Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994                   TAG: 9402150179
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SPOTSYLVANIA                                LENGTH: Medium

POLITICIAN BY WEEK, DEEJAY BY WEEKEND

Before the Caroline County Republican began his political career, he was playing country tunes from the control room at WFLS radio in Fredericksburg. And he still is.

While he admits that being a high school teacher and a politician makes him prone to "run my mouth," Orrock says the trick is to not get carried away.

"When I'm on the radio, I make sure to try and keep the comments short," he said. "It's good practice for me."

Orrock, now in his third term as delegate, says brevity often helps when trying to get bills passed by the legislature.

Keeping on top of the latest country music releases can't hurt, either, with a country fan in the governor's mansion. Gov. George Allen celebrated his gubernatorial victory by dancing to country and bluegrass at Virginia's first inaugural hoedown.

During the General Assembly session, Orrock, 38, is the suit-and-tie politician.

On the radio, he's the weekend guy who plays country songs, gives the weather forecast and wears jeans and a T-shirt to work.

"I think the listeners really think of him as an FLS personality first and a delegate second," said Jim Asker, former program director at WFLS who hired Orrock and worked with him for six years.

Orrock, who works full time teaching agricultural business at Spotsylvania High School, made his radio debut in 1987 after spotting a classified ad for an opening at a time when he was looking for "another part-time job to make some bucks."

Asker hired Orrock even though he had no previous broadcasting experience.

"He just has that down-home, folksy sort of way about him that makes him perfect for FLS," said Asker, who left the Fredericksburg station in September to become program director at WRNX in Springfield, Mass.

Being on the air for the first time was a little nerve-wracking, Orrock admits, and he still gets jittery for the first hour of his air shifts.

Since joining the station staff, Orrock has worked the 7 p.m. to midnight shift on Christmas Eve each year. Listeners have grown accustomed to his reading the Christmas story from the Bible and the traditional favorite, " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Between songs and stories, "I wrap Christmas presents," he said.

Orrock's wife, Betsy, and three children often join him during his Christmas Eve shift, Asker said.

The delegate is not allowed to work on the air during his campaigns for office, however, because the station wants to avoid a possible conflict with Orrock's opponents, Asker said.