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Morning Probe
By Mike Marino
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Carly, Stan & Lunchbox, 106.9 K-Hits KHTT, Tulsa, OK
January 18, 2006
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Wednesday, January 18th, 2006
If we flew into Tulsa this afternoon, and asked around... what would be the number ONE topic on every local's mind?
Carly: The unseasonably warm and dry weather.
Stan the Jokeman: "The burn ban, without question. I mean, when you take the civil liberty of trash burning away, from Oklahoma rednecks......you're screwin with the wrong people."
LB: It would probably have to be the grass fires across Oklahoma.
How deep nowadays, do you feel a Top 40 am show can delve, in some serious issues (war, terrorism, etc...)?
Carly: We've gotten really serious in the past and notice its best not to do so. We feel our main purpose is to entertain. We try to keep it fairly light or the show gets kind of bogged down.
Stan the Jokeman: "Screw that! It's a no win! Sometimes, you have to talk about serious sh-t, especially when it immediately affects your market, but for the most part, I say, STAY AWAY FROM IT! People will come to you, when they get sick of hearing about it.
Carly and I tried to compete with news stations, once upon a time, and got our asses handed to us. A Top 40 statio, has a responsibility to listeners, and sometimes that responsibility means giving them something to run away to."
LB: I think you definitely have to cover some of those topics. As far as how deep you can cover some of those topics, I think it would be up to the listeners. Know your audience.
Describe the competitive make-up of Morning Radio in Tulsa, and how (if at all), it has changed recently.
Carly: Our main competition is the morning show over at the Beat, a station that recently switched to a frequency that WAS our biggest competition. KISS totally went away, and we borrowed their sidekick, Lunchbox, who was being underutilized at the Beat. Good move. We are now a 3-person show and feel like we're really well-rounded.
Stan the Jokeman: "Fortunately, Carly and I have a little heritage in the market. That goes a long damned way. We got Lunchbox now, and the show is complete with players.
As for the competition, I hardly ever think about 'em. If I "worry", about doing my own show, to the best of my ability, hopefully, I won't have to worry about the competitive make-up.
LB: Morning Radio in Tulsa is very competitive right now. Probably the most competitive I've ever seen it. I think at the end of the day it's all in good fun.
What's your sense on how THEY would cover the 'issues', if at all?
Carly: I don't get to listen much, but I think they try to cover the issues. They put a lot of phone calls on the air.
LB: I think our competitors would cover the issues with a little bit more of a Jerry Springer approach, if that makes any sense. They're more into shock radio.
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THE SHOW:Carly, Stan & Lunchbox
THE STATION:106.9 K-Hits KHTT
THE CITY:Tulsa, OK
THE FORMAT:Top40
THE CAST:Carly, Stan the Jokeman, and Lunchbox.
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Resume Time
Give some love to your crew. Give us brief rundown on each of you, your personal history, your radio bio, and what brought you together.
Carly: I'm Carly, been in radio for 19 years, 17 of those right here at KHITS!!! Growing up I lived in Dallas, El Paso, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. I came to Tulsa to go to the University of Tulsa and fell in love with radio working at the campus station. I even switched my major from Music to Communications after working on the radio.
I got a part-time board-op job in my Junior year at 106.1 (at the time KVLT), finally got part-time weekends and then the station switched formats and everybody was out. That's when a friend of mine from KVLT, Don Landy (no longer with us), took my tape over to K107 (KAYI at the time). They hired me sight unseen. I absolutely loved it!
A few years later we changed our name to 106.9 Khits and our call letters to KHTT. In the 17 years I've been here, I've done part-time, Overnights, Nights, Middays and now Mornings. I've also been the Production director and Program Director. I'm very happy doing just mornings now and helping out with promotions.
Stan the Jokeman: I was born in Oklahoma. Radio was really kind of an accident. My college major is in television production/journalism. I took an internship with K107, in Tulsa, but within 3 months was working for Rick Dees, on 102.7 KIIS-FM in Hollywood. Rick gave me the name, Stan the Jokeman, and I stayed with him for a couple of years, before joining Karlson and Mckenzie in Boston. After a couple of more years, I decided it was time to come home, where the heart is."
LB: I actually worked for a competing station in town 92-1 KISS FM, which flipped formats 4 months ago; thus kind of putting me out of a job. I worked in promotions while I tried to figure out what to do next. It was at that time that KHITS approached me about being a sidekick on their morning show. Carly and Stan have been a proven #1 morning show for the last 6 years. I jumped at the opportunity and thought I could learn a lot from them.
What's It All About?
Briefly describe your show your personalities and the "premise" listeners wake up to every morning.
Carly: We're the classic (I'm embarrassed to type this) "Dick, Dork and Dame". We all fall so naturally into those roles. Stan is the wild and out-of-control character who tells it like it is. Lunchbox is the one who can't read very well, but he's good-looking, single and popular with the ladies. And, I'm the one who tries to keep them under control. I'm the voice of reason and the one who carries the whip.
Stan the Jokeman: "My O.M. calls it the, Dame, Dick and Doofus show, but the truth is, we're off the air, just like we're on the air. We're not pretenders. I have some rough edges, Lunch is a little goofy, and Carly won't sleep with me."
LB: I think our show follows the classic comedic formula of Dick, Dane, and Dork. Stan is very opinionated and sometimes can come off as a dick. Carly is kind of the voice of reason, keeps everybody in check. I'm definitely the dork of the show. What can I say, it's what I'm good at...I guess.
How would you describe the feeling a listener gets after 20 minutes of your fine radio extravaganza?
Carly: Wow, these guys are for real.
How does this separate you from the pack, the other shows in town?
Carly: We're a great balance of personalities. I don't think any one else in town has quite our mix
Prep 101
Segue to the show planning, how much of it is prepared before you walk into the studio? How much left to spontaneity?
Carly: We prepare quite a bit, but we love to rely on a lot of spontaneity. I make sure the news is totally prepared and my BitXChange is printed out... and ready to go. But, a lot of what we talk about we decide in the studio, based on what's in the show-prep material, the newspaper and definitely what's going on in our personal lives.
Stan the Jokeman: Carly and I get in before 3:30am, every morning, and it shows in the numbers. We give ourselves plenty of time to read the paper, criss cross all the news outlets, check in with our gossip sources out of New York, and Los Angeles, put together some bits, and get a cup of coffee. At 5:30am, we all walk into the studio with an aresenal of material, drop it on the table, and the three of us, then talk about what we're going to use, and what we can pitch to the side.
We all bring something to the show, every morning. Sometimes, we have an over abundance of stuff, that we can use the following day. As for spontaneity, it's always spontaneous. We don't script sh-t!
LB: I would say about half and half. We have stuff planed for the show but you never know what can come up. Maybe a phone topic or call could take off. At that point you just have to go with it.
Who makes up your pop-culture VIBE team, in terms of the creative brain trust?
Carly: Stan is the head creative honcho. He's the one that puts together the bits we do and the celebrity gossip. I'm good for coming up with initial ideas for bits and topics. Lunchbox rounds us out with stunt and topic ideas.
Stan the Jokeman: We all play a big part in that! There are somedays I can't create my way out of a wet paper sack.
LB: I think we all bring a different creative element to the table and work well with each other coming up with creative ideas and promotions for the show.
Is there another morning talent (or show) that you enjoy networking with?
Carly: I haven't found anyone. The only girl I ever tried to network with never emailed me back, and, frankly I felt rejected and haven't been able to reach out since!
Stan the Jokeman: No, but there's plenty of 'em I enjoy stealing sh-t from. That's a lie. I do swap material with a station in Boston.
Most Memorable
Name your most memorable radio moment. (Good or bad!)
Carly: Jumping out of an airplane for the morning show!
Stan the Jokeman: The night I had sex with two bisexual girls under the soundboard. It was good!
LB: It never really registers in my head what's memorable and what's not (Is that bad?). I guess you could say my most memorable experience was having my birthday turned into a station event. We packed out a little whole in the wall bar to celebrate my birthday... huge drunk fest. It was awesome!!!!
Celebs-N-Stuff
Celeb Interviews... do you do 'em? Love 'em? Hate 'em?
Carly: We love celebrity interviews. They're especially fun if you take their answers and plug in different questions. Or you edit it so they're not making any sense. We do that with Billy Bob Thornton. It's hilarious!
Stan the Jokeman: You know, some are good, and some are bad. Donald Trump, Tonya Harding, Tito Jackson, Charlie Daniels, the late Johnny Cochran, Dick Clark, Alice Cooper, Linda Blair, Bill Maher, Damon Wayans, and Kevin Bacon, all good. Tommy Davidson, from In Living Color, is a piece of crap.
LB: We haven't really had too many of them. I guess you could say I love em. If the person is a good interview it could really make your show sound bigger.
Name your most memorable CELEB interview. (Good or bad!)
Carly: Tonya Harding. She was totally different from what I expected. Very down-to-earth and fun! We invited her back to do the whole show with us, and I think she just might do that!
Stan the Jokeman: When I accidentally, kept calling Fred Goldman, Ron. I'm a pr-ck.
Quick Word Association
Alcohol?
Carly: Stan The Jokeman!
Stan the Jokeman: Ted Kennedy.
LB: Weekends.
Terrorism?
Carly: Al Qaeda.
Stan the Jokeman: Osama Bin laden.
LB: Al Qaeda.
Winter?
Carly: Red noses!
Stan the Jokeman: Jonathan...
LB: Cold.
American Idol?
Carly: Clay Aiken, baby!
Stan the Jokeman: Carrie Underwood.
LB: Karaoke
Paris Hilton?
Carly: Skanky!
Stan the Jokeman: Slut!
LB: Undeserving!
If there was one facet of radio you'd like to see change, what would it be... and what kind of change?
Carly: I think letting the local PD have more of a say in how things go would be a nice change. Things have gotten so researched and cookie-cutter, kind of like chain restaurants, which I hate going to, by the way.
Stan the Jokeman: I love where I'm at right now, and how things work! My G.M., and O.M. are AWESOME! They leave me alone, and trust me to do my job, and deliver numbers every three months. I trust them, to market and sell it, so I get a paycheck.
Unfortunately, there are many stations out there, that don't have that. The morning shows got the bosses so far up their asses, they can't do, what they were hired to do. There is a reason, upper management is upper management. It's because they can't do my job, and I can't do theirs.
LB: I would definitely get rid of voice tracking. We're eliminating more and more jobs with the emergence of voice tracking. It's making it harder and harder for people start out in radio.
Mark That Bench
Tell us about your best weekly or daily on-air Benchmarks?
Carly: "Planet Woman" is my fav. It's a new feature "for women only." I take very short stories/blurbs of news about health, fashion, relationships, etc. and do a two-minute feature. It's a time when I can be totally "girly" without the guys being bored. They do like to put their two-cents in, though, which makes it funny.
Stan the Jokeman: Hell, I don't know! Whatever it is, I'm sure it's somethin we stole from someone else.
LB: "Lusty Love with Lunchbox" - It's where I read a passage from a romance novel. The joke is the fact that I can't read...Thus comedy ensues!!
List for us your favorite GAMES or TRIVIA you like to play with or ON your audience?
Carly: Our favorite is a game called "Tell Me Something I Don't Know." We invite listeners to call in and ask us anything, even personal questions about themselves. For example, "What are phalanges?" Off the air, we say we don't know the answer and get them to tell us. Then we repeat the answer, like "fingers and toes?" And, they always say "yes, that's it." Then, we edit it to sound like we know exactly what the answer was to begin with, and we act all smart and cocky about it. It drives them crazy. People who "get it" get a big laugh out of it. It's playful, pretend and fun!!
Stan the Jokeman: Ditto...
LB: And, "Shower Karaoke with Lunchbox" - It's where I sing a song in the shower and the listener has to guess which song I'm singing.
What in your mind is your favorite on-air PROMOTION, Contest or giveaway?
Carly: Probably the ones that really touch people. We gave away Thanksgiving turkey meals last year by asking "How can we save your Thanksgiving?" We had one woman write in that she hadn't had a stove in over a year. We not only gave her the dinner, but several people called in to give her a stove. The last I talked to her, she had the stove and was baking pies up a storm!
LB: We just did a promotion over the holiday season called crappy Christmas gifts. The object is to call in and trade Christmas gift that you got this year that you weren't too fond of for whatever prize we were giving away that day. It made for some pretty funny radio.
And STUNTS?
Carly: I automatically think of April Fools Day when I read this question. One of the most fun ones we did was a fake story saying the legislature was considering banning public breastfeeding. Oh, man, the angry women that called in! They even called the state capitol! Of course, I don't think they were too happy with us when they found out it was a prank, but it WAS April Fools Day!!
LB: I went on an eight minute dating program a few months ago and recorded the whole thing. I think that was probably one of the funniest things I've ever come up with for the radio.
X-tra Pointers
How do you motivate your producer?
Carly: We tell him this is a great "learning" experience.
Stan the Jokeman: Shouldn't have to. That's why he's producer.
Staff interaction: are you a "mixer" or an island unto your own bloated ego?
Carly: I think we are all "islands unto our own bloated egos", but we temper that in order to have a good show.
Stan the Jokeman: Like I said, Carly won't sleep with me.
How do you handle a Sales person or manager who walks into the studio, in the middle of your show?
Carly: We give them the evil eye then go tell on them.
Stan the Jokeman: Bitch like a diva!
LB: I absolutely hate it. It drives me nuts. STAY OUT OF THE STUDIO WHENEVER THE ON-AIR LIGHT IS ON. HOW HARD IS IT!
If your PD suggests something lame and insists on you executing it, how do you react?
Carly: Smile, laugh, say, "Yeah, we should do that sometime". Then, never do it. He'll forget about it eventually!!
Stan the Jokeman: Call in sick!
Station appearances, do you do them, even the freebies? Or do you need to get paid?
Carly: We do freebies, but we complain about it.
Stan the Jokeman: I can't remember the last fu-kin' appearance I got paid for!
Throw us a freakin' bone, name one thing about yourself or about each other, that most people don't know.
Carly: I was quite the gymnast in my day.
Stan the Jokeman: I'm a thirty six year old grandfather.
LB: I'm actually a big fan of Ace of Base. It's kind of a guilty pleasure.
Parting Thoughts on anything, from the radio industry to the world we live in, marriage to this painful interview.
Carly: I generally hate interviews, because I'm always afraid I won't know what to say, or I'll sound like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm grateful for ones like this that I don't have to do with a live person, just me and my computer and my backspace key!
Stan the Jokeman: I loathe these morning show fu-kers, who can't see past gettin laid, and dinner trade. No excuses you fat bastards! Do your job!! Walkin in ten minutes before your show starts, isn't going to cut it.
The sooner these overpaid pricks are out of the business, the better! Make room for the younger guys, who are hungry, and if given the opportunity, will one up your prune ass at every turn!
LB: I think this is probably one of the longest interviews I've ever been a part of. So I apologize if my answers became short and confusing towards the end of this.
BitXChange THANKS Carly, Stan & Lunchbox for their time, and support!
You can find out more about Carly, Stan & Lunchbox by clicking HERE: www.khits.com/morningshow.html.
AND: You can EMAIL Carly & Stan & here: carly@khits.com, stan@khits.com.