Alternative Famous Firsts
Phil “PK” Kukawinski
Content Director + Afternoon Drive
WGHL (ALT 105.1)/Louisville, KY
Started out as an intern at 89X back in 2009. Celebrating 15 years since my start this coming June.
Outside of seeing some friends in Battle of the Bands in high school, my first concert with an actual touring band was seeing After Midnight Project with Ashes of Soma back in 2008 at the now torn-down T.N.T.'s in Michigan. Still have a signed shirt somewhere in storage.
Not ashamed to admit the first CD that I bought was the CD-Single to "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" from Backstreet Boys. Backstreet for life!
A Day To Remember back in 2009 for their "Pulling Your Pud Tour"; it was awkward.
Honestly, I don't remember my first dead-air experience. I block them out of my mind, unless it's something insane. Like being off the air for 20 hours just a couple weeks ago, or the time that I was doing weekends on 89X and the top of the building caught fire during my shift. I definitely stayed in the building longer than I should have until firefighters told me I had to leave. Thankfully we had someone in Windsor who was able to jump into the studio there and hit play (shoutout to Dan MacDonald at AM800).
Tamo
APD/MD/Midday Host
WWDC (DC101)/Washington, D.C.
I was a Promotions & Programming Assistant at WROX/ Norfolk, VA. I was going to ODU & wanted a big job in Corporate America - I wanted to wear a power suit to work so badly. I'm embarrassed to say that even though I grew up listening to WOWI & WNVZ, I knew nothing about radio. I needed an internship & when the radio station was presented as an opportunity, I thought, "Sure! It's in the tallest building in Downtown Norfolk...big, fancy, corporate media company...let's go!" Let's just say I showed up to my interview in said power suit, while the guy interviewing me was wearing board shorts and flip-flops. The rest is history.
Snoop Dogg at The NorVa. I think The Clipse opened. They brought strippers on stage in between acts. A lot of weed smoke. It was wild.
Oh Jesus, I don't know. Probably Alanis Morrisette "Jagged Little Pill" from the K-Mart in Virginia Beach.
Brand New at The NorVa. I'll never forget it - I was in class and I get a call from Pam Bucci, and I run out to take it because it’s mf'n Pam Bucci. She says, "I know you love the band, so I told your boss that either you do the interview or no one does the interview." Pretty sure I recorded the interview on one of the old handhelds, but I honestly don't remember because I for sure blacked out from nerves/excitement.
At which station? lol. I mean, the most memorable time was when I was WROX and we were broadcasting live from Warped Tour. Katy Perry was about to come by for an interview (Jay Michaels was the PD then, and even though we were Alt Rock, we were quick to play “I Kissed A Girl”). I tripped over the extension cord and took the whole station off air. Took a couple minutes for everything to reboot once we got plugged back in, but we got the Katy interview!
Dave Levora
PD/Morning Show Host
KQCJ (Planet 93.9)/Quad Cities, IA
I started out hosting a two hour specialty show called "The Sunday Night Alternative," Sundays at 10pm on KLYV-FM in Dubuque, Iowa. (1992-1995).
Jonathon Brandmeier and The Leisure Suits at Poplar Creek Music Theatre on June 25th, 1988.
My first album was The Soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever but my first 45 was Debbie Boone, "You Light Up My Life"
Working nights in Dubuque, I interviewed Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls. The PD kept reminding me to make sure to "ask a lot of questions about their hair." There was an awkward silence and then Mike explained he was bald.
My first time reading the obituaries on WDBQ-AM, I mispronounced the last name of a recently deceased Dubuquer. Imagine the WORST word you could say on the air. Yep. That one. Hearing it come out of my mouth, I realized that my lifelong dream of being on the radio was over before it began. I felt a nervous laugh coming up so I shut my mic off and waited until I had composed myself. The dead air felt like forever but it was probably closer to ten seconds. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Kuntz.
