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10 Questions with ... Nerf
July 18, 2006
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NAME:NerfTITLE:PD/AfternoonsSTATION:KTCLMARKET:Denver-Boulder (#22)COMPANY:Clear ChannelBORN:Ft. Worth, TXRAISED:Denver, CO
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
100% Modern Rock! Started driving the Van for KROQ while dabbling in Pirate Radio at KBLT. Came back to hometown Denver and got a gig as a board-op and Promotions Assistant at KTCL. Moved up through the ranks to Program Director.
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Technical Support and Service Dispatch for Westec Security Custom Division Santa Monica, CA.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Living Colour - Vivid
FIRST CONCERT:
INXS the Kick Tour. Kirk Pengilly road across the stage at Fiddler's Green on a Skateboard, and I thought music history had been made right before my eyes.
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
Bad Religion
1. How did you become interested in radio?
There were two major factors. The first was anger. I used to hear songs on the air and not have a clue who the hell would want to listen to them. I used to think that radio was all messed up and that frankly I was too cool for it. I got into radio because I wanted to make changes. I figured no one ever won a game from the sidelines! Turns out, I was an arrogant little punk that knew NOTHING of what I was talking about. Now I've learned a lot about the taste of the radio consumer. They don't like change all at once, you've got to choose battles, and take baby steps. The second factor was my previous job. I sat at a desk listening to the wealthiest of Los Angeles whine about problems with their burglar alarms, while at home I didn't even lock my door at night. To make matters worse it was my job to charge these people to fix their alarms. The way they saw it, I was the bastard that installed some THING in their house that is now beeping incessantly, and now I was trying to extort money from them to stop it. Making people miserable for a living SUCKS. I had a real dick of a boss too, and at one point he DARED me to quit! I took him up on it and vowed to get a job working with music.
2. What is your biggest challenge since becoming PD of KTCL?
Time management. This station has never been the big station in the cluster. We run leaner than anyone else in a market this size, and that means a lot of multi-tasking. I've been juggling so much that it's tough to find a time to delegate out duties. Plus that's a challenge for me personally. I'm a "why waste time teaching someone else to do this, when I can get it done faster myself" type of guy. I need to learn to let go and enable my staff better. At KTCL I'll never be taking golf-lunches, but I'm hoping I can get rid of some of these ulcers.
3. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
There's a tie for the best part of my job. Music got me into this career, and it's still my primary fascination. I literally listen to every CD I'm sent. I don't LIKE everything I listen to, but I give it a chance. I'm a total music geek, and I love it when something new and innovative comes out and people get it. I love to watch the art form evolve before my eyes. The other thing I like about my job is the people I work with, and HAVE worked with. You won't find this many dynamic, and diverse personalities in any other industry. I've worked with some of the funniest, craziest, and most interesting people in the world, and I still do. It's a whole industry of people that GET jokes, and HAVE ideas. My staff and my superiors here kick ass, and with rare exceptions so does everyone I've EVER worked with!
What I like the least about my job is some of the antiquated habits that the radio and record industries can't seem to shake themselves out of: spins versus adds. This isn't WKRP in Cincinnati, and EVERYTHING we play (outside of specialty) is mandated by the management of this radio station. Venus Flytrap didn't get high and decide to throw on the new Zappa just because he's musical aesthete. We take a good hard look at what songs will make this radio station successful, and we put those songs on the air in rotation. What's the difference between an add and just spinning a song? Though everyone denies it, I'm fairly sure that some reps are bonused by the amount of adds they get, and therefore I still report adds at a certain point, but it's something that really needs to be updated.
4. How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?
Mountainous (he he he). Denver has a long history of competition. We thrive on it. To the extent that when we don't have a station that competes with us directly we start finding people to compete with. I'm starting to get an itch to take a chunk out of the Oldies station across the street. Don't be surprised if Herman's Hermits gets an add next week.
5. In what ways has KTCL changed in the past year?
Lot's of staffing changes. I miss the hell out of Rubin and Hill, but I'm really stoked to work with Goodman. We just lost Nicole our Promotions Director, which is a bummer. We're knee deep in the interviewing process now, and we've got a whole fleet of promising and qualified people to take her place. It's a kind of Yin and Yang thing. Loose good people, pick up good people, it's a balance.
The station is spreading out its topics as well. Without going overboard, we're slowly branching out our content past just music and musicology, and dipping into other forms of events and entertainment. It's exciting.
6. What would surprise people most about the station?
Our transmitter is actually made of pudding. It's a new technology. The range is short, and the sound is distorted, but it has a chocolaty smell. I think everyone will be switching from AM and FM to PM soon.
7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Hearing that Indie, and FNX are playing "it".
8. Besides KTCL, what is your favorite radio station and why?
Either Indie or FNX. Because they're playing "it". Those stations are really fun to listen to when you can set your watch by your own rotations. Really refreshing.
9. Biggest career highlight?
There are some ratings successes that I'm a big enough nerd to have enjoyed, but none that I'll bore you with. It's tough to say which of these is number one, but one would be interviewing Bad Religion and having them play a Garage Session with me in the room. Or Channel 93.3's Keggs and Eggs. It was my band's first gig in front of an audience of roughly 64,000 listeners opening up for The Fray (www.VETOmusic.com). Or possibly the work we've done with Rise Against, they are such a killer band! I'm happy to have helped get the word out.
10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
This is where I'm supposed to say flipping burgers or cleaning pools, but I don't think I would have lasted doing that type of crap. I would have probably gone to Med School. I'm telling you, I'm a total nerd.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
I'm getting married in September. I have no hobbies. Once I'm hitched I'd love to go Snowboarding again. Oh, and I announce the lacrosse games for the Denver Outlaws.
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