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10 Questions with ... Kaden
January 1, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- STAR 105.7/Binghamton - Nights
- 98.5 KRZ/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Nights
- Z100/New York - Weekends/swing
- 101.3 KDWB/Minneapolis-St. Paul - Late-nights
- 104-7 Kiss FM/Phoenix - Nights
- MOViN 107-5/Dallas-Ft. Worth - Nights
- HOT 95-7/Houston-Galveston - Afternoon drive
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
Interned at hometown Top 40 (WMRV), and got promoted to head van washer. I started board-opping Casey's Top 40 in high school. I achieved "overnight superstar" status, then nights. It was a very exciting time in my life. Getting paid to do what I had so much passion for, while still living with the parentals.
2) What led you to a career in radio?
Music. I spent all my money as a kid on music, remixes and Promo Only CDs. I also DJ'd proms, weddings, etc. I was the 7th grader who called the local night jock four times a week, and recorded myself on the air doing shout-outs and bits. Radio bug, bitten.
3) How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?
Spanish. Clustered. VERY competitive. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country, and the radio dials are full. Nightlife and concerts in this city are always happening, seven days a week. If you can incorporate that vibe into your brand, keep it LOCAL and be entertaining ... people notice.
4) What makes your station unique? How would you compare it to other stations you've worked at?
We're the newer, aggressive Top 40 that is always playing music first, and our promotion team is always grinding. Sounds cliché, I know. We tweet A LOT. I arrived in '09 when this station was just getting market recognition; tried my best to phase a Top 40 night show into PM drive, while turning the juice down "a half-notch." When Mark Adams hired me, he said, "I want organized chaos." That's a perfect metaphor to describe HOT 95-7.
5) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past? Doing anything cool with your HD channels?
I'm also PD/MD of our newly launched EDM station, Energy 95-7 HD-2. I volunteered for the task. I LOVVVVVE the EDM lifestyle. Similar to Hip-Hop and Country, it's a lifestyle ... not just a genre of music. I re-launched and completely transformed our HD-2 signal into an aggressive EDM outlet. The brand is completely different from any other Dance channel out there -- terrestrial, satellite, or web-based. We've been lucky to sell it, and it's now available on the free RADIO.COM app, or at Energy 957.com. Christmas week, we air our annual year end BEATDOWN [countdown], and on New Years Eve, a sick mix show with appearances from major EDM artists and DJs from all over the world.
6) "Local, local, local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?
Any station can play the new P!nk. The ones that win make an emotional connection with P1s. Of course, we're at the 5k runs, concerts, and all around this huge city. A good jock break talking about the weather or some local breaking news can have an even bigger effect. I worked for a guy who would schedule music at his house, and switch songs throughout the hour. When the storm blew over, and the sun crept out ... a 'happy' song would replace the scheduled song... pretty cool if you think about it.
7) What is your favorite part of the job?
Hearing a song in the club, or online right after it gets released; playing it on the air and watching it morph into a huge hit. Sure, sometimes we're wrong. But when we're right, it feels so good to think "I helped to make that happen."
8) What is the most challenging part of the job?
Sometimes, dealing with people. In order for a station to pull off a killer promotion or event, Programming, Sales, Digital, Marketing, and Production all need to be looped in and on the same page. Obviously, your department is more important than everyone else's, right? Getting lost in the shuffle will happen occasionally. It's a learning curve. Politics will always be a factor in any industry. However, when you're firing on all cylinders and moving like a freight train, it will pay off big-time.
9) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
I grew up listening to some of the best people in the biz. I studied their art form and "borrowed" some things to put in my pocket; together all that stuff contributed to my on-air persona today. Paul "Cubby" Bryant, Kid Kelly, Scotty Davis, Dave Ryan, Domino, Kane, Elvis Duran and John Garabedian are the people who influenced me as a rookie jock. Present day, there are several people who I have much-deserved industry respect for, most of whom are friends.
10) Who would be a "dream guest" to have on your show?
I want to have Psy, the cast of "Breaking Amish," Ke$ha, and the 'Hoff. Together. ZOO format!
Bonus Questions
What's the best sweeper/liner you've ever heard?
"We have a very simple music policy, if we don't play it ... IT BLOWS." In '98, that was pretty edgy. Every time I saw that scheduled, I'd purposely avoid the phone for five minutes.
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