Jax Radio: WAPE's Mark Kaye Is A Snapchat Rock Star

Mark Kaye

Jacksonville Radio personality Mark Kaye has become the host of the first-ever Snapchat talk show.

Kaye's show, Talkin' Snap, airs every Monday and Thursday on his Snapchat Story at 5 pm EST. He uses the show to interview famous Snapchat artists, including Shaun McBride (better known on Snapchat by his username, Shonduras) and Evan Garber, as well as musical artists that come through WAPE 95.1 FM The Big Ape Kaye hosts The Morning Mess. Kaye also hosts a Sunday night talk show on clustermate WOKV 104.5 FM, both Cox Media Stations.

Kaye decided to start his show in August.

"I have the skills to build programs on the radio and on TV," Kaye tells Business Insider. "It took me about a month or so to figure out that I could translate that to Snapchat. I take the things I've learned from being on the radio and working in television and apply it to Snapchat, and that's what no one else is doing. It helps me a bit."

Kaye says he started by taking pictures of his food and himself — "drawing mustaches on myself, drawing funny pictures on buildings." As he started getting more into Snapchat, he started Googling famous Snapchatters — like Shonduras.

"I said, hey, these people know what they're doing — if I interview them, I'll learn about Snapchat," he tells us. "So I reached out to Shonduras, and he was my very first interview. He said, 'yeah, let's do it,' and as soon as he agreed to do it, I thought, 'Oh my God, now I have to figure out how to do a talk show on Snapchat.' I sent him questions and I said, 'Just snap me back some answers and I'll figure it all out.'"

It wasn't too difficult for Kaye to figure out. He downloaded editing apps and software and went into his radio station studio. He used his iPhone to record, edit, and upload the whole episode when it was ready.

Since then, Kaye has recorded more than two dozen episodes of Talkin' Snap, featuring popular Snapchat stars and musical stars alike. One of his first interviews was singer Charli XCX, who happened to be in his studio at work one day, and he also recently talked to Flo Rida.

He puts episodes of his show, which consist of 10 to 12 Snaps Kaye seamlessly edits together, on his Snapchat Story, where they live for 24 hours before self-destructing. He also posts a recording of each episode on YouTube, and then on his blog, where you can watch every episode of Talkin' Snap.

Here's his recent episode of Talkin' Snap, featuring Flo Rida.



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