KPLU-FM needs "tweaking rather than adjusting

His Name is
Ryan Awram
and he's this weeks
Jock Shot!

In our continuing series of Jock Shot,
we welcome The Q's afternoon drive guy, Ryan Awram.

(Sam) everyone has their tale to tell about the age you just knew, Radio is where you wanted to go?

(Ryan) I was in my early 20s when I realized radio was where I should be.
Originally, I was taking night school classes in Graphic Design at B.C.I.T.
But the more I looked at the broadcasting courses I realized,
"Hey, I love news.Yes, playing music and cueing-up records! And writing commercials?
Production, too? Hey, I wanna do all of that!"

I started to put the pieces together that maybe I might be more passionate about radio and it's personalities
than just a casual listener. So, yeah, I had the ephiphany at a relatively late age.

(Sam) early memories of radio, the stations you listened to, grew up with, the personalities you admired

[Ryan) Every radio guy and girl has their tape-recorder adventures. Me and a buddy used to record ourselves
with an old Sony reel-to-reel and try to re-create the Pat Burns Hotline.
We would vary-pitch our voices to try to get the Pat Burns warmth.

I grew up listening to a lot of CKNW and CJOR in the 70s and 80s.
Frosty Forst was my favourite. His quick wit, casual and flippant attitude really grabbed me.
Dan Russell in his early CJOR days used to do some extended sports interviews that really
captured my imagination. I loved Dave McCormick's Discumentary.
Bill Hughes doing his On The Buses segment (for all those years on CKNW) made an impression
on me that improvising an interview on the spot can work.
Rick Honey was another favourite of mine. He had such a friendly attitude on the surface
but could be very cutting at times, too.
Jack Cullen gave me an appreciation for retro programming, music history and pop culture.

Plus, I was always a big fan of deskers and reporters. Talents like Big Al Davidson, Gord McDonald,
Ted Fields, Arnold Epp, Janet Larimer (Brown). Frank Fong was a favourite for his converstional
and playful approach.

(Sam) I understand your a product of BCIT. Please share with us your thoughts on their radio program

(Ryan) I was at B.C.I.T. just as analog was on it's way out in the industry. My class must have
been one of the last to learn how to cue-up vinyl and learn production on analog 8-tracks.

I loved my time there and had some great instructors. The late John Ansell would talk honestly
about the realities of the radio industry. That it's a tough business and you have to have drive,
a good attitude and the passion to succeed. I remember Brian Antonson showing us some
production techniques that I've never forgotten. Randy Taylor and the late Rick Jonassen
were encouraging. And I made sure to pay attention to Kevin Ribble's critiques in airchecks
because I had been a listener in his CKLG days.
All these intructors had success in the radio industry and I tried to be a sponge to their advice.

I'm a big fan of the radio broadcast program at B.C.I.T. This industry is not for everyone
regardless what school you go to. But the program gave me a good foundation to build on.

[Sam) and from there where did you go. Did you Intern? Where, how was that?

{Ryan) My last year of school I was a board operator at CKNW. They had just moved from New West
to The Black Tower. I knew my first broadcast gig after B.C.I.T. would be in a small town,
so, this would be a great experience to press buttons at the largest station in B.C.
And it would be a chance to press the buttons for the guys I loved to listen to.

But honestly, I was a horrible board op. One night I screwed up switching something
and had CKNW off-the-air for 5 minutes and the WIN (western information network) silent.
David Berner and his producer were on the other side of the glass wondering who this idiot was.

But Frosty Forst would be coming into the studio as I'd be leaving the control room.
For a listener turned student and now board op, this was a real rush.
Doc Harris really made an impression how he could take a simple story out of The Province
and make it his own. Jack Cullen would call the control room on the private line to see if his
Owl Prowl on reel-to-reels was running ok.
I also remeber there was a note on the paper log at 3:30am to call Neil McCae
at home to wake him up.

I did my practicum at CJAV in Port Alberni. That was a good experience right out of B.C.I.T.
because I had a chance to do news, production, creative, on-air, and voicetracking.
I remember sitting in my hotel room on Redford Street listening to my voicetracks and commercials
and thinking, "Wow, I can do this radio thing!"

[Sam) When did you arrive at the Q..

(Ryan) I first heard 100.3 The Q! in about 1991 when I was on Whidby Island in Washington State.
Ever since then I held the station as a benchmark for creativity and consistency in radio.

Fast-forward to 2004. I had been working at the station in Duncan for 5 years. I had worked
for Dick Drew when it was CKAY. Then I helped his son, Cam, launch SUN FM.
By 2004, I was frustrated. I was program director, doing production and creative, and hosting the morning show.
The problem was I didn't have mentors and felt directionless.

My goal was to work at The Q! But there was never much movement. Plus, I was never sure if I wanted
to focus on production or keep going on-air. I felt like a jack-of-all-trades and was ready to focus
and grow.

The timing to work at The Q! was perfect. Cam Drew told me he was selling the Duncan station,
and a rare swing-shift slot opened in Victoria. Johnny Shields, the senior programming manager,
asked me why I wanted to work at The Q!
I stupidly said, "Uhmmm, 'cause I think it would be fun". Johnny hired me.

(Sam) Tell us about working at the Q and your radio family

(Ryan) When I was in Duncan I'd try to figure out how The Q! did it. I knew they had an award winning
creative team. That the music programming was unique. The personalities sounded more real
than any other station I'd heard before. And they were live 24 hours a day.

Then I met guys like Ed Bain, John Shields, Ross McIntyre (imaging director) and Mark Addams (program director)
and realized it's a very organic approach to radio. It truly is programming/listener first, then sales.
That's extremely uncommon these days.  It took me awhile to get used to promotions and contests
that weren't sales driven. If we find it fun, Q! Guy will, too.

The key to The Q!s success is the high level of passion it's staff has for radio.
Jocks have total freedom to explore their creativity. There's a lot of experience and enthusiasm at
The Rock Research Centre. There's a lot of people I learn from on staff at The Q!

(Sam) Your show on the Q announces you and Kirk Mason.... tell us about Kirk, working with him...

(Ryan) I remember listening to Kirk in his LG73 days. And when I was in Duncan driving home to Maple Bay
I used to listen to Kirk and Mark Addams on The Q! Afternoon Show.

What a voice Kirk has, eh? But there's a lot of substance behind that voice.
Kirk is extremely jaded. He's a passionate about radio and jaded at the same time. That's a great combination.
Kirk's skeptical attitude is my favourite thing about him.
I've been very influenced by Kirk because he avoids cliches in his news writing, is extremely
conversation and tells a great story.

Kirk is not a fan of celebrity. Kirk's contempt for the cliche is contagious.
Kirk would never agree to be a PSR Jock Shot.

(Sam) Favourite Music.... maybe you can tie this in with with Prepping...
tell us what you day is like in preparation for coming on your afternoon shift at the Q

(Ryan) I'm a frustrated musician. And I spend as much time in Q! Control rockin' out to the tunes
as I can get away with. I've always read a lot of music autobiographies and biographies.
My passion for Classic Rock is fed by interacting with the music and radio artists.
The Q!s music director is Scott James. He and Mark Addams (program director) always
encourage Q! Jocks to "own the music", know about the artists.
I've had a chace to produce some Q! music specials. I love producing my show and
The Q! music specials have been an extension of that.

Prepping, apart from knowing what your station is doing and what the other shows are contesting,
is about knowing what's topical. I'm not a huge issue driven or hot-topic Jock, but I keep up to date.
Just in case I interact with Kirk Mason or a Q! Listener on a topic or local event.
But I am perfectly happy discussing who's a better band;
Zeppelin, The Beatles or The Stones? Or talking about a Q! Listener's favourite concert memory.
Or sharing a Tillicum Drive-In Movie Theatre memory with Q! Guy who's lived in Victoria his whole life.

(Sam) Where do you see the Industry going?

(Ryan) You know, I really have no idea. Seriously, I can't imagine. But I'd love it if more radio stations ditched
the voicetracking and went live 24/7 like we are at 100.3 The Q!
Everyone knows radio's biggest advantage is being local. But being live seems to be obscured
by the bottom line. I wouldn't be doing afternoons today at The Q! if I didn't have a chance
to prove what I can do on the overnight shift.

Ryan Awram can be heard weekday afternoon on The Island's Rock The Q 100.3 FM Victoria, 94.7 in Sooke