from the land down under ....

July 2008 

Artist Spotlight 

Former Australian Today Show weatherman Dave Kirwan is taking America by storm!

By Danie Lane

Above: Dave Kirwan creating a storm in the USA  Photo: Courtesy of DK 

We were fortunate enough to sit down with the extremely busy and talented Dave Kirwan to find out about the many jobs that he is juggling in the States, including working for NBC, The Onion, filming a documentary and working as a DJ at the number one radio station in the country, K-Rock!

Tell me a bit about where you grew up in Australia.

I was born in Sydney and lived there until I was 4 years old, then we moved to the Central Coast. It was perfect. It was by the beach, and still close to Sydney.

How did you become interested in broadcasting?

There are photos of me from when I was 3 years old with a microphone in my hand and a Fisher Price radio. That is all I remember ever wanting to do, be on the radio.  In my teenage years I made my own radio station at home. We had an intercom system at home and I put the radio speakers up to the intercom and I would announce the songs and then play them.

What did your family think of that?

When we had visitors they would request songs. Then I was in Big W, I bought a wireless Microphone that you could pick up on any FM receiver. I would put the microphone near the speaker and put the wire out of my window to an aerial on the roof. So everyone on the street where I lived was able to pick it up. So they were tuning in because I had put flyers in the letter box announcing my show.

Then I had a show on a local community radio station. It was every day for two hours playing Top 40 music. I was 17 at the time and did that for about a year.

I finished school, got a tape together from that and sent it to Australia Film Television and Radio school. From there I went into my local community station and recorded some of myself on air. When I left the booth the guy who did the top 40 show each night heard me and asked if I wanted to come in and see what they did on the show.

He was such a nice guy and gave me contacts all across Australia. I sent my tape out everywhere, to 80 radio stations including tiny mining towns in the outback. I got letters back saying thanks, but you are not good enough. One guy wrote back to me about a new station that was starting in the NSW snowy mountains. I started off there as the nighttime guy, went to the breakfast show, moved to music director then program director. I was nominated for the Australian Commercial Radio awards and was a finalist in the best program director category. I did this for 2 years and moved back to Sydney without a job lined up.

The ski resorts where I worked had a media dept that would put out weather reports on the snow conditions. I applied for that position, went for an interview and realized that I really wanted to do TV. I got the job, started off with smaller networks, went back every winter with the Weather Channel, then Fox Sports, then Sky News, the Today Show, Channel 10, MTV, VH1. During the summer I was still at the radio station.

Why did you chose to come to New York City?

I got a job as an anchor on the Weather Channel in Sydney. I had two weeks before it started and booked a trip to LA. After a couple of nights in LA, I went back to the airport and looked up at the boards and tried to decide where to go. It was between Vegas and NY and the next flight that went out was to NY. I got off at JFK airport and didn’t even know where to stay.

I went to the info booth and this was my introduction to NY. The woman behind the desk was flipping through a magazine and I asked for help and she didn’t even look up at me! She mumbled something and didn’t even make eye contact.  I choose to come to NY because all of the Aussie go to LA, so I decided to try NY instead. I have been here for 7 months.

How did you get started at K-rock?

I sent an email to all of the radio stations in NY city. Most of the stations wrote back that they didn’t have anything at the moment, but then I got one back from K-rock that asked me to come in to audition. I had asked for promotional working, handing out stickers, giveaways, etc.

I thought okay, I have to audition to hand out free items like stickers? Well it is NY after all so maybe that is what they do here. I spoke with someone from the station and I made a joke that it must be competitive to have to audition to give away things and she said, “No, this is an audition to be on air.”

K-rock had a new Program Director, she was looking for a new lineup of dj’s. I went to the station and auditioned on air. I had been focused on getting a job on TV so luckily I was relaxed, went on air for 2 or 3 hours and she offered me the job right there.  It still amazes me that I am working in the #1 market in America, in Howard Stern’s old studio!

So what are you doing at NBC?

I am a reporter with NBC Weather Plus. It is available nationally on cable and also on digital network TV. So it is free even if you don’t have cable. Plus it streams online. It is the first national digital service available.  I file reports on different weather related stories. I am out in the field, not inside the studio. 

And you are also working at The Onion?

I auditioned for The Onion which is a satirical newspaper and website. The role that I was going for was a weatherman. I went back for a call back and they asked for me to do it in an American accent. A few weeks later they contacted my agent and told me that they would like me hire me. They are going to pay for a dialect coach. I thought this is crazy that they are hiring an Australian to do an American accent.

Radio, television, newspapers, the internet, can you dance and sing too? 

HaHa. I love singing, but I don’t think that is for me.

In Australia, you did a lot of voice over work, how did that come about and is that something you are still interested in?

I had sent demo reels while I was a dj and kept sending the tapes for over 5 years. I finally gave up. Then one day, out of the blue, I got a phone call from RMK and they asked me to come in. I went in was signed by them.

What commercial spots did you do voice over’s for?

Over the years I did campaigns for McDonald, concert announcements for Good Charlotte, Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, and many of the Video Hits CD’s.

Is this something that you want to continue in the states?

I have been on a few auditions here for ads that air in Australia. For example I have had auditions for Commonwealth Bank.  I did something the other day for NASCAR where I had to do the voice of a koala bear. The voice industry here in America is so different then Australia. They will put a script out and have 200 people from all over America audition for it but they are only hiring one person.

Do you get homesick at all?

Because of technology, cheap phone calls, Facebook, and the internet, I have friends in Australia that I am more in contact with then friends in NY. So I don’t feel that homesick really.

So what is your main goal career wise?

To be in the studio as an anchor on a network TV show. I love live TV and going out on locations.

To hear Dave on air on K-rock, tune in on the weekends or check out             K Rock’s Web Site http://www.923krock.com/pages/1185337.php

For more information on Dave be sure to visit:

http://davekirwan.com.au/

Check out Danie’s Blog :

www.australiandreams.blogspot.com

A huge thank you to Dave Kirwan for taking the time to speak with The Goss!

Oz-Pod

#1’s in Oz

• Single: I Kissed A Girl – Katy Perry
• Aussie Artist Single: Sweet About Me - Gabriella Cilmi
• Album: Viva La Vida - Coldplay
• Aussie Album: This is our God - Hillsong

New Singles:

• Kansas City – Sneaky Sound System
• Australia – Gyroscope
• White Noise – The Living End
• Hearts on Fire – The Grates
• Wild One (Tribute to Johnny) – Jet & Iggy Pop
• Don’t Wanna Go To Bed Now – Gabrielle Cilimi

New CD’s 

• Malaria : The Lost Album – Robyn Loau
• A Loud Call – Holly Throsby
• Melodia – The Vines
• This is Our God – Hillsong
• Dig Lazarus digital ltd ed – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Planet Earth – Hi 5
• White Noise – The Living End

Did you know you can order Aussie CD’s / DVD’s and more from music store Sanity right online.  Shipping to the US is quite reasonable. Check it out  www.sanity.com.au

Whose Touring in July

Also check out www.vandieman.com for your gig guide to Aussies playing in NYC.