10 Questions with ... Adam Preece

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Began at WKLW in 2008 as a part-time board operator. Became PD in 2012. Added PD duties for Country-WSIP and Classic Hits-WKYH in 2019.

1. How would you describe your first radio gig?

My first real one? Because as a child I created my own radio station at home with a small FM transmitter. I would go to the "radio station" in the back of the garage and broadcast to the kitchen! When I was 16, I was actually allowed on the air on WRLV in Salyersville, Kentucky. Then when I was 17, I was hired here at WKLW in Paintsville.

2. What led you to a career in radio?

It's something I knew I wanted to do. I listened to the radio as a child and wanted so badly to be creating good radio. I applied at most every radio station in the area but was always told..."you're not old enough." I wasn't. But I wanted to be.

3. In addition to programming K94.7, you also do mornings. How does your 'Up & At 'Em with Adam' show set the table for the rest of the day?

Two words – local and music. Just not necessarily together. This morning show isn't like the typical morning show in the sense that it's the option on the dial that has a lot of upbeat music to help get you going for the day. Not everyone wants to hear laughing, banter and DJ chit chat. This station is the one known around the clock to be playing the hits. It's also a chance to focus on local. It's a locally programmed station. The area's other station playing similar music has a morning show piped in from somewhere else. On K94.7, I work in local announcements, news, weather, sports and plenty of local references in any bit of content I can.

4. You get to be on the air in your hometown? What is that like for you?

It's a small town. And it's home. I won't lie...I remember the first break I ever did on K94.7. I was a nervous wreck. 15 years later...I've gotten very comfortable. Things DO happen on live radio. When they do, it's not always a bad thing. It's how you react...how you respond. You can take a little imperfection and create a piece of radio people will never forget. Or you can sweep it under the rug. It depends on the situation. It's neat to get to work with those I grew up with and went to school with on a regular basis. From promoting local events to selling spots for local businesses, I'm working with people I know.

5. Who would be a dream guest to have on your show?

Honestly, I couldn't say. I feel like the best guests here are people from this community who are doing great things. Celebrity guests are always cool, but bigger isn't always better. How well we can relate and build connections is what I feel makes great local radio.

6. You also program Country sister WSIP. How do you keep all the balls in the air?

It's thanks to a great team. WSIP is a heritage station in this market. And I like to refer to this area as "Country Music Country." We're in the hometown of Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle. And countless other big name Country artists are from here in the coverage area – plus local Noah Thompson won American Idol last year. Scott Ratliff (APD) handles mornings on WSIP and delivers a style of show the audience has grown to expect on the station for years. All hands on deck here do their part and at the end of the day, I feel like it all comes together quite well.

7. How do we become more attractive to the potential Gen Z and Generation Alpha audiences?

It's a tall task. I think one day in the future we will need to rely on our stream more than our signal. That day may not be here yet, but with the advancements of the auto-dash board I think the upcoming generations will use radio differently. I think radio as a whole needs to focus on the local aspect of radio. It's the one thing that radio has that can't really be duplicated. I'm not against voice-tracking. I'm not even against syndication. But I do think the local element needs to be present. We can't just put anything on our signal and take for granted that people will listen. Give listeners something they can't get anywhere else. I like to compare it to television. I feel like local television has gained competition from thousands of other sources through internet and smart TVs, but the local stations are still there and I imagine still thriving. It's because the local element is there. And it needs to always be here on local radio stations, too. If the only local element on a radio station each hour is a local advertiser's spot, we have a problem.

8. What's your all-time favorite backstage memory?

Being in this area, most of my backstage experiences have been with country music artists through WSIP. My favorite was last year with a couple of local country artists – Tyler Booth and Clarke Sexton. They have great careers ahead of them and we're

proud to be able to say we play their music on our station today! With WKLW, the biggest gig of this sort would be emceeing at a 3 Doors Down show. That was a lot of fun, too. I don't tend to place the stars on a pedestal. They're real people and some are quite relatable if you actually talk to them like they're a person.

9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?

As a child I thought I wanted to work in the larger radio markets. But knowing the industry, it's much more stable for me being here at home. Locally my favorite childhood station was WRLV/Salyersville. Jocks that stand out to me – I used to stream WQAL/Cleveland almost every day. Back when it was Allen Fee in the morning, Tim Richards on Middays, Jen Toohey for afternoons and Rob Kruz at night. Those were great days at that radio station and it made for a great lineup.

10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?

Alan Burton – former owner of WKLW. He took me under his wing in 2008. I was 17 years old and he gave me a job at this radio station. He taught me so much about radio. He retired in 2015 and I've stayed with the station ever since.

With the venue of choice at your disposal and an unlimited budget, which 6 acts would you pull together to throw a massive listener concert?

Honestly, I'd keep it local all the way. I'd have local artists at one of our local venues here in east Kentucky. The talent here is incredible. Since the budget is unlimited, let's get Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Tyler Booth, Sturgill Simpson, Noah Thompson and Dwight Yoakum. They're all from right here in this area and the fans would go crazy.