Yesi Ortiz

LaUnion1910 : First off Yesi, can you tell us a little bit about you, what is it you do and where you do it?

Yesi Ortiz : I was born and raised in Orange County..THA JUICE!†I love music! it's my escape. I work at Power 106 in Los Angeles just recently rated the #1 hip hop station in the country...crazy huh? it's a trip to think that I do the middays (10-3p) at Power 106 and host the new at 2 mix with DJ Felli Fel (heavy hitter) I'm proud to say that the New at 2 has been one of the biggest features Power 106 has to offer it's so much fun and whats so dope is that I've been a fan of Power way before radio so it's crazy to be an employee, I consider myself a listener always.. Along with being on air I also do some work with our HD station called Power Dos. (hip hop, latin hip hop and a lil bit of reggaeton) I help schedule and load new latin hip hop music.

LaUnion1910 : How long have you been working in Radio and what†other stations†have you worked in?

Yesi Ortiz : I've been working in radio for about 4 years...but trust I paid my dues...sometimes I feel like I haven't but I paid enough to get here in Los Angeles. I started in Vegas at Hot 97.5 I was there for 2 years and landed in Tijuana Mexico at a hip hop station, blazinm 98.9, I was paying 300 bucks a month rent in TIJUANA living in TJ and I was still broke! I got paid s**t at that station but it's all good cuz†then a pop morning show stole me to co-host mornings on Channel 933..I moved into San Diego afterwards. Soon after the door opened for me at Power 106. :) I'm not that broke anymore. :)

LaUnion1910 : What do you think are some of the biggest misunderstandings about getting music played on the radio?

Yesi Ortiz : a lot of people believe they can give me a CD and I can play it at anytime or that I control the music being played but in truth I don't. The on-air personality is just that...a personality that is to give the illusion that we play what we want. There are steps to getting music played and unfortunately it's not like the 50's anymore where music was played just because it was a good record. we have a music department who goes thru tons and tons of music and sometimes the music director doesn't to get to half the stack. Truth is and I hate to say it but a Jay-Z record will be heard 1st before a local artist.

LaUnion1910 : Can you explain, how radio rotation works, how often do songs rotate, I know its very different from what people may think right?

Yesi Ortiz : it's very different. I'm not a PD or MD but I can give you a slight inside. if a record is Hot for instance Danity Kane (I hate that song but unfortunately it's a popular song) but that record will be placed in what is called a 'power rotation' or get titled†in the†'A category '. meaning it's going to play at least†once an hour or even once every 45 mins. the reason being is cuz the music gods (arbitron) have conducted surveys on how often a person listens to the radio. on the average a person listens to there radio about 5 mins and thats already a lot. I can't tell u how many times I've heard people request that damn Danity Kane song and I had just played it 5 mins ago...I'm like damn! but it's a 'power' record its in the 'A' category so we need to play it cuz a person goes to there 'favorite' radio station to hear there 'favorite' song. The radio provides a 'service' that people want and if we don't have it they'll go somewhere else. :( so sad.

LaUnion1910 : How Important is it for you to keep up with whats going on in the Entertainment world and how do you keep up with it?

Yesi Ortiz : its really important. especially if u want people to keep listening. I want people to keep listening to me for a reason. and if I can provide music information to go along with it or talk about how Tom Kat is planning there wedding I'm gonna do it. Listeners want to hear there homie on the radio not a robotic disc jockey...thats whack! my girls want to hear the chisme and the boys want to know 'whens that Game album dropping'. so the more informed you are the more u get counted on, which is a good thing. I come in an hour early to my show everyday and right lil notes here in there. I have a binder that keeps all that info so I can go back to it if I need to. :)

LaUnion1910 : In the last few years technology has extremely changed the entertainment industry, how has it affected the radio industry its' self and what changes will we as radio listeners see?

Yesi Ortiz : when satelitte radio came into play the 'suites' (or execs) saw a slight drop in revenue. if we have money loss thats less money for promotions, on-air giveaways etc...but since you have to pay for satelite radio that can be an issue for some people..I know it is for me...:) plus now u have the ipods, music with no commercials all good but you still need radio for the 'fun', interviews,†radio dj's and mixers. HD radio is the next step into the future of radio and if u have HD radio in your car you can hear a lot of radio stations out there with a 2nd frequency.

LaUnion1910 : How do you deal with your personal emotions and not transmitting the negative ones on your show ?

Yesi Ortiz : thats something that comes along with the experience with being on the air. I had to train my self to leave all the b.s out the studio and it wasn't easy, especially when you have your radio 'boss' on your back telling you 'hey get better or get the f**k outta here' its body training...or more like brain training. you use that to your advantage and flip it to motivate you.

LaUnion1910 : If you were to completely do a 360 on your career where would you be right now ?

Yesi Ortiz : oh damn...thats a good question. I would be working at the hospital ...doing what I don't know. but thats where I ended before radio and it was something I thought I would do for a long time if anything better came my way. there's alot of paths you can take at working in a hospital.

LaUnion1910 : There are a lot of young women listening to you and call you up on the request lines everyday,††what would you say is the biggest problem or concern that you hear coming from the women of our community?† †

Yesi Ortiz : there ain't enough 'bossy' women!!! lolol...for real though I get a lot of women saying 'my man treated me like crap and I still love him' thats some Jerry Springer stuff right there...as a women who's been thru the b.s. and then some I always tell women to find there strengths. I hate to see a weak women in need. I rather see the strong women in need.††

LaUnion1910 : What was the last music show you went to ? What are some of your favorite music genres ?

LaUnion1910 : How do you compare LA to other markets ?

Yesi Ortiz : shoot theres no comparison....LA is really LA...it's crazy and hard to explain unless you've been to other markets.

LaUnion1910 : Do you think Latinos are well represented in our political offices ?

Yesi Ortiz : hmmmm.....noooo thats a no answer ...end of comment..:) lol

LaUnion1910 : What are your thoughts on immigration ?

Yesi Ortiz : well...lets see both my dad and mom came here 'illegally', my father married an Amercian women (and yes he was in love!)†and my mother became a naturalized citizen. my mother worked hard and so did my father. so I marched. :)