Host profile: David Soyka
By WTJU
Name: David Soyka
Show: Jumpin’ on the Bed, Saturdays 4 – 6 p.m.
Day Job: Senior Copywriter and Wordsmith
How long have you been a host at WTJU? A while.
Why did you become a WTJU host?
I grew up in New Jersey, where there was a plethora of underground progressive radio stations. WNEW-FM, WFMU, WBAI, WPLJ (for a short while). They were anti-establishment, anti-war and the DJs played whatever they wanted, oftentimes to make a point about what was going on in the world. Moreover, it was interesting and a gateway to a world that otherwise I wouldn’t have access to in listless cookie-cutter suburbia. WTJU is one of the few places left in radio that is like that.
Why should someone tune into your show in particular? What do you want to share with the world?
I suppose people listen to the show because they share the same taste in a wide variety of music. And/or that they like my attitude towards it. Certainly isn’t because of my looks.
Tell us about one of your biggest gaffs while in the studio:
Broadcasting remotely during this pandemic was a challenge, both technically and personally. There were more than a few occasions initially when I was literally talking and/or playing music that only I could hear. Which meant a lot of dead air, the broadcaster’s worse nightmare. That and uttering/playing FCC-prohibited language.
If you could interview anyone on air, dead or alive, who would it be?
William Shakespeare. Did he have any idea he’d be this monument of the English language when all he was trying to do was make a buck entertaining the masses?
What are your guilty pleasures?
None of my pleasures are guilty and are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
How has it felt being a radio host during this pandemic?
Just as weird as living during the pandemic. Broadcasting from home makes it a bit weirder.
Why does WTJU matter?
It is one of the few stations remaining in the country where the announcers curate their own music. It’s not for everyone. Which is the point.
How have you seen WTJU change in your time here? How have you seen Charlottesville change?
Thanks to station I management, staff and volunteers, this is a much more exciting station than when I started. Back then it was sort of a best kept secret, but today it has grown into something much more visible and integral not only to the Charlottesville community, but via the Internet literally worldwide.
What could WTJU do better?
You can always do better. That’s what the next show is all about.
Would you rather listen to a Bach motet scored for electric guitars, or Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” scored for chamber choir?
I’m open to both.
