBTT (Tha Beat) was Bay-Bay. He had no radio background, but I saw this person who was full of life and had the gift of gab. He was edgy and had a hypeness about him. He didn’t want to do radio when I first brought up the idea. But once he got that taste, it was over.
ME: How many of the people aspiring to become announcers actually make it on the air?
QE: Maybe about 20% of those who come to me make it in the door. And part of the reason that number is so low is because there’s not much space for a lot of announcers in today’s radio station. The computer does most of the work.
ME: For artists seeking radio spins, what’s the best way to get airplay?
QE: In a market like Shreveport, airplay is just as vital as any major market. Without smaller markets like ours, it makes it that much harder to get to the majors.
For me, if an independent label or artist (and even some brand new major artists) wants my attention (and spins), they need to tell me a story. Not lyrically, but I need to know how their song is being received and what they’ve done to get it out there. Tell me about performances in other smaller markets like East Texas (Tyler), Monroe or Alexandria.
Take your song and go develop it into a buzz worthy hit.
If it’s a hip hop song, get it to your local club DJs and test it out in the club atmosphere and then tell me how it’s being received.
A lot of people think the radio is a testing ground for any and every artist but it’s not. If it was like that, every local person (who thought they had talent) would be on the radio. You’ve got to earn your stripes.
And in the digital age we’re living in there are new ways to get your music out there.
Look at YouTube and what it did for Soulja Boy. Shoot a video and put it on there and then get the word out for people to view it.
ME: What’s the craziest way an aspiring artist has tried to get their music on the air?
QE: There’s been so many… I get people coming at me every week.
They’ll have people call and request a song then they (the artist/manager) will call and say they heard people were requesting it.
Some send “paraphernalia” to get attention and get on the air.
The craziest though would probably be this guy I went to school with that came up to my mom about his sister, who was a singer. He even called my mom trying to get her to talk to me.
ME: Put it in perspective … how many locals actually make it big?
QE: Out of hundreds of aspiring artists in the last five years, only about three have made it. Usually when a local artist DOES get on the air they are among the chosen few that the city likes. Only 1 or 2 get that kind of reception.
ME: Your kids are pursuing careers in entertainment, what advice do you give them?
QE: I only give advice when I’m asked. I just tell them to make sure they understand what they’re after. Anyone pursuing this business needs to be clear about what they want from it. Go study what you want to be and go after it … and stick to it!
Research what you want to do and have the willpower to stick with it, because you’re going to hear a lot of No’s. But every time you hear a no, you’re much closer to a yes.
A lot of aspiring entertainers (actors, singers, etc.) look at the people on TV and radio and think it’s easy.
We’ve had a local guy, Hurricane Chris, make it big and they all think it’s easy to do. Hurricane Chris didn’t just start rapping last year, he’s been around the studios for years trying to get that break.
Bow Wow has been performing for over 10 years now. People don’t realize that. He was running around Snoop when he was in elementary school.
Everyone has the opportunity but not many get the chance, but once you get it, remember this is the music business. Keep your eyes open and watch your back.
(CONTINUE READING BELOW FOR PART 3 OF THE Q.E. INTERVIEW)
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