What started as hobby on the one’s and two’s has now transcended into being one of the most significant radio influencers in the United States’ second largest market. Simply known as E-Man, Emmanuel Coquia is the Program Director for not one or even two radio platforms, but he is controlling the airwaves of three powerful radio stations in the Los Angeles market.
If you have ever been stuck in traffic on the 405 and tuned into Power 106, 93.5 KDAY, or Cali 93.9! you have heard E-Man’s influence on the culture. PD by day, party rocker by night, and worldwide influencer all the time, the Filipino phenomenon has taken his career to new heights and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. E-Man somehow found some time in his busy schedule to talk to TheIndustry.biz about working Meruelo Media, managing his crazy calendar, and just journey from Disc Jockey to Program Director, and beyond.
RADIO FACTS: How did you get started in the industry?
E-MAN: DJing got me into the radio industry. I tell people DJing was a hobby turned business turned career. Hobby as in just practicing, making mixtapes, etc.; business as in started my own mobile DJ service [and] DJing private events, high school dances, weddings transitioning into doing clubs; career as in mixing on the radio and touring around the world, which led to working behind the scenes in radio: programming coordinator, mixshow coordinator, assistant MD, MD, assistant PD, to now Director of Programming and Music Content for Meruelo Media.
Congrats on your new title as PD of the three stations. Tell us about the stations.
Thank you! It’s been an incredible and fun experience so far! I’m truly blessed to have so many great talented people around me at Power 106, 93.5 KDAY and Cali 93.9! Power 106 is a “monster” of a station, a radio station and massive brand to Los Angeles, the radio industry, and to hip-hop culture! 93.5 KDAY is that legendary station that helped pave the way for hip-hop on the radio. KDAY definitely showcases the history of hip-hop through the music, personalities and content. Cali 93.9 has been a great experience to create and develop.
Meruelo Media wanted to create a station that showcases the red hot reggaeton music genre presented to the Los Angeles audience – hence Cali 93.9, #1 for Reggaeton y Mas, which I came up with the name and slogan for. These three stations have a great synergy about them; they’re hip-hop! Think about it – Power 106 plays the newest and hottest in hip-hop today, 93.5 KDAY plays many of the classic hip-hop songs we’ve all grown up with, and the new Cali 93.9 plays reggaeton, Latin trap and more. [In] a lot of the reggaeton songs, the artists are basically “rapping” to the reggaeton drum sound. That’s the great synergy of the three radio stations!
How did the Price is Right gig come along?
The Price is Right was doing a “Grammys Show” theme the week leading into the Grammys 2019. The Price is Right reached out and asked if I could mix and entertain the audience – of course I had to do it [laughs]. I had a great time! Drew Carey is a very nice guy!
Do you have an agent? Would you suggest DJs have an agent or manager?
I am my own agent and manager. Over the years, I did everything based on relationships and people I know always helped out. I do suggest for DJs to have an agent [or] manager as that can help in many ways.
Your IG page looks like you work on a lot of projects in the industry but that you also keep your personal life in balance. How important do you think it is to make sure you define a work life and a personal life (for the people in the industry that work all the time)?
It’s crazy how my work life and personal life are both 24-7. Time management of both is SO very important. You want to be that manager and supporter to your staff and peers inside and outside of work and at the same time be that husband, father, brother, etc. My wife Joi and my three kids, daughters Maliya and Alana and son Kalani, are very supportive and understanding of my time and new roles. There are times I’m able to do both [at the same time]. Examples of that are our weekly Power 106 charity games where my family will come out, support me, the team and the cause. The car rides, mid-game conversations, and the late dinners after the games give us our family time to hang. Also, going to my oldest daughter Maliya’s hip-hop dance and competition shows are also great ways of watching her and, at the same time, hearing all the various songs these kids are into, dancing to, and reacting to helps me work-wise – research at its finest [laughs].
Not many DJs make it to program radio. Why do you think that is?
That’s a great question…I will tell you that, in the case of Power 106, 93.5 KDAY and Cali 93.9, a lot of DJs/mixers are on-air and behind the scenes. Check this out by station:
[On] Power 106 morning host Nick Cannon also DJs, afternoon jock Felli Fel [is a] DJ, night show hosts JustinCredible and Sourmilk [are] DJs, weekend jock Jonathan “Q” [is a] DJ, our Imaging Director Andrew Berger, Commercial Director Vinny Pagan, Webmaster Cory Copeland, and Promotions Coordinator Robert Brown [are] all DJs!
[On] 93.5 KDAY afternoon jock PJ Butta [is a] DJ, night jock and Imaging Director Noah Ayala [is a] DJ, and Programming and Commercial Coordinator Naythan Rodriguez [is a] DJ.
[On] Cali 93.9 morning show jock Mando Fresko DJs events, afternoon jock and APD Eddie One [is a] DJ, Music Director Disko Drew [is a] DJ, Assistant Music Director Santarosa [is a] DJ, and of course, myself – [I’m a] DJ!
There’s all of us along with the other DJs/mixers who mix on their mixshows. Now to answer your question, though a PD ultimately programs the station, it’s the people on your teams that program alongside you. So regardless of title and position, DJs are definitely programming radio in some capacity.
Power 106 has always been one of the best sounding stations in the market; there is a great flow to the format and all the jocks sound great. Are you finding that it’s getting more challenging finding jocks today or easier?
Thank you! I owe that all to the great music scheduling by Rebecca Lopez who also leads our music team and the dope “fire” imaging by Andrew Berger. We have incredibly talented “stars” on Power – radio legend Felli Fel, the cutting edge LA Leakers’ JustinCredible and DJ Sourmilk, and award winning DJ Carisma. Our mid-day host, Bryhana, who was put on by Jimmy Steal, is a star and as I always tell her, will be massive when
