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10 Questions with ... Jon Hart
November 14, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
39 years in Kansas City radio. Started at AOR KYYS, with later stints in Classic Rock, Sports/Talk, News/Talk and Country. Co-owner of KAYQ/Warsaw MO established in 1980. Flipped non-commercial KTBG to Triple A in 2001, followed station to Kansas City in 2013 under the new ownership of KCPT-TV (PBS).
1. How did you become interested in radio?
A friend of mine had a much older brother who worked in radio. It made it seem possible. However, they were not taking job applications from third graders at the time.
2. You had many years of commercial radio experience before you went to the noncommercial side? What programming tenets have you brought along with you?
I believe in a certain amount of repetition. If you love a song on the station, there should be an implied promise that if you listen long enough you'll hear it again. Our goal is to play a great song enough for the audience to become familiar, but stop long before we drive it into the ground.
3. How have you approach the Kansas City market since the new ownership?
It's been a more integrated approach, teaming up with our sister PBS station KCPT, and the digital arm of the company FlatlandKC.org. It's all about engaging with our city and making this an even better place to live.
4. How would you describe the music on the station?
We target an audience that craves music discovery... it's more about the psychographic of an adventurous spirit than any particular demographic.
5. What goes on in your weekly music meeting?
We hold each other accountable. The favorite question is "Why?" If you have a strong opinion about why we should or shouldn't play something, you should be able to articulate it. We make an effort to acknowledge our personal weaknesses and advocate for the listener as opposed to our own personal taste.
6. Tell us about your involvement with VuHaus
We helped connect the dots between Public Media Company, Mike Henry and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, initially serving as the fiduciary partner. Our current role is being one of many content providers for a very cool platform for our audience and format.
7. What has been the station's biggest accomplishment?
Connecting with more people and connecting with people in deeper ways. One big step forward has been the integration of video to our in-studio sessions, allowing us to provide greater value to our audiences than if we were just on the single platform.
8. In what ways has your job changed over the past year?
We're working hard on multiple fronts. We're building audience, engaging in deeper ways with existing audience, increasing revenue, and expanding content. It is an on-going evolution.
9. What would surprise people most about the station?
That the Bridge is also a television show on our sister station, KCPT-TV. Our in-studio interviews and performances do cross-platform double duty.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...
... touching base with my wife, Leslie.
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job?
Meter Reader/Dog Bitee
First record ever purchased?
Meet the Beatles
First concert?
Gary Lewis and the Playboys (I was 9)
Favorite band of all-time?
The Beatles
If you wanted to completely change careers today, what would you do?
I'm not sure there's a good answer to this question as I've always been all in
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