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10 Questions with ... John Ivey
September 27, 2005
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NAME:John IveyPOSITION:VP/Prog. LA/Riverside/PDSTATION:KIIS-FMMARKET:Los AngelesCOMPANY:Clear Channel
Please outline your radio career so far:
1976-80: MD/(NT)WOMI/Owensboro, KY
1980-82: nights WKOS/NASHVILLE
1982-86: Production/swing WKDQ/EVANSVILLE
1986-88: APD/MD KQKQ/OMAHA
1989: PD KIIK/QUAD CITIES
1989-90: OM/PD WROK & WZOK/ROCKFORD
1990-94: PD WPXY/ROCHESTER
1994: PD WYHY/NASHVILLE (now WRVW)
1995-2001: PD WXKS/BOSTON
2001-present: PD KIIS/LA
2001-03 PD KYSR/LA1. What led you to a career in radio?
I grew up 5 blocks from my first station, WOMI. I saw the tower from bedroom window and was fascinated. I first went to the station when I was 5 or 6 years old. The GM and PD where husband and wife and they lived above the station and they took a liking to me. I hung out there all the time. I was bit at an early age by the radio bug!
2. At ALLACCESS.COM, it's our 10th anniversary this year. What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?
I am a real radio geek and a programmer at heart. I would still like to be programming a great radio station, a decade from now.
3. Thinking back over the past 10 years, is radio now more or less fun?
Both, actually. I think radio will always be fun to me but with times changing it makes it very challenging. In general, I find that folks always romanticize the past. Alas, radio 10 years ago was not as glamorous as we thought it was back then, when compared to today.
One big difference is back then we all hung out a lot more. In NASHVILLE, back in the 80s the whole staff hung out and ate together constantly. It was like a clubhouse atmosphere. We were all young, single and broke but we had tremendous passion for radio.
4. Jumping to the present, did the way you looked at LOS ANGELES change dramatically, once you'd settled into the market?
Honestly, it took me a while to "find" this market. LOS ANGELES is ever-changing. It's getting more Hispanic all the time. I threw out previous notions and have had to adapt. When I got here the market was 40% Hispanic. Now it's about 60% Hispanic. Many are 2nd & 3rd generation and are Hispanic only by nationality - and don't speak Spanish. Getting KIIS to where it is now just took forever. There are a lot of opinions and circumstance to be considered when programming a station like this.
5. How does this huge Hispanic population factor into your programming decisions?
We just try and find the music and programming elements that will be OK with everybody. For a station like KIIS-FM, it's walking a tight rope and not being too segmented and slanted. Currently, KIIS-FM is decidedly more Pop/Rhythmic but it's a balance in the categories, which makes it work. Balanced categories give you balanced results.
We recently added Green Day, and it's the first Rock song we've added in many months. In fact, the last one was from Green Day, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams." So few of the Rock titles work here. It took a while to get the formula in place. Record folks get it now -- they can't argue with the ratings.
6. What's the key to maintaining a high profile for a radio station in a media saturated marketplace like L.A. that's bombarded with Podcasting, instant downloads, blogs, and satellite radio?
It's a matter of finding ways to cut through the clutter and not be wallpaper. That means doing some things that are not normal and mundane. Be bigger than life, with things money can't buy like Wango Tango, or personalities like Ryan Seacrest who is bigger than life. Wango Tango is the best promotion I've ever done, and #1-A were the KISS 108 Concerts.
The flip side of this is to also make sure you are doing things that are warm and fuzzy that affect people's lives. Paying listeners' bills is a great example. The contest helps a lot of listeners - many of them are not wealthy - and getting their bills paid really helps. For those who don't play, it's fun to hear someone being helped. Like Extreme Home Makeovers, it has the same appeal.
As far as other technologies and delivery systems, I think it will all find its own level. As a leading edge station, KIIS-FM needs to participate in it all. And, with Arbitron coding these other signals for use in the PPM, we need to be involved in that process, such as online streaming. I think satellite radio has its place, but if terrestrial radio gets more creative we will continue to do well and prosper.
7. Using one sentence for each, how would you describe your on-air staff?
Ryan Seacrest - The hardest working man in show biz.
Ellen K - Beautiful, talented, and one of the nice folks you'll ever meet.
Suzy Tavarez - Our most improved player in 2005.
Valentine - One of the most consistent jocks I've worked with in my career.
JoJo - He's Peter Pan and dead on the money with this audience.
ODM - The man totally sounds like L.A.8. What music do you listen to when you're not working and totally unplugged?
Americana, old Jazz tunes, and some Country.
9. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Hard work pays off! If you don't work hard, it's not gonna happen. I tell all my street teamers and parttimers that it's a matter of doing whatever it takes. As an industry, I see that the work ethic is not there - but it should be! There are less folks trying to get in at present and for those in the business, with the internet and voicetracking, there are an increasing variety of opportunities, now more so than ever.
10. What advice you would give to new programmers?
Never stop learning! If you sit back and think you have it all figured out you are so wrong. Make it a point to learn something new everyday.
Bonus Questions
What's the best sweeper or liner you've ever heard?
The late Ernie Anderson was recording lines for us and popped this one off: "KISS 108 is Boston's #1 hit music station ... all of the other stations are a bunch of weenies."
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