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Mark Gunn is celebrating his 33rd year in radio and television, an achievement rarely seen anymore, given the landscape of today's media. A true student of the business, he's worked all over the country, including Los Angeles and San Francisco and in a variety of formats including CHR (top 40), Rock, Urban Contemporary and Country to name a few.
His career started at the age of 16 while running his high school radio station in Columbus, Georgia. It was a single commercial that landed him his first job. The General Manager heard it and offered Mark a part - time job on the spot, with the guarantee of it becoming full - time upon his graduation.
Since that time, Gunn has gained a reputation as one of the most creative Production talents in the business, (that's making commercials) having won several awards for his work. He's done voice work for several television stations as well as a video for Proctor & Gamble. His voice has also served him well as a musical talent and found that he could apply the same discipline to radio.
Gunn is also one of the sharpest programming minds in radio. In the 80's, he was one of barely a handful of African - Americans shaping the sound of Rock and CHR (Top 40) radio. Because of the efforts of the staff at WZKX (Power 108) in Biloxi, Mississippi, the station became one of the most listened - to in the state. This was not only a major ratings victory. It was even a bigger moral victory. A few years earlier, a White Program Director told him that he wouldn't make it in CHR radio because he was Black.
In 1992, as Music Director of KACE - FM in Los Angeles he instituted a policy that would have a profound effect on the way that some Urban Contemporary stations governed their play lists. He called it "Enjoyability With Responsibility". It was designed to remove songs whose lyrical content disrespected women, glorified drugs and the gang lifestyle. CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, BET and MTV interviewed Gunn. He also appeared on some nationally and internationally syndicated radio talk shows and was commended by President Clinton. Gunn also received awards from the N.A.A.C.P., N.O.W. (The National Organization For Women) and the California State Senate.
His biggest career achievement so far, came in 2001, when he was chosen as Program Director for WGZB. He began the process of making it the number one station in Louisville. During his tenure, he’s used his voice to shed light on serious issues like the Landers Boyd murder case in which a 10 year old girl was shot and left for dead and the rise of H.I.V. and Aids in the Black Community. He’s since stepped down in order to concentrate on doing more within the community and his other interests.
In 2006, he lent his talents to the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Tip line campaign, resulting in a dramatic increase of arrests and has begun an association with The Office Of Youth Development in an effort to curb violence among the Hip-Hop Community. He's also a spokesman for Fight Crimes Against Children, an organization dedicated to insuring the safety of our most preciouas resources, our kids.
Throughout his career, Mark Gunn has proven to be the CONSUMATE PROFESSIONAL and an extremely conscience voice in the community. Everything he's done throughout his career has centered around making positive changes from negative circumstances and he sums it up everyday when he goes off the air with this phrase: "IF YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, THEN CHANGE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU." Click Here to go to his Facebook page and here to follow him on Twitter.
Mark Gunn Louisville's B-96.5
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