Alex Tear
Enter 1988 Graduation Day! We were ready to run the broadcast world, we knew it all! Look at that confidence and oversized suit jacket, you can’t deny that skinny tie. The day after graduation I headed to my first interview in Cadillac, MI which at the time had only one stop light and maybe a McDonald’s. I clearly remember telling Andy MacDonald from MacDonald Broadcasting that he wouldn’t be sorry if he hired me as I sat in the lobby with several eager candidates. I got the overnight on-air gig on Top 40 WLZ Lake FM and couldn’t wait to talk over the intro of INXS “Need You Tonight.”
Ahhhh, I found my swagger… or not! I remember thinking that everyone has “press” shots and I’m going to be in the trades! But which pose to do? Headphones over ears with mic, headphones around neck with upper body headshot pose? Oh the choices. After my first year in Cadillac, MI with MacDonald Broadcasting I was relentless to bother Andy MacDonald for a promotion to their new acquisition WILS in Lansing. MI. At the time Lansing was close to market #100 and that would have meant I made it! The format was Adult and I became pretty good in the Production Room with creative. I also had my own Mix Show on the AM.
WGRD Grand Rapids! We had so much fun. The first real taste of Team unity and purpose. I had come in as the night guy and changed my name to Ray Ban (don’t ask). WGRD was Top 40 upon arrival and one of America’s coolest medium market Alternative stations when I left. We were entering the “Grunge” era and only a handful of stations made the early leap (including GRD) to become New Rock 97 NINE GRD thanks to Mike McVay and Larry Rosin at Edison Research. Can you believe they asked me to become the PD?! By far one of the most fun and creative times in my career, we didn’t know any better and the music scene was out of control. “No rules” radio was on.
How excited is the Money Man Eddie Money to meet me at my first Gavin convention? My first real artist encounter during the early 90’s. Although Eddie looks less than thrilled I remember having a great 20 minute conversation about Top 40 music. I met several really great eager young professionals that are now lifetime friends at that first Gavin. We were just starting out and watching the radio veterans walk around in awe. We didn’t mind sitting in the back for the festivities because we were in the room! (Exactly like that misfit wedding reception table). We watched, listened, studied and learned for when it was our chance to go for it.
I had finally made it! After 7 years in Northern MI I had the whole world, or Planet in my hands. WHYT was my endgame. I was so excited to be the Music Director in my hometown of Detroit programming the station I grew up listening to. Literally hundreds of great 96.3 memories here. I especially want to thank former APD/MD Mark Jackson for believing in me and setting me up with Rick Gillette who’s always been a believer. Later I would partner with Garett Michaels to continue evolving a Motor City legend. That was my best radio “world domination” face?!
We had an amazing Planet 96.3 Team with great chemistry and passion, what a time to be Music Director in your hometown! One of my favorite performances was in ‘97 with INXS, unfortunately it would be one of Michael Hutchence’s last performances. Our 96.3 concerts at Pine Knob and The Palace were legend, to this day people talk about the star power and magic moments. What’s with the flannel?!
Time to Pop! What a great time in my life. ABC had given me PD stripes in Detroit to program the rebirth of WDRQ. We had a lot of fun in the beginning with *NSYNC, these guys were regular DRQ family. I had transitioned to sister station WDRQ after WPLT to lead my own team. We assembled one of the most talented Teams in radio. Pictured here with me is MD Keith Curry who was the musical backbone of DRQ and of course Justin, JC, Lance, Joey and Chris.
Moving the Motor City like Detroit moves the world, this is 93 ONE D R Q. We had taken this hometown hero to #1 through hard work with an amazing Team. So many passionate people contributed to building this Detroit radio icon. Jay (Towers), Keith (Curry) and I were honored to be on the cover of FMQB magazine representing. We took this picture standing on the station Hummer in front of Detroit’s historical Fox Theatre with our names on the marquee. A very special hometown kid moment.
DRQ had become a strong music force and new music beacon, it was a highlight to sit with Jay in the beginning and talk about Hip-Hop and Pop. Later that year he’d come back to Detroit to do our Electric Kringle Jingle concert, one of the few Pop show’s he’d do. From Detroit’s Eminem to Kid Rock and so many more across the nation, WDRQ was breaking the Motor City wide open during a great music era.
Being able to Introduce Mom to Bono is a career highlight. Adam, Larry, Edge and Bono all came out to spend time with Mom backstage in Miami. I had just arrived to iHeart Miami to begin my next journey.
This is a great “add a caption” pic! Welcome to Miami, the South Florida tour begins. One of the first people I met was J-Lo at the legendary LIV nightclub. Y100 was a Miami icon and I was excited to dig it. Jennifer was great, we’d partner for several events and features in years to come. It’s hard to believe I was away from the snow for a decade! Another great broadcasting Team was born. The entire iHeart Cluster was second to none.
Mr. 305 was the first person to reach out and invite me to lunch when I arrived in Miami. We continue to work together at SiriusXM where he has his own Globalization channel! Our “Night in the 305 with Pitbull” event at LIV was thee South Beach event to get into. We presented Pit with a special legend award that acknowledged lifetime airplay on Y100. I also remember every day that summer we’d feature a Pit track at 3:05pm.
While visiting family in MI Christmas 2010 I remember falling hard for an artist that had not yet been introduced in the U.S. Y100 broke Calvin Harris and “Feels So Close” became legend. It was an exciting time in Miami and the U.S. as Electronic Music became “E-D-M” and the charts flooded with David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, Arman Van Buuren, Avicii, Kygo and so many more to come.
We were there in the beginning for each other. Alex and Drew will always be family. It was only a matter of time before the Chainsmokers would pop…they had been grinding since before I arrived. We were excited to partner in the beginning to help commercially elevate their music. “Roses” became a huge track for Y100 and was the track that would push them into mainstream radio to set up breakouts with “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Closer.”
A new beginning. Setting pace and tone with artists like Harry Styles is where I wanted to be and thanks to Steve Blatter, Alex White and Scott Greenstein it happened. The transition from terrestrial radio to SiriusXM + Pandora was the perfect programming pairing for me. SXM’s vision to create content and break music was exciting, I’m coming up on my one year anniversary and excited to keep digging in with our Pop Genre Teams to make impactful Pop culture listener memories.
