burkemancometh

History

Member for

1 year 11 weeks

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Personal Information

Your website

http://www.myspace.com/tyrannosaurus-burke

State

ME

Bio

I was born and raised in Vassalboro, Maine, a small town 20 miles north of Augusta that I'm glad to have moved out of by now. I've lived in Maine for most of my life, and have attended elementary school, high school, and college here. I currently reside in Portland, Maine, but I really have a desire to live somewhere else just for the sake of experiencing another drastically different part of the world.

I have actually had a great deal of radio experience thus far. When I was 18, I won a contest for alternative rock radio station WCYY, where I was awarded a four hour show once a week for a year. That was a lot of fun, and people appeared to like my show. After that gig ended, I dove right into my college radio station, Colby College's WMHB, where I worked my way up to General Manager. That radio station actually has some famous alumni, including David Brancaccio (formerly of NPR's Marketplace), Dan Harris ('93, anchor of ABC Weekend Nightly News), Billy Bush ('94, anchor of Access Hollywood), and Tom Silverman ('76, founder of Tommy Boy Records).

I still work in radio, doing two part time jobs for two different radio companies. I work as an underwriting executive for jazz station WJZP, and as an operator on duty for the Portland Radio Group. I have a great desire to be on the air myself, and can definitely see myself (or hear myself, depending on your preference) doing what Terry Gross, Ira Glass, Larry King, and even Jay Leno do right now. I've always been great at telling stories, and I'm also great at interviewing people.

I'm part of what's know as Generation-Y, and as of yet, there hasn't been any current dynamic on-air personalities who are part of that generation. If I win this contest, I definitely want to be the one to break open the door for new Generation-Y talent, especially on public radio.

What's your favorite public radio show?

It's a toss up between "Car Talk" and "Fresh Air". For most of my childhood, my Dad had "Car Talk" playing in the background, and you always knew that Click and Clack loved being on the radio. Some people have even said that when my brother and I converse, we sound a lot like Click and Clack, so that's always cool.

I like "Fresh Air" because of the cool guests that are always on from Stephen King to Will Ferrell to Colin Powell. It's always interesting how they take questions, and I've always wanted to be the one asking them these questions.

What's your secret talent?

My typing skills have improved considerably after playing the game Typer Shark. The game is educational in the sense that it makes you type better, but once you get started, it is very, very addicting!

If you want to see what I mean, visit this website:
http://www.coffeebreakarcade.com/games/wordshark/instructions.htm.

What song is stuck in your head right now, you know, a music wedgie?

"Say It Right" by Nelly Fertado. It seems nowadays every station except public radio plays that song all the time, so it's easy to get stuck in your head. It's also a fairly decent song.

What sound is most characteristic of where you live?

Any material by Comedian Bob Marley (not to be confused with the raggae singer). His material is hilarious, and it's really funny when he does the Maine accent. Any of his bits are usually a good indicator of living in Portland, Maine, because you hear his stuff a lot.

For the curious, here is his website:
http://www.bmarley.com.

What's your favorite sound memory?

Probably hearing Click and Clack laughing at their own jokes. As I said earlier, I've heard Car Talk for most of my childhood, and it's a riot listening to these guys get such a kick out of themselves. They really love what they do, and listeners can always pick up on that fact.

Which station do you listen to most?

WJZP (105.1 FM, www.wjzp.org)

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