An interview with former 96.5 AMP radio DJ, Mike Adam conducted in February 2016:
“Yo, what’s going on? It’s Mike Adam!” is just one of the many catchphrases heard between the hours of 3-7 p.m. in the Philadelphia area. These are the words heard from Mike Adam, the voice of AMP radio in Philadelphia and New York City. He is relaxing in his black cotton sweats, thunderstorm cloud gray hoodie, and his Batman baseball cap in his tiny yet cozy studio area which is simply decorated with soft black leather chairs, bright computer screens with a sky blue background, and of course his microphone used to connect with thousands of listeners.
“Whether it was creating music with my friends or DJing, I knew I wanted to be involved with music.” Growing up in the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mike was always interested in music. Around the end of high school, a good friend recommended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, a school in Farmington, CT that teaches their students about the fields of Radio, Television, Sports Broadcasting, and Audio/ Video production.
“Going to this school was the turning point for me. I realized, ‘Wow radio is really cool, I love this!’” he exclaimed. From there, Mike got an internship with IHeartRadio in Hartford, Connecticut.
“I did so well with the internship that they hired me on their street team, and I worked my way up,” he shared. Promotions were the first taste of the on-air dream for Mike. Finally, it was his time to shine. “The program director put me on for 3- 6 AM on Sunday Mornings and that was my big break.”
From Connecticut, Mike came to Philadelphia. With an enormous admiration for Philadelphia, he knew he would love his new home. Mike got a job with Philly’s popular station, Q102. During his two years, he took to the Jingle Ball stage at the Wells Fargo Center. “To see your audience, to see them having fun and the overall excitement of being at the venue is really cool,” he explained. Due to cuts, Mike was let go from Q102, but that did not stop him. From there, he transitioned to the CBS company in New York City at their 92.3 AMP radio. “By the time I got there the full-time positions were taken already, but they said, ‘If you would be interested in Saturday and Sunday mornings, we would love to have you’ So I took it,” he spoke happily.
Rumors around the industry stated that CBS was going to be buying Philadelphia’s Wired 96.5. Eventually the purchase happened and the name flipped from Wired 96.5 to 96.5 AMP radio and became the sister station to New York’s 92.3 AMP. Michael Bennett, who is also an on-air talent at Philly’s AMP radio, enjoys having a co-worker like Mike Adam. “Mike is a great guy. He is easy to work with and always dresses nice. We got to really know each other while we were out in Hawaii filming a scene for "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" starring Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick which is coming out this summer,” Bennett remarked.
Although now living and working in Philadelphia, Mike did not want to stop working in New York. “The station in New York said, ‘hey we would love to keep you’ so I told them if I could keep my weekends, then I’ll stay,” he expressed.
Traveling is a lot. Not only does Mike live a double city life, but so does his wife, Sarah, who commented, “Both of our schedules can be crazy at times, so we're both very understanding and accepting of each other's careers and the demands that come with them. At this point, it is really more of a bond we share!” Mike admits that some weekends the weekly travel catches up to him, but in the end, “It is definitely worth it.”
Being a radio personality comes with some exciting experiences such as interviewing celebrities. “I have the biggest crush on Selena Gomez. I have interviewed her about four times at this point. Every time she sees me she’s always like ‘Nice to see you again!’ and I am just a mess,” Mike laughed.
As a fan of music, the most star striking moment was Mike’s interview with his one of his favorite artists, Kanye West. “He was the nicest dude in the world. I was talking to him for about a half an hour about music and it was just like you are sitting in front of Kanye just talking to him and it’s really cool,” he said. Similar to Q102’s Jingleball, 92.3 had a show with many famous artists in the lineup, such as Ludacris, and took place in the Barclays Center which seats thousands.
Routine is a big part of Mike’s job as a Radio Host. “I begin by spending about an hour by putting up my stories on the radio station’s website and my blog posts that I am going to push out that day while I am on the air,” he explained. Arriving an hour before the show leaves time to do show prep and take a look at the news. Being on air for four hours does not leave a lot of time to constantly be up to date online which is why a social media calendar plays a big part in Mike’s day. “I will schedule a few social media posts that I know I want to go out in a specific place,” Mike shared. And then before he knows it, it is show time.
Just like everyone else, radio hosts prefer to have their work place a certain way. When on the air, Mike likes a dimmed room and a cup of coffee by his side. “Some people will come in and open all the curtains and I’m like ‘what are you doing? I’m going to melt.’”
Although his routine is not much different in Philadelphia than it is in New York, the industries are a different story. “In Philadelphia’s radio landscape, there are only two top 40 stations. The others are a variety of different music. In New York, there is a lot more competition. You have multiple radio stations for each music style,” Mike stated. Creating a lane, making a station stand out compared to one’s competitors, is the key to success. “Whether it is playing a version of Adele or Justin Bieber that is a little bit different or taking a chance and playing a new song, you have to do what you have to do with such stiff competition,” he said.
Social media plays a big part in the industry. “You have to be just as aggressive on social media as you are on the air,” Mike noted. Having compelling content across all social media platforms is the best way to grow an audience. Mike utilizes social media extremely well. He has over 17,000 Instagram followers and over 33,000 on twitter. Following fans back on social media is one of Mike’s favorite things to do because it creates a relationship with the listeners. “Following each other on social media is a way to get a glimpse into each others lives and hopefully it makes someone want to listen to me because it is like they know me,” he shared. Christian Martin, who is an avid listener of Mike’s, shared his thoughts on Mike and how his relationship with him through social media has made an impact on his life. “The reason I listen to Mike and 96.5 is because their music range on different types of genre, it is a great station everyone seems to be warm, friendly and very educated,” Martin continued, “Mike has impacted my life for the better, he is an inspiration and his devotion to his career motivates me to do better and never settle for anything less.”
Many young people dream of living the life Mike Adam has. To surmise, Mike shares some final words of advice for those trying to make a mark in the industry, “Keep trying.”
