Get to know Gunnar (formerly of WKQX/WIIL)

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: NAME: Mike Hansen (Gunnar) : TITLE: Overnights : STATION: WRQT : MARKET: La Crosse, WI : COMPANY: Midwest Family Broadcasting : BORN: Waukegan, IL : RAISED: Grayslake, IL : ------------------------------------- : : All Access 10 Questions with ... Mike Hansen (Gunnar) : BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: : 2003-2005: WCRX (88.1 FM)/Chicago (College Radio) : 2004-2005: WKQX (Q101)/Chicago (Intern) : 2006-2007: WIIL (95 WIIL ROCK)/Kenosha, WI. : 2007-2008: KFMW (ROCK 108)/Waterloo, IA. : 2008-Present: WRQT (95.7 THE ROCK)/La Crosse, WI. : : 1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences? : I would have to say my real first "job" was definitely when I interned at Q101 in Chicago. Sure, there was no pay involved at all, but the experience was definitely worth it. When I was there, I worked with the then-night guy Fook and he was exactly the kind of on-air guy I wanted to be -- which was heavy on the phones and coming up with hilarious ideas. : : 2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"? : For some reason, when I was a junior in high school, out of nowhere I just thought it would be a really cool thing to do. Growing up just outside of Chicago and listening to Mancow and all the guys on Q101, I was just really into the idea of it. After high school was over, I eventually went to Columbia College in Chicago and went through their radio program and have never looked back. : : 3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it? : Absolutely! Still to this day I can't imagine even changing the way I did it. When I first moved to La Crosse a little over a year ago, it was the third state I had lived in, in three years. The only thing I would have changed is I never would have unpacked any of my stuff. : : 4) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry? : I would have been either a stuntman or monster truck driver. I am not really qualified to do any of those things, but I could have figured out a way to make it work. : : 5) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at? : Well as far as the market goes, La Crosse is a very community-oriented town. There is a lot going on here to do and that really helps things. As far as the station goes, The Rock is definitely the most promotionally active station I have not only ever worked at, but seen in general. Jean Taylor (PD) definitely knows how to get things accomplished and the staff is one solid team. Not only that, but just the fact that I am live on the overnights during the week in this day and age is still just amazing to me! : : 6) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now? : I think the industry will be in a better place than it is now. Stations will be hiring again and people will not be losing jobs all across the board. As far as where I am going to be, if the last four years are the way things are going to continue to go, it is really anyone's guess. I like to go where the opportunities are and I think that La Crosse still has opportunities for a guy like me. : : 7) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same? : Music is in a better place than six months ago. Let's face it, there is a lot of generic rock that gets played on every station all across the country, but now with bands like Cage the Elephant and Kings of Leon getting spins on the Rock format, it's a nice change. Not only that, but bands Nickelback and Hinder are releasing some good tunes these days. : : 8) What is your favorite radio station outside of the market and why? : Q101. Part of the reason is because I grew up listening to it, but I always thought the people that they had on-air there were a notch above the rest. : : 9) Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player (or turntable) right now and what is it you enjoy about that particular selection? : In all honesty, my musical tastes are all over the place. I like a lot of heavy metal stuff, but I listen to more of the Alternative side of things. In the last few days I have had Silverchair "Neon Ballroom" in the CD player, Rise Against "The Sufferer and the Witness," the latest Depeche Mode disc and some Porcupine Tree. : Silverchair has just been my favorite bands since I was like 12 or 13 ... and every new album they put out tops the last one. Depeche Mode is one of those bands I randomly locked to. Rise Against was a band I just ignored for the most part, but when I heard the song "Re-Education Through Labor," I went and picked up every disc they ever put out, and Porcupine Tree is just an amazing band! : : 10) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career? : I always felt like I was never afraid to take a chance. Packing your stuff up and moving to a place like Waterloo, IA doesn't make a lot of sense to a lot of people. But I always looked at it like it was either do something like that or stay in Chicago to be a board op. Getting on-air experience was way more important to me than ever staying in Chicago was. : : Bonus Questions : How did you get your present job? : I saw the post here on All Access and just sent in my stuff. I got a call about three to four weeks later from Jean Taylor; we talked for a few minutes and she asked me to drive up for an interview. When I drove through downtown La Crosse for the first time, I knew that this town had some nightlife and it seemed cool so I knew I had to land it!

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