Posted by Webmaster on 7/25/2001, 10:17 pm 2. You have some experience doing decidedly untraditional talk on traditional talk stations like WIBC in Indianapolis and now at KARN- how did you develop your style, and how do you get it to work on stations whose audiences are more attuned to staid political talk? How much do you feel you have to restrain yourself to fit the format, or have you been able to stretch the format to fit you? 3. What's the best interview you ever did? Your favorite guest? 4. If you hadn't gone into radio, what would you be doing now? 5. Who are your influences? 6. What other shows (if any) do you listen to? 7. What's the best advice you ever received? The worst? 8. You've done news and talk all over the map- of all the places you've worked before Little Rock, which was your favorite and why? 9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ___________. 10. Of all the things you've done in radio so far, what's made you most proud?
NAME: Dave Elswick
TITLE: Mid-day Host/ Asst. PD
STATION: KARN
MARKET: Little Rock, AR
COMPANY: Citadel
BORN: yes, versus hatched
RAISED: Gary, Indiana (explains why I have a killer instinct)
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: Began radio at WJOB/Hammond, Indiana in 1968, running cokes and keeping scores during High School BBall games. Went to college: Morehead State University. Joined Air Force, worked for Armed Force Radio and Television until 1985, won Golden Mic in Far East Network, selected by PA of Air Force to do all internal news for the AF. Left Air Force, worked for WWJY in Crown Point, IN, won Women's SportsFoundation/Miller Lite Journalism Award for best coverage of Women's Sports on radio. Joined WBBM as reporter for NW Indiana, covered Paula Cooper murder trial. She was the first teenager sentenced to death in US. Got divorced, went to Texas (small market). Since then, worked at WIBC, WCCO, WIOD and now KARN. Named Top 100 Talker this year by Talkers Magazine. Selected to answer these 10 probing questions. I have reached the pinnacle of my career.
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1. How did you get your start in radio?
I've always wanted to be on the radio. I would lie awake at night listening to the giants at WCFL and WLS. I started by begging my way onto the air at WJOB in Hammond. It was my first gig and I was in heaven.
Development of style came pretty easy. I try to communicate on level ground with my listeners. One thing I learned from Lujack, Winston and Phillips in Chicago was that you are one of them. What I mean by that is that the average person will connect with someone they relate with before someone who thinks they know it all. I also know that people like to talk about sex, they like rock and roll, the weird and strange draw peoples attention so I deliver the goods. I talk political stuff on an everyday this is how this affects you level. That's why I'm helping on trying to get the food tax repealed in Arkansas. I think its wrong for the government to take the first bite out of your food dollar. I restrain myself quite a bit. I'm really crazy inside but know that the average AM listener would have a heart attack if I really just let go. I have stretched the format some. I've done a hood ornament piercing live on my show. That created quite a stir.
Best interview was last election season with Senator and VP Candidate Joe Lieberman. I asked some really tough questions about drugs and money from the surplus going to the people. The Senator suddenly had to run. It made for a couple of weeks of great promos. My listeners still bring it up. My favorite guest was at WIBC when I got a surprise visit from George Clinton and we spent an hour talking about funk music.
Probably be a PR lackey somewhere. Thank God I found radio.
Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, Wally Philips and Kris Eric Stevens when I was growing up outside Chicago. Now Walter Sabo, Michael Harrison of Talkers and Kim Kommando. These folks know what Talk is about today.
I don't listen to anyone else basically. Here in Little Rock, there's really only the guy I go up against and I would never pattern myself on that kind of crap. On the weekend I do try to catch Kim, Handel on the Law and The Movie Show on Radio, these are very good programs.
Best advice from Michael Harrison when he told me "The size of the station doesn't matter, good radio is good radio." The worst, the PD at WCCO: "CBS will take care of you." Yeah, they screwed me really well.
I love Little Rock but WBBM because its Chicago and its where I was raised. Its the only place I really would move to from Little Rock. Its a wonderful city.
Coffee and the Internet.
Reading the names of the sex offenders list on the air in North Dakota. People need to know where those scumbags live.
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