Since the age of 15, Kimberly "Paigion" Walker has been actively nurturing her dream of being a radio star, starting off as a high school reporter for Detroit's WJLB. It wasn't long before she moved up to intern at Radio One Detroit. After graduating from Western Michigan University with her bachelor's in film and media studies, Paigion landed a spot at the number-one hip hop station in the Motor City, Hot 107.5. The rising star has even served as local producer for other top radio programs such as The Tom Joyner Morning Show and The Rickey Smiley Show. In 2012, she joined 106 & Park as a co-host. Read my interview with the host below:
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): What was the emotion you felt as you were selected as one of the co-hosts?
Paigion: “It was humbling, very exciting. I guess it’s not so often you get to say you’re proud of yourself. You got your family, your city is excited about it, and so I guess it’s just a humbling feeling to know that all your hard work that your hard work that you put into it is actually paying off. “
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): Did you have any initial reservations about it?
Paigion: “No I think when you say you’re going to pursue something and you think that all this time that you’ve invested into something you would hope that it pays off and that you’re ready for whatever so I feel like I’ve had enough preparation.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): You have a strong background in radio, how does this job differ from radio?
Paigion: “It’s on television. Radio there is no visuals, you can sound great, you can have on your pajamas and nobody knows you’re in there with your “jammies” on, but now on television, your face and to know that you’re paying attention even during an interview is very important, it’s vital. So I think that’s really the difference. It’s good to see familiar faces I guess now running into people on radio and then to see them now it’s like they have growth in their career as well as myself. “
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): How is it to be behind the in front of the scene now as compared to working behind them?
Paigion : “I guess it makes you more accountable, I took it serious before, but I take it way more serious now, you know how much goes into it, you see all the cameramen and all these people who (quick lunch break, ok I have to go right back) and then the panning it’s so much that goes into it so I guess that’s what it is and it’s not just us, it’s a whole train so when one thing is off we’re all going to trip up, so it’s just important to make sure we do our job and that we’re paying attention and we’re looking into the cameras, because that person who is working it, and then the audience guy and everybody, the kins who are on the show are all important, without them there’s not the same effect. I have a lot more respect for it.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): Would you consider getting back into radio?
Paigion: “Right now I’m really focused on 106 and perfecting this, it’s still new, so I mean I really want to perfect being a host as far as television is concerned, but radio is cool. I’ve been in radio for 10 years so it’s on to something new, but I would never say no to it.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): How is it to work with the other co-hosts?
Paigion: “It’s cool, it’s like a (I know it kind of happened like that [claps hand] got hired on Sunday then we had a show on Monday) but we’ve kind of become a family, so it’s cool we look out for each other, we still hang out outside of here. We all go out and have dinner as a team and talk about the show and different ideas. I do like the fact that we can talk to each other about things; we might have suggestions or “maybe we should get together and do this on the show” and so it’s kind of like we’re banding together and we can go to the producers tell them our ideas. So we’re all kind of together.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): What was one of your biggest “wow” moments so far on the show?
Paigion: “Maybe the hurricane, hurricane Sandy, and then Denzel still coming to promote that movie “Flight.” I was like this man is not giving up if he can do it I definitely can do it and then Bow and I went in and did the interview with him during the hurricane, I thought that was really cool.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): What do you think that this group of hosts bring to the show that previous hosts didn’t?
Paigion: “I guess it’s not so much as what they did not, they all filled their jobs and did their thing, and we learned from them. So we’re next up to bat and I just fill like it a new energy, its evolving, things change, it’s just like us. We have to find out, we have to go on twitter and instagram, and “dang what are they into, oh they like Joey Badass, alright, well now let me make sure I listen to Joey Baddass,” so they can relate to us, so I think it’s really just an evolving thing. It all come back, I talked to my mom and she like, “Oh we use to wear skinny jeans,” in this day, so it’s just a matter of growth and timing on everything. I think we’re new, were fresh, we’re hip, and we do our research to find out what they like and be relatable. “
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): When you’re not counting down the hottest videos, what music would we be able to find on your i-pod?
Paigion: “Everything, I listen from country, Katy Perry, to Kendrick Lamar. I listen to everything.”
Examiner (Anthony Bowles): Lastly, what can your fans and viewers expect from you as we get into 2013?
Paigion: “The New Year! Growth. The looks are different; we’re getting ready to go into another season with spring. I love fashion and I post my looks of the day on Instagram and Twitter every day. So that means we’re getting into shorts and skirts, and different dresses, and colors so look forward to the fashion and like I said growth with this and perfecting. I feel like we’re growing together and jelling, so it’s cool to watch an old episode and then watch where we’re at now. You may laugh at some stuff like at the time that was cool, but yeah, watch your growth in it, and I looking forward to the future.”
Continue to watch Paigion on Bet’s 106 & Park every Monday – Friday, 6 – 8 pm (ET/PT) on BET as she counts down the hottest videos in the game right now!
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