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10 Questions with ... Kevin James
September 18, 2007
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NAME:Kevin JamesTITLE:Talk Show HostSTATION:870 KRLAMARKET:Los AngelesCOMPANY: Salem CommunicationsBORN:August 6, 1963 in Norman, OklahomaRAISED:Norman, Oklahoma and Garland, Texas
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I began my professional career in 1988 as a lawyer with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, one of Los Angeles' largest law firms. Soon thereafter, I spent more then 3 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, and then more than 10 years as a litigator in high profile entertainment matters. During my years as an attorney, I regularly appeared on Court TV as a panelist on Catherine Crier's show most often taking the prosecution side of the debate. During the same time period, I also made occasional appearances on CNN discussing legal matters related to the entertainment industry. My legal expertise brought me into the talk radio industry as a legal commentator to talk radio stations in major markets around the country (primarily Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Antonio). My first radio talk show hosting experience came in March 2003 at KABC in Los Angeles as a fill-in host. Within months I was filling in for a number of the hosts at KABC. In 2004, my fill-in experience resulted in a career change to full-time radio talk show host with my move to KTOK in Oklahoma City. Ten months later (in March 2005) I returned to Los Angeles to host the overnight show "Red Eye Radio". Two years later (in May 2007), I moved to 870 KRLA in Los Angeles in order to host nights on KRLA beginning at 9pm.
1. How did you get into radio after working as a lawyer and Assistant U.S. Attorney? Why radio?
I got into radio when Al Rantel at KABC invited me to come on his show to discuss a case within which I had particular expertise based on my legal career. I wish I could remember what case it was. Then, the very next week, in January 2003, the California Supreme Court issued a controversial ruling regarding the rape laws in California. Even though I reminded Al Rantel that as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, I had never handled a rape case (almost always handled by an Assistant District Attorney), Rantel convinced me that I had "the gift of gab" and that once I read the controversial case I would have plenty to say about it. Rantel was right -- I read the opinion, had plenty to say about it and was back on the Al Rantel show for the second week in a row. Soon after, I appeared weekly on Al's show to discuss legal matters and then I began appearing regularly on the KABC morning drive show "Ken and Company", also discussing legal matters. Within a few more weeks, a program director in San Antonio had heard my legal commentary and used me on a number of radio talk shows in that market. Also, KABC's assistant program director, Eric Stanger, moved to a job in Atlanta producing the morning drive show there and regularly booked me on that program to discuss legal matters.
Why radio? Part of the reason I chose radio is because that is where my opportunities arose. While I have made numerous appearances on television news programs over the years, more employment opportunities presented themselves in radio. Another reason is that I prefer radio. Radio is the most entertaining interactive medium there is. While the internet is interactive, it is not nearly as entertaining as great talk radio. Furthermore, even the internet does not allow you to get your voice/opinion out to as many people as fast as being on the radio does. As a host, I love the fact that the length and form of our talk shows allow you to really get into the issues and topics you are covering at that time.
2. About what are you most passionate these days?
I am most passionate about the absolute destruction of our great city and its surrounding communities. Our schools in the Los Angeles area are being destroyed through over-population, such that extreme under-performance and violence on campus is rampant. Our hospital emergency rooms and maternity wards in the Los Angeles area are closing because of overcrowding by countless non-emergencies with no insurance (as for the emergency rooms) and countless mothers with no insurance and no ability to pay (as for the maternity wards). Our criminal justice system in the Los Angeles area is being destroyed and severely undermined because prisons in the Los Angeles area are so overcrowded that criminals sentenced to any length of time less than 90 days are simply processed and released within hours because there is nowhere to put them. Furthermore, violent felons are being released early because of such overcrowding. Gang activity is on the rise, such th at our communities are now commonly recognized in the media as "gang capitals" of the country, the world -- you name it! The common denominator in all of these problems -- the illegal alien crisis.
I am also passionate about college football - especially Oklahoma Sooner football!! I am passionate about politics, and the ethical treatment of the American people and our tax dollars by elected officials.
3. You've done mornings in Oklahoma City, overnights at KABC, and now evenings at KRLA -- have you found any differences between the audiences for the disparate shifts? Do you prepare any differently for the different time slots, and are there some topics and categories that work more or less well in, say, evenings than for overnights?
There are differences between the audiences in each of the timeslots (not to mention a difference in the audience in the varying markets as well (OKC is a bit more conservative than LA)). I definitely prepare differently for each of the 3 timeslots I have held. Morning drive at KTOK in Oklahoma City was much more of a "headlines-driven" show. I covered a wider range of topics, and spent more time on "lighter" topics than in the other two timeslots. So, for example, I spent a bit more time being up on restaurants, movies and weather than I do now. Also, the format of the show in OKC had more segments per hour with a shorter time period per segment. The type of morning show we did resulted on occasion in 3 or 4 guests an hour during the most popular hours. I believe the morning drive audience was younger overall than either of the night slots I have held - perhaps because more students and younger workers are listening to get the news before (or during) their commute to school or work.
I believe the overnight timeslot is an entirely different animal than any other timeslot. While there are similarities in my 9pm show on KRLA and morning drive in OKC, the overnight show was quite different. First, just the lack of formality in overnight radio makes it different. I could spend as much time as I wanted with a single caller, for example. And, some nights we would spend 4 hours on a single topic or a single news story. I don't do that in the earlier daypart. My 9pm show requires more reading than either morning drive or overnights. Primarily because I need to get to the core issue of the topic quick, and sometimes it takes a bit of reading into the topic to determine that core issue for the audience. Finally, the 9pm show requires more face-to-face time with the show's producer than the other dayparts did. Pure "topic selection" takes more time with the 9pm show each da y than either of the other dayparts -- mornings naturally cover more topics and the overnight sometimes required essentially no topic selection.
4. How does your legal background affect the way you do your show -- is there an advantage to having that background and being able to "think like a lawyer"?
My legal background heavily affects the way I do my show. First of all, it affects my entire thought process (and has for the past 22 years - half of my life). Second, I will approach a story/topic/issue that has a legal aspect in an entirely different way than most other hosts. Where other hosts will either avoid the story, speculate, or contact a guest legal expert, I can and will handle it entirely myself putting my own personality, legal expertise and analysis thereon. The most recent example of this is the LAPD's recent moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed drivers (many of whom are illegal aliens (thus no driver license)). The City Council and LAPD simply hid behind an "upcoming legal analysis" of an obscure case out of Oregon (an analysis they have supposedly been waiting for since June 19). I did the analysis myself -- in less than an hour -- on the air. That is just one of the many advantages to ha ving a legal background (which includes law enforcement experience as an Assistant United States Attorney). The sheer volume of stories, issues and topics that have a legal aspect also provides a built in advantage to having my legal experience.
5. You talk a lot about the illegal immigration issue on your show -- what do you think the ultimate outcome will be? Will it make a difference who gets into the White House next year? Is there a resolution or compromise that will work, or is the issue hopelessly polarized (and/or hopeles, period)?
The ULTIMATE outcome will be the enforcement of our laws against those that come into the country illegally, work illegally and break other laws in our communities. The lawbreakers will not be given amnesty. It will take years more of debate and political attempts, both good and bad, by Congress, state legislatures and city councils all over the country to reach that ultimate outcome. But the demands by the American people, the voters in this country, will eventually be met by resistant leaders.
It will make a HUGE difference who wins the Presidency in 2008. First of all, there is not a Democrat running that is good on the illegal immigration crisis. Therefore, if the crisis is to be averted before even further destruction of our communities, schools, hospitals, streets, etc. occurs, a Republican must win the White House. It also makes a difference WHICH Republican wins the nomination. Mitt Romney appears to me to be the best of the so-called "front runners" on the illegal immigration crisis (the "media darlings" as I call them on my show - because it is the media that seems to single-handedly pick which of the candidates it calls a "front runner" and then gives those candidates much more coverage than the "second tier" candidates simply because they have been labeled a "front runner"). Romney has actually DONE something about the crisis in his state when he was Governor. Rudy Giuliani talks a big game on illegal immigration, but his actions as Mayor demonstrate a different (and unfortunate) position on the matter.
I believe a "compromise" will only work if there is TRUE border security FIRST -- before ANY "compromise" provisions are permitted. Otherwise, we will be stuck with amnesty-like policies that will never satisfy the American voters.
6. You can recommend one and only one book for everyone to read ("Kevin's Book Club"!) -- which would it be and why?
If I can only recommend one book for everyone to read it would be Pat Buchanan's book State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America (August 2006).
I know there are many great books out there that I could make myself sound real sophisticated and smart by recommending. However, in today's world with the dangers we face in this country every American should read Buchanan's book. As I mentioned in response to a previous question, the illegal alien invasion is adversely affecting (if not yet outright destroying) virtually every aspect of our lives -- education, health care, jobs, our judicial system, the environment, crime and national security (to name a few).
7. What do you do for fun?
I am a huge college football fan. So, from September through early January, I spend a significant amount of my free time watching college football. I went to the University of Oklahoma so I am a HUGE Oklahoma Sooners fan!! In fact, I travel to a number of Oklahoma Sooner games during the season and to their bowl game. I try to run one marathon per year, so running and exercise take up some of my free time. I enjoy movies, I spend time on the beach, and I am always in search of a great suggestion for a book to read. Finally, my favorite thing to do for fun is snow skiing. Aspen is my favorite place on earth.
8. Who are your heroes?
I answered this question last because this is the toughest one for me. It is not tough because I don't know who my heroes are -- I knew the answer to that immediately. The tough part is making sense to a reader as to why my heroes are who they are. And, I do not believe anything I can write will adequately explain how important they have been to me. So, my answer must be brief.
My heroes are my grandfather on my mother's side, Royce Kelley (who died in March 1998 at the age of 89), and my mother (who resides in Dallas).
My grandfather is a hero to me because of the way he lived his life. You would have to have known him to fully understand. He was the happiest and most satisfied person I have ever seen. My mother is a hero to me because of her exceptional strength and ability to deal with great tragedy and adversity.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ___________.
...Dr. Pepper.
10. What's the best advice you've ever gotten? The worst?
I should divide the answer to this question up into two parts.
First, the best advice I ever received during my legal career was advice a good friend gave me just before I started my first year of law school. My friend, who was one year ahead of me at the University of Oklahoma, had just completed his first year of law school at the University of Houston when I was about to begin my first year at the same law school. He had done very well his first year - placing in the top 5% of the class. He convinced me to resist the urge that every first year law student has to try and learn everything that the professors cover and everything contained in the cases and statutes. It is impossible to retain that much information -- but every first year law student tries. The key is to determine what is most important, and focus on that. I took my friend's advice as best I could and did very well in my first year (top 10%), while many of my classmates overwhelmed themselves in legal minutia. That class ranking helped me secure highly sought-after jobs in the legal profession.
Second, the best advice I have received during my talk radio career thus far was to take the morning drive job at KTOK in Oklahoma City, which was market no. 53 at the time. I had the job offer but was concerned about leaving the second largest market in the country, Los Angeles, for market no. 53. However, a close friend who is a talk show host in Los Angeles reminded me that I was still only doing fill-in work and legal commentary in Los Angeles and, while I was expecting to be offered a weekend slot soon, I still did not have the slot (nor any guarantee that I would get it). In addition, a different friend who is also a talk show host in Los Angeles told me to take the job at KTOK in Oklahoma City because (to use his phrase) "the station is bigger than the market" and he had me convinced that I would be able to move into a larger market coming from KTOK. He was right.
Fortunately (I guess), I am unable to come up with anything remotely interesting or compelling to answer the part of this question calling for the worst advice I have ever gotten. As far as I can remember, most of the mistakes I have made along the way came from my own doing - and not from bad advice I received.
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