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10 Questions with ... Jave Patterson
December 10, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- KISS-FM, SAN ANTONIO 6/89-6/97
- KFMW 7/97-5/99
- KDOT 6/99-Present
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
I was an intern at KISS, working in Promotions and shadowing on-air talent as often as possible. I learned a lot from Tim Parker, Richard Smith, Dave Madiol, Joe Anthony, Debbie Alcocer and Tom Scheppke. I always admired John Lisle and Steve Hahn for their ability to be on-air talents who never sounded like "DJs" and rather, like normal people with warped senses of humor. I consider my main mentors to be Virgil Thompson and Kevin Vargas for their ability to be both conservative while possessing a keen ability of knowing when to take that important chance. Oddly, I still find myself asking "how would Virgil or Kevin handle this" when I am faced with a new challenge.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?
I was trying to find a way to get my band some exposure via radio, so that led me to become friends with many of the personalities on the air. Before graduation, I considered moving to Denton to attend the University of North Texas and study Jazz, but decided to spend a few years closer to home and get some prerequisites done on the cheap. By the end of my degree program, I was working full-time at the radio station making far more than I was by being a "starving artist" schlepping tunes!
3) I know you cut your teeth in Rock radio at the legendary KISS in San Antonio. What was your role there and how did that experience prepare you for a future in Rock programming?
I started out cleaning promotions prize closets and left as the Imaging Director and night host. I was very fortunate to be in on the ground floor to watch a master (Virgil) rebuild a 20-year brand song by song, imager by imager, jock by jock. Also, Kevin Vargas was/is a master talent coach. He really helped me by teaching the "art of the tease," "descriptive image copywriting" and the "anatomy of a great break". Those experiences were invaluable as it helped immensely when I traveled to KFMW in Waterloo and had to re-build that station brick by brick and work with some amazingly talented programming/on-air folks such as Libby Carstensen and Michael Cross.
4) How long have you been at KDOT and what makes this station so unique?
I'll be celebrating 15 years here in Reno come June! Reno is one of the most unique markets in the country in many ways: We are world class ... we have gaming but it's not the primary driver. The Truckee River that runs through town is one of the greatest trout rivers in the world. Lake Tahoe is only 25 minutes away. We have the largest concentration of ski resorts in one area in the northern hemisphere. We are fast becoming a "culinary hot spot" with restaurants, bars and nightclubs that are getting national recognition. There is a vibrant Punk scene here, along with Ska, MetalCore, Rockabilly, Metal, EDM and more. We've got more Rock-formatted stations here than just about any other market our size. KDOT continues to be the ratings leader because of our veteran staff, knowledge of the markets musical tastes, high-profile morning show with Rob, Arnie and Dawn and domination with regard to local events, from concerts to charity outreach and cause marketing.
5) Besides doing an on-air shift and programming KDOT, you're also the OM for the Lotus Reno cluster including Classic Rock KOZZ. Tell us the other stations you're overseeing and how are they performing in the market.?
As the OM, I program heritage KOZZ -- 34 years and going strong as Reno's Classic Rock! Again, it's much easier when you've got such a seasoned, veteran staff with Jim McClain, who's tied into the biker community here, and Max Volume, a virtual market legend who played most of KOZZ's library as currents. Really, the music flow credit goes to Max as he really knows what played here and what didn't. Max and I have creative writing sessions every six weeks or so, and if we are busting up laughing, then we know it's a keeper. I also have an OM for our sports properties that include ESPN (KUUB) FM, ESPN Deportes, FOX Sports and recently added NBC Sports on our new AM signal KFOY. At the end of the day, I've got one wonderful person who signs my check named Howard Kalmenson -- a true BROADCASTER who still wholeheartedly believes in the Power of Radio and the Power of Local ... and at the local level, my job is to serve the best interests of Lotus Radio Corp., which, on days like today, means shoveling the sidewalk when I get into work and taking out the trash from the bathroom when its full -- or it could be washing a station vehicle, pulling an air shift, or coming in at midnight when a jock is sick. I simply wear all the hats that come with the check! Oh, and as far as ratings are concerned, KOZZ is the leader in the Classic Rock game and we have a "fortress of men" when it comes to sports (but good luck on getting the locker head to fill out a diary!).
6) You're also known for your candid opinions about music. Approximately how important by percentage is gut, research, sales, video play, and chart position when determining the status of a record?
GUT = 50%, RESEARCH = 20% SALES = 10%, VIDEO PLAY = 5%, CHART POSITION = 15%.
7) What's your take on current Active Rock music and the format as a whole? Is it as good as six months or a year ago, better, or about the same?
At the end of the day, it always has/always will boil down to the songwriting. For me, there's a certain fatigue of the over-compressed "Howard Benson" style of recording. I'm looking for a return to raw and I see/hear some amazing talent that should come to the forefront over the next 48 months. I'm excited about artists such as Beware of Darkness and Heaven's Basement, who both deliver live; a new Dead Sara album is intriguing; Avenged and Volbeat have done the format well, especially with the addition of Rob as a lead slayer for Volbeat; the groundswell of MetalCore bands such as Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon and A Day To Remember; and a band from my old hometown called Nothing More that are impressive on record and absolutely mind blowing live are poised to have a big impact on the format in the years to come. Every single one of these bands have two things in common -- they write good songs and really deliver live!
8) How much does KDOT use social media such as Facebook and Twitter in interacting with its listeners?
We use it as an impression, but we certainly don't live and die by it. The most immediate digital platform that works for us and also has some client benefit is our texting clubs. We see real, quantifiable results in real time.
9) Besides your Lotus Radio duties, for several years you've been involved with a very cool project called Custom Radio To Go. Can you tell us the specifics of this endeavor?
A brilliant friend of mine had an idea to offer custom programming (Music, Marketing, Morning Show, Promotions, Positioning, Personalities) to small and non-rated market radio stations, done in near real time for a fraction of the cost of one full-time employee. The results for our clients have been nothing short of amazing. My partner, JJ Michaels, is the tech-savvy guy who has set up protocol that allows us access to a station's automation system, whereby we are able to post voicetracks within minutes of air time.
I'm the music programming guru providing custom weekly music scheduling based on the criteria of the station owner/manager. We also offer production and imaging help where needed and assistance with promotional and marketing ideas for the station and/or client. The goal is to allow a small-station owner to have a custom-programmed radio station with local sounding, major-market talent, a music library customized to their market/tastes, and the ability for the owner to focus on the all-important bottom line. With a home studio that I built back in 2002, I can do this from home without impacting my 9a-7p daily responsibilities here at Lotus (although my wife rarely sees me!).
10) Okay ... finally .... like yours truly, I know you love a good cigar. What are some of your favorites and why?
Well, Ken, you'll just have to listen to my other side project with the above-mentioned "brilliant friend," www.thecigarstation.com, to find that out! In seriousness, I'm loving the boutique brand Total Flame. They are a lifestyle brand with an anchor in the motorcycle lifestyle. Also Asylum 13 makes a great domestically available robusto, the Gurkha 15 Year Cellar Reserve is great as is the Defiant from Felipe Gregorio. My favorite "import" is the Partagas Serie D No. 4.
Bonus Questions
What do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're "not" in radio mode?
Ski! I'm a powder hound...
You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have five CDs with you. What are they?
- Queensryche Rage for Order,
- Dream Theater Images and Words,
- AC/DC Back in Black,
- The Eagles Hell Freezes Over,
- John Mayer Continuum
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