Tommy Chuck
Tommy Chuck started his programming career with Clear Channel at the youthful age of 19, and at a ripe 26, is currently programming one of the company’s national treasures, WFLZ/Tampa. FMQB heads down south to sunshine state to talk shop with one of the format’s hottest young programmers.
Clear Channel prides itself in its programming talent. It’s a company that has given many a programmer ample opportunity to develop a career, even beyond the programming position itself. It’s a company that is indiscriminate relative to age and experience level…but it is also not about blind ambition either. You have to have the talent.
Tommy Chuck started his programming career with CC at the youthful age of 19, and at a ripe 26, is currently programming one of the company’s national treasures, WFLZ/Tampa. Impossible you say, no, maybe improbable, but Chuck has been bucking the odds ever since he became infatuated with his current profession back in elementary school and just being around the family business.
eQB presents excerpts from the FMQB August Magazine CHR Up Close featuring WFLZ/Tampa PD Tommy Chuck
On his early influences that lead to a radio career…
My biggest influence was my dad. I’m very blessed that I grew up in a radio family. My dad and Uncle Jimmy (on my mom’s side) operated a mom and pop AM station (WEMB) in Erwin, Tennessee. I grew up as a kid following them around, carrying the equipment, doing the slave labor and basically just hanging around.
On the steps that led to WFLZ…
Clear Channel has been great to me. I’ve been a programmer in the company for almost eight years, and I’m only twenty-six. My first PD job was at WVSR/Charlestown. I got my first Clear Channel programming job at age nineteen, when they hired me as PD of WKXJ/Chattanooga. I’ve been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. I also got on Marc Chase’s radar early in my career and benefited from that.
Next stop Birmingham…
It was a fairly easy transition going to Birmingham. There I met Doug Hamand, who was the OM. I spent two years there. Doug was somebody else who let me help out with things that maybe I had no business doing…being in the room for things. Marc Chase continued to be great about teaching me. I just networked with the right people, asked questions and continued to learn.
On the challenge of taking over the legendary WFLZ…
It’s was kind of daunting, no question about it. I don’t want to go down in history as the guy that tanked ’FLZ. When you come into a situation like this, it’s easy for a PD to focus so much on not messing up, and then you mess up because you’re afraid to make the necessary changes that lead a station into the future. That’s what I try to stay focused on: the future and making sure the ’FLZ tradition lives on.
On sitting in the FLZ PD chair…
It’s an honor to be here. I found some old memos from Domino, BJ and Jeff (Kapugi) about various things. I sat back and it was like: Wow! These names that are now legends — everybody calls some of the greatest ever. I’m in their chair right now. I thought about it and in fifteen–twenty years some young PD is going to be coming in and find a Tommy Chuck memo and be like Wow! It’s humbling.
On the “vibe” that exists in the building…
I’ve been blessed to be part of some great stations, but ’FLZ is truly the best in America. I think it’s because everyone loves the station like it’s their own child. From the part-timers up to MJ, everybody cares deeply about the radio station. And we have fun! We do everything possible to make sure the environment of the station stays fun, laid-back and creative.
On words of wisdom ex-PD Jeff Kapugi imparted…
Jeff and I have always been friends. He’s always been a mentor to me. He’s certainly been one of those guys I’ve learned a lot from over the years. He had been here a long time so he had great relationships with everybody here. Everybody looks up to Jeff, respects him and really loves him. He’s been a huge help and I really respect him a lot. He’s pretty smart for an old man!
On the strong Pop cycle we’re currently in…
It’s been a great run – not just for ’FLZ, but for the format that we are having a lot of success right now. For the first time in a long time, we’ve got the Rhythm stations picking songs off of our play list, and that’s been great. As we speak right now, I’m a little disappointed in the current crop of music. We’re kind of on third and fourth singles from superstar artists that released projects late last year, so I kind of feel like we really need another shot in the arm right now.
On balancing data with gut…
Research isn’t going to tell you everything you need to be doing. It can certainly guide you in the right direction in most cases, but it needs to be balanced. That’s why it’s important we have such a great group of people here at the station that lives and breathes the lifestyle, are creative, having fun, and are bringing those things to the table that we do on a daily basis to make sure we’re not becoming drones in the radio industry.
On integrating new technology initiatives…
In my seven months here, the big focus has been on evolving the brand into multiple platforms. We now interact with our audience through text messaging. We’re broadcasting in high definition; we have an HD2 channel. ’FLZ’s always been great on the Web, but I feel we’ve stepped up our game there. We’re doing a great job interacting with our audience on line. We’ve initiated a social network called the Pigpen which has really taken off and been great.
On where marketing and promotional relationships rank among the priorities of WFLZ…
It’s important. There are a lot of people in the record industry I have great relationships with and consider friends. If the record industry is bringing us hit music, then that’s the best thing they could bring us. As far as promotional relationships, I believe it’s really cool to give our audience the opportunity to do things that money can’t buy. A lot of times we need the help of the record labels to do that. We want to make sure that everything we do is above board, ethical and compliant. Regarding music, I hope the people in the record industry see ’FLZ as a tough add. We take our play list seriously. My goal is to be playing 100% hit music.
On the formula for a successful record/radio relationship…
The respect for time is a big deal. Also, being knowledgeable and truly passionate about the music you’re bringing to the table. Mutual trust you have with certain people in the record industry is important, as is label reps being passionate about the things that are really worth being passionate about.
And from the programmer’s side…
It’s easy for program directors to get cocky with their role. I see some programmers treat people in the record industry like they’re second class, or like they’re a bother. But they bring us our most important product and we need good relationships. It really falls on us. True, we can’t always be available. We certainly don’t want to be taken advantage of, but just treat them with respect. It’s important to come up with a system for the people you deal with to make sure you communicate effectively.
On the effective acceptance of HD radio…
The key is truly making it free, and that means them not having to go and buy a new radio. You can promote cool HD channels to young people, but you then can’t expect them to go out and pay $500 for a new radio. I don’t think they’re going to believe it’s really that cool, if they need to go spend $500. The big key is to make HD radio the standard in cars. I know Clear Channel and the HD alliance are certainly working hard to that end.
On what excites him most about the future of radio…
I’m excited to prove people wrong. The people who think, ‘Oh, you know, radio is dead.’ Radio aswe know it might be. But the thing is to evolve. That’s what we’re trying to do at WFLZ. If we don’t, we’ll die. We need to evolve, and what’s exciting is we’re doing it. There are a lot of smart, creative, fun people that work in radio. I can’t wait for twenty years down the road, when the next new thing comes out, and people start saying, ‘Oh, this is going to be the death of radio,’ to say: ‘Yep, heard that before.’
** QB Content by Fred Deane & Bob Burke **
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