Best Rock 10Q Moments of 2022

This week, we look back at 2022 with the best answers to some of our best questions.

Mark Pennington & Lee Arnold
Hangar 33 Media (1/11/22)

Mark: "Funny story! We initially settled on a different name and filed for the trademark. Eight months later and one week before launch, the trademark was reviewed and denied! So rather than wasting money, resources, and time appealing, we switched to "Hangar 33 Media," which I already owned and was inspired by my passion for aviation."

Phil Kaso
SVP/Rock Promotion
Atlantic Records/EMG (1/18/22)

"It is an honor to fill in the big shoes that Lea Pisacane leaves behind. It's a great thing to be able to work with all the great artists that are on Atlantic, along with Elektra/Roadrunner and Fueled By Ramen. It's a full roster, chock full of great rock bands. It is a lot of juggling, but both companies have great staffs that I get to work with and learn from."

Nita Strauss
(1/25/22)

"I started playing guitar at age 13, and I knew pretty much immediately that that's what I wanted to do with my life. I've been obsessed since the very beginning. I didn't even really think about it being a living, I just knew I didn't want to do much else."

Marty Bender
Owner
Worst Consultant Ever (2/1/22)

"One way to maximize your present music presentation is simply to maximize the music. And you do that by being much less interruptive. In PPM markets, it really is OK to segue songs. No :60 promos. In fact, take that :30 down to a :15 or even a :10. Always write and produce clear, concise and creative imaging, promos and spots. Yes, I said spots. The other big elephant in the broadcast hour is weak commercial copy and concepts. Most often, the worst writers in the building are writing the commercials."

Doug Ingold
VP/Affiliate Sales/Music & Entertainment
Compass Media Network (2/8/22)

"I started at Compass Media Networks in 2013 handling affiliations for our Music & Entertainment Division across all formats, mostly Rock, Pop and Country. With pride, we have over 7,000 affiliates on behalf of our 100+ content partners and the machine pumps 24/7 52 weeks a year. We are bullish on our industry and continue to make investments in its future."

Ken Carson
President
New HD-Media (2/15/22)

"We work with and train young adults with autism, special needs, blindness and other disabilities. These individuals are paid for their work by Sophia's Mission, work that can be done from the safety of their own home. These jobs involve all aspects of working at NEW-HD radio New York and NEW-HD radio Los Angeles. The majority of announcers you hear on-air are disabled. To hear these talented individuals, discover their voice, many who would barely talk, and hear them reach what most thought were impossible goals is quite frankly a miracle."

Tom Griswold
Show Host
Bob & Tom (2/22/22)

"In 1983 I started getting calls from all over the country asking if Bob and I were available to move.  The calls came in the course of a few days.  It turned out that one of our competitors had presented a tape of our show at a radio convention session called "get your competition out of town."  (I think I can thank the folks at WKLT for the invisible shove out of the Northern Michigan market). WFBQ in Indianapolis brought us down the next week and we ended up signing on the dotted line."

Marc LaBelle
Lead Vocalist
Dirty Honey (3/1/22)

"Visiting all the radio stations for the first time from Seattle to Detroit and NJ was all really fun, but specifically I remember driving to the airport in Denver after vacation in Colorado and hearing "When I'm Gone" on KBPI for the first time. That was a special moment for me."

Dave Stewart
Owner
RED Manager & David F Stewart LLC (3/8/22)

"My oldest son Nick has been RED's tour manager for a few years. The band had asked me for some help connecting with radio folks with their last album (Declaration), which unfortunately came out right before the pandemic hit. We continued talking for the past couple of years, and we formalized a management agreement on January 1st this year."

Scott Steele
PD/Morning Host
KHTQ (Rock 94 ½)/Spokane, WA (3/15/22)

"I'll be starting my lucky 13th year at Rock 94 And A Half this October, and since the first day I heard this station online back in the 90's, the balls that Rock 94 And A Half had by playing bands like Sevendust, Godsmack, and Five Finger Death Punch in the early stages of their careers...over all day parts.  Now, they are the musical core of this powerhouse.  The other core of this station, the faithful listeners."

Chris Jericho
Lead Vocalist
Fozzy (3/22/22)

"'I Still Burn' is the story of the dreams, the passion and the fire that lies within all of us to be the absolute best we can be...and to do WHATEVER it takes to achieve the goals that make our dreams come true! The sacrifices, the losses, and the triumphs that we have all experienced make up the lyrical DNA of this song. "I Still Burn" is Fozzy's mission statement, our life's work."

Kurt Steffek
President
Kurt Steffek Promotions (3/29/22)

"Labels and management are going to need to aggressively seek new avenues of exposure for the developing artists at rock and we are going to really need to have a story to share and not just a great song. There are new artists currently at the format that are starting to raise their hand whether it be Giovanni, Turnstile, Avoid, and more….so I'm optimistic a good song can still break through. It's just going to take longer and need someone to step out and be a leader."

Steve Dent
PD
WFTK & WOFX/Cincinnati (4/5/22)

"I spent my teenage years building my music collection, listening to music in my room while studying the liner notes. I knew I wanted to do something in the music industry, but I wasn't sure what. My mom was the one who mentioned broadcasting school to me, and we went to take a tour. Not to sound cliché, but the rest is history. I fell in love with the radio and through hard work, great mentors, and some luck, it's all worked out!"

Jim "Poorman" Trenton
Morning Host
KOCI/Newport Beach, CA (4/12/22)

"The listeners are intricately involved in programming the music. They are invested in the daily playlist. They have become radio personalities with their involvement in the music. There is not a traditional programmer."

Johnny Maze
APD/Afternoons
WSFR (107.7 THE EAGLE)/Louisville, KY (4/19/22)

"Getting back into the groove of scheduling music and doing a daily show has been great for me and I continue to be more comfortable and being better each day. The listeners have embraced me on the streets and on social media and I look forward to getting out more with the many events happening soon here in Louisville."

Anthony "Roach" Proffitt
APD/MD
WHEL (ROCK 103.3)/Fort Myers, FL (4/26/22)

"That hole in the market for an ACTIVE ROCK station was apparent and the ownership here knew that this was the time to bring ACTIVE ROCK back. With such a big hole of rock missing from 1996 to 2022 we now have it with Rock 103.3. I am so happy that they believed in me and that PD John Rozz was able to work with the ownership to make this happen again."

Angi Taylor
'The Angi Taylor Show' Host
WCHI (ROCK 95.5)/Chicago (5/3/22)

"I'm a rock fan, rap fan, pop fan.  I think it's weird if you only listen to ONE kind of music.  Especially when you grew up in the MTV era that played it all. My favorites that we play are Motley Crue, Alice in Chains, Metallica, and Fall Out Boy."

Steve Huber
PD/Mornings
WZBA (100.7 THE BAY)/Baltimore, MD (5/10/22)

"I'm still getting used to waking up early but so far, I LOVE mornings. Being a part of people's morning routine feels so great. We don't do any features, at least not yet, hoping some things grow organically. My style is a bit "Seinfeld" like. So far, we have done whole shows on "Speed Bumps", "Peeps", the lyrics to "Once Bitten Twice Shy", "Does something out of place in your morning routine ruin your day" and other pressing issues like those."

Nadine Condon
Author
"A MEMOIR- Confessions-Stories To Rock Your Soul" (5/17/22)

"Success is a process, and the result of hard work. It doesn't happen overnight. Everyone you see on stage was once exactly where you are today, pushing demos, networking, fighting with club owners for bookings, trying to stand out from the crowd. Put your best songs first. If the song doesn't hook you in the first 20 seconds, it's not a hit song. Find alternative marketing streams."

Rob Goldklang & David Ravikoff
SVP Alt & Rock Promotions (Rob) | VP Rock & AAA Formats (David)
Warner Records (5/24/22)

Rob:"It's been amazing how Rock Radio has taken on the EVENT of a new My Chemical Romance record! #1 Most Added at Rock on impact, and super excited about the band's Sold-Out Tour this Fall."

Chili Walker
PD/Afternoons
WKLC (ROCK 105)/Charleston, WV (5/31/22)

"Rock as a format is strong. At WKLC, we seek out more bands like The Black Moods, Dirty Honey and those that are more straight ahead. Where many stations can embrace the Heavy or Alternative side, we tend to stay away from that style. But that's the beauty, every station doesn't have to sound the same. We play what the core of our audience prefers."

Kevin Kerr
'The Rocker Morning Show' Host
WRKR/Kalamazoo, MI (6/7/22)

"I can't get enough out of people laughing at the 'dumb Kansas Boy' experiencing Michigan for the first time, and everything this state has to offer. Little things like learning Kellogg's are right down the road from us, doing a break on Pop-Tart flavors, and getting multiple calls about it... just by talking about Pop-Tarts."

Adam "Adrock" Lebensfeld
President of Promotions
In De Goot Entertainment (6/14/22)

"Like other formats, rock radio is evolving. The audience was raised listening to different genres, and you can see the merging of genres in the new music being created. There's great rock music out there and radio is blending the music they're playing to reflect that. From Jelly Roll to Bring Me The Horizon, Architects to Zero 9:36…radio is widening what 'rock' is."

Randall "Boner" Smith
Brand Manager/Afternoons
WRXR (ROCK 105)/Chattanooga, TN (6/21/22)

"I wish I had a great story about that, but I honestly don't. I get the occasional drunk girl asking, "why do they call you Boner". Usually, I give some type of ridiculous response. But the truth is that I used to go by the name T-Bone but I really hated it. So, when I went back to WXTB in 1998, Boner was a name that was suggested. I think Brian Medlin came up with it. I thought it was kinda funny, so I went with it. Yet another in a long series of bad decisions!"

Giovannie Yanez
Giovannie And The Hired Guns
(6/28/22)

"Radio has always been a huge part of my life in Texas. 97.1 The Eagle was a station we all loved growing up and to be played on that station has been an incredible part of the year. I even got interviewed by them during BFD and I almost shit myself."

Keith Hastings
Brand/Content Director
WDRV (97-1 THE DRIVE)/Chicago (7/5/22)

"This position was at the top of a very short list I'd even consider making a move for. Hubbard has long been the gold standard of destination companies in our business, and The Drive is a world class brand.  The station is embedded into the fabric of one of the greatest cities in the world, right in the heart of my native Midwest.  And the team here plays the game at the highest level on a big stage."

Christine Chiappetta
VP Promotion
Epic Records (7/12/22)

"Rock, in my opinion, is much more loyal to artists they have history with. It is still very lifestyle driven and less about what's hot now. The most successful rock stations (and there are many with huge ratings) may play less currents than other formats but the ones they choose, typically aren't crossing over or vice versa so they don't have the quick turnover as other formats."

Larry Mac
OM/PD
KFMA & KLPX/Tucson (7/19/22)

"When I was a kid, I used to make radio stations on a small reel to reel, and always loved music. Then, when Curtiss Johnson hired me at KUPD, I realized it could be more than just a fun weekend gig to help me get through college."

Terrie Carr
PD/Middays
WDHA/Morristown, NJ (7/26/22)

"I am thrilled that HARD ROCK has finally decided that women have their place in our format. Not two women but lots of women. This is the part of our format that has really evolved.  We have hard rock tours filling arenas, women topping the charts (and women buying more tickets to rock shows than ever too!)"

Jordan Fish
Keyboardist
Bring Me The Horizon (8/2/22)

"The song 'sTraNgeRs' is about the feeling of being at a live show and being in a roomful of strangers…standing next to a bunch of people you don't know and everyone's singing…that connection between people…you only get that at a live show!"

Rick & Cutter
Morning Co-Hosts
WAPL/Appleton, WI (8/9/22)

Rick: "Like a prolonged dual psychiatric therapy session with commercials."

Cutter: "It's what happens when you put two stubborn assholes with a sarcastic sense of humor that are 20+ years apart in the same room together for four hours every day and give them each a microphone. So basically, what Rick said."

Jeff Murphy
DeMers Programming (8/16/22)

"Keeping everyone focused on their brand strategy. Plus helping programmers manage their time and reduce their stress. I'm betting that most PDs feel their creativity has been pinched, their ability to manage the product compromised and their programming skills marginalized. We try to be therapists and confidants, then re-ignite their PD's internal competitive drive to win."

Decker
MD/Afternoons
WZOR (RAZOR 94.7/104.7)/Appleton, WI (8/23/22)

"'The Cutting Edge Of Rock' is our tagline and I feel like our audience loves being the first ones to know about what's new. I personally love the sound of Active Rock these days. From bands like I Prevail to Bad Omens and Lilith Czar and Beartooth, the future is bright for rock and we here on Razor couldn't be more excited about giving an outlet for the future of rock and metal on our signal."

Dorothy Martin
Lead Singer
Dorothy (8/30/22)

"That's been a real common subject within the Rock community. It's about our tribe, our family and having each other's backs, and knowing that you're not alone, and it's ok to be a little bit of a freak!"

Ross Ford & Sid Black
PD (Ross) | APD/MD (Sid)
KILO/Colorado Springs, CO (9/6/22)

Ross:"A lot of our music decisions are gut because we know our audience from being here this long, and what works for us and what doesn't."

Jimbo Wood
PD
WRTT (ROCKER 95.1)/Huntsville, AL (9/13/22)

"After about a month or so of getting used to each other, it just started clicking…and it's worked ever since. I can't believe that this month is gonna be the 10th anniversary of Jimbo & Casio in the morning!"

Sara Parker
MD
WMMR/Philadelphia (9/20/22)

"Spotify and every other streaming entity offer millions of options and that can be really overwhelming, so to be able to turn on the radio and have a friend recommend a new band or bring up an old song you haven't heard in a while...it's being delivered to you by a real human and that means a lot!

Tracy Brown & Drew Murray
President (Tracy) | VP Promotion (Drew)
Amplify Entertainment

Tracy:"Unlike Pop, Rock is a format that gives a crap about you and me and wants us listening to their radio stations!"

Andrew Mendelsohn
Rock Programming
Music Choice Manager (10/4/22)

"At the core of making music decisions, you have to be a fan and not think of it as solely based on charts and streaming numbers, because if the song sounds good, it probably sounds good to someone else as well!"

Ray Gmeiner
Owner
Ray Gmeiner Rocks Promotion (10/11/22)

"If you think about the younger generation of music listeners, many of them have grown up streaming music from lots of different formats like Rock, Country, and Hip Hop…. we have a bigger tent of listener's we can bring into Rock Radio!"

Andy Hall
PD
KAZR (LAZER 103.3)/Des Moines (10/18/22)

"The biggest judge for me comes down to the song…it always has and always will be. That's why a song like Jelly Roll's "'Dead Man Walking' comes along, and is something that people are going to dig, so we played it!"

Sparky
APD
KIBZ (104.1 THE BLAZE)/Lincoln, NE (10/25/22)

 "There's a lot of new bands out there that might not get airplay…and I'd like to at least give them that chance. We must keep fostering new bands for the future of the format!"

Lance Hale
Dir./Rock Programming
WOTT (94 ROCK)/Watertown, NY (11/1/22)

"Since Covid, we've had a resurgence in Rock since a lot of those bands lay dormant for a couple of years…they couldn't tour or go out and play…and being stuck inside helped with this creative renaissance we're now seeing!"

Nick Attaway
VP of Radio Promotion
BMG (11/8/22)

"When I was starting out in Radio Promotion, I learned from several Promotion veterans, and I knew I could do this…and I felt then as I do now…that radio has an important job in breaking artists!"

Jeremi "Big J" Schlader
APD/MD 
KQXR/Boise (11/15/22)

"Working at KQXR has been the only radio job I've ever had, and it's been almost 25 years, so I've grown up with the listeners of this station!"

Jave Patterson
OM/PD
KDOT & KOZZ/Reno, NV (11/22/22)

"The KDOT audience is incredibly passionate, and we do a remarkable job of taking and recycling a massive Cume in our Morning Show of Rob, Anybody and Dawn and we're very proud of that!"

Mike Jakubow
SVP
Sumerian Records (11/29/22)

"This past week Bad Omens new single 'Just Pretend' out streamed Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' in the U.S. with 2.5 million streams. The viral component of how the lyrics and chorus is really connected was a springboard to all of this, and that's the beauty, mystery and magic of music!"

HARDY
Artist
Big Loud Rock (12/6/22)

 "The song 'Jack' was written from the perspective of how manipulative alcohol, and in this case, Jack (Daniels), can be. It's snakey and can really get a grip on people and pull them away from their loved ones!"