Listen to Maui on the internet at www.kwin.com
photos courtesy of Maui Hernandez
Some people are workers. They prefer to be productive over having downtime. When a person is able use this work ethic to enhance their talents they can see some special things happen.
Keizer, Oregon’s Maui Hernandez, formally Jared Hernandez, has seen his work ethic and ability to entertain lead him to having the number one radio show in the Stockton/Modesto, California Market.
After graduating from McNary High School, Hernandez planned on following his father’s footsteps and joining the law enforcement, but decided that working as a radio DJ was something that would better fit his skill set.
“In my group of friends I was always the guy that was the comedic relief or the guy that always organized stuff. I felt like I was the guy with the ideas, so I thought radio might be something I could try out.” He continued, “Radio is a lot harder to get into than a lot of other professions because there’s only one job per city. If you want to work at Z100 there’s only one afternoon job, and that guy might be there for years and years. ”
Hernandez moved to Portland and began taking courses in the radio program at Mt. Hood Community College. He eventually transferred to Portland St and began an internship at Z100.
“I was the only one in the program who (interned at) Z100, which was great because it gave me an opportunity to move up.” He said, “It really helped me learn the behind the scenes of radio.”
As an intern, he did the majority of the grunt work for the radio station. Including loading and unloading vehicles, handing out flyers for events and arriving early to events to help set up.
“I did that for about two years, and then a new night guy came in. He wanted someone on his show to banter back and forth with. I started doing the night show in 2003, we had five people on the show and it was the first time Z100 had a number one night show. It wasn’t my show, but I was a part of it so it was cool.”
Hernandez was still attending Portland State at this time and was balancing an intense schedule of school work, an afternoon job at Costco, night show at Z100 and working a college radio station show.
“I was very busy. Burning both ends of the candle but I was just trying to make ends meet. I was interning so I wasn’t getting paid, but the internship was part of the school program. I had to work too so I could live up in Portland and maintain my end of the rent. So it was hard and there wasn’t a lot of time to have fun and go out and party.”
Fortunate for Hernandez the hard work paid off.
“Our night guy left the night show at Z100 to be a program director in Spokane. When he got there, he called me because he needed DJs because the station was moving to a brand new format.” He continued, “He was the first one to give me a real opportunity in radio. And it was because I worked with him for the past year and a half doing the night show.”
The night show was successful and Hernandez found himself in a position to take advantage of another opportunity shortly after.
“We had a consultant at the radio station in Spokane who was also the consultant at the radio station in Stockton, California. He let me know there was an afternoon position opening at the California station. So I called the program director and emailed him a radio package, which is a demo of two to three minutes of how you sound on the radio, a resume, and really whatever else they want you to send.” Maui continued, “He hired me and I started in 2008.”
Herandez hopes to eventually move into the role of a program director at a radio station in Southern California, specifically San Diego. His success so far at KWIN, in Stockton, will be a shining star on his resume.
“For the past three years, I’ve maintained the number one most listened to show in the Stockton/ Modesto/ Southern Sacramento Area.” He explained, “It’s a self motivator, because you try not only to be the best but you try to top what you did last year. Because you have two or three other radio stations that will play the same music. The music is what draws people in but the personality is what keeps them there.”