10 Questions with ... Lenny Diana

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

We're past the point of brief. I've been around. A lot of letters from the alphabet. You could make a soup!

1. Now that you've given us the alphabet soup. Take us back to your early days in Long Island. What stands out the most from working at the infamous WDRE?

I was pretty much a footnote at that station, but I was there at a time where Tom Calderone, John Moschitta, the late John Loscalzo, Malibu Sue, Darrin Smith, and Donna Donna were all in the house at the same time. It was a great learning experience, and I made the stations Wikipedia page. Not too shabby for the intern/overnight part-time schlub.

2. In the Fall '21, you made the move from Springfield, MA back to Indianapolis to program the legendary AAA WTTS and Alternative WGBJ/Ft. Wayne. What's a typical day like for you programming TTS and ALT 99,5 & 102.3 FM?

I did! Thank you for noticing Shawn! Typical? That doesn't apply here. There is a basic structure with meetings and calls with people, but we have a community first philosophy and that extends throughout all the departments.

3. Let's shift over to your ALT brand. WGBJ recently returned to simulcasting on FM 99.5 translator giving the station dual frequency coverage in the market. How does ALT 99.5 & 102.3 FM cover the Ft. Wayne market.

Combining both signals covers the market so that qualifies as good times for all involved. Each signal compliments each other very well. There isn't a lot of land duplication with them. Long term goal is to have a unique brand that serves the people of Fort Wayne with musical entertainment.

4. How do you stay plugged into ALT 99.5 & 102.3 FM based in Indianapolis?

Having the opportunity to have worked in Fort Wayne for a year in my past and living so close to it, it's not hard to get in the car and be in downtown Fort Wayne in about 80 minutes. 110 minutes if you follow the speed limit. I also have Zack Skyler (MD and Afternoons) so he's the cliché "boots on the ground" for me as we build the Alt brand. Plus, I'm up on everything that goes on in the state at this point so if anyone wants me to program in South Bend, I think Brad is willing to rent me out for the job.

5. Give us the 411 on ALT 99.5 & 102.3 FM.

We are excited to build the Alt brand in the city. Focusing on lifestyle in a city where its people aren't afraid to travel around for entertainment can be a bit tough and it tells us that if we build up entertainment options for them in the city, they will participate. Chicago up north and Indianapolis down south has the many of the big things covered already. We are starting with grassroots stuff like local bands and station shows while focusing on the goal of a modern take on alternative music. Having Lee Tobin as the Market Manager helps too as he's a big believer in building a strong foundation. It's a matter of staying consistent and growing things naturally.   

6. You've spent a good chunk of your career in the Alternative format. What's your take on the current state of Alternative Radio?

I believe if we do not start to champion newer bands the format is going to disappear. We also need to look past the chart number because that can be manipulated and not every song comes from the inbox. It's great to see these national shows with the cream of the crop from the last 20 years but where do you think we'll be in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? Short sighted thinking and the relentless pursuit of finding a music driver instead of playing the songs you want to ultimately represent your brand has taken its toll. Turns out cliches like, "tight is right" and "it's what's in between the records" were a dead end. How about, "have a focused balanced brand and serve your city" instead of gaslighting people into a 1991 to 2005 era of music was the only music that matters narrative that's not strong enough to stand on its own? We strive to be balanced across all eras with the best of the best and play new music. You have no shot of me on video proclaiming that "insert brand of music" is dead. That's an old man yells at cloud philosophy.   

7. After being crosstown at then-Clear Channel from 2004-2012, how different is it working at Sarkes Tarzian?

I had an excellent time my first round in Indianapolis. I met great people who I am friends with to this day. That era of the station was dealing with a parent company that was transitioning from local to national initiatives. Here at Sarkes Tarzian, we are living proof a radio station focused on giving a voice to its community can thrive and we play some good tunes along the way.     

8. Your boss Brad Holtz used to program WGBJ & WTTS, so big is it having that resource for you to have in-house?

What's great about Brad and I, we share similar philosophies on brands and how to grow them. We have a great opportunity to continue WTTS on the path that goes through past programmers like Laura Duncan and Brad himself. Frank Zappa called it "conceptual continuity". Frank described the philosophy that an artist's career should not be judged on any singular project, no single record, film or any other individual piece of work. Frank felt that a person's art could only be judged as part of the whole of their career. Each individual creation was a part of that whole. No critique of any single work could change the overall end result, which was what should be seen as an artist's entire body of work. Only in that end result can it be judged and then critiqued. That can apply to your radio station much better than some of the sport analogies used in meeting rooms everywhere. We spent too much time building things up to only knock them down and we expect the listener to blindly follow? They are way more savvy than you think. They also have many other options.   

9. How would you describe yourself as a programmer?

I don't describe myself as a programmer. I think that's up to other people. As for me in house, I'm very collaborative with all departments. I do not care where the idea comes from as long as someone has an idea we can all get behind. Everyone at Sarkes Tarzian is on the same team and we act that way.

10. What is your favorite part of your job?

Being able to give people in the community a voice.

WTTS: www.wttsfm.com/a-local-fathers-love-of-his-son-and-his-music

WGBJ: www.altfortwayne.com/alt-homegrown-spotlight-calder-the-band-2

Also, I'm on the hunt to find the next John Mellencamp. I know that person is out there somewhere.

What are weekends like for you?

I drive all over the state of Indiana in search of fun and adventure or I stay home and do yard work. Zero middle ground.

What are your favorite restaurants in Indy?

John's Famous Stew. The best tenderloin stew and you need to get the butter beans on top. The original owners closed their doors after 40 years during the pandemic and they were rescued by new ownership. What makes this a great story is they not only bought the name and physical location of the restaurant, but they also bought the recipes from the family. That's quite a play. Well done!   

Where do you like to eat when you're in Ft. Wayne?

Lee Tobin WGBJ Market Manager tipped me off to this one and everyone needs to eat at this place once in their life. Paula's On Main. It's the best seafood place in the Midwest. That's not my opinion. This is fact.

How often do you get back to Queens, NY and what are your top priorities?

While I was born in Flushing, Queens my parents moved me to the suburban wasteland of Long Island…Hicksville. I don't go back but I like Billy Joel's music.  

Rank your sports teams in order of passion.

I'm not tall so clearly, I like football and am currently in 3 fantasy football leagues. Sticking with the not tall vibe, I love everything about the NBA. Mostly everything else has dropped away due to extreme torture by the Islanders and MLB lives in 1956 and I'm not about that life.

Favorite new band over the past year?

A few… The Heavy Heavy. Goose. Omar Apollo. Ripe.

Anything else you would like to add?

I think I've said enough for now.