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10 Questions with ... Hill Jordan
October 24, 2006
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NAME:Hill JordanTITLE:APD/MD/middaysSTATION:KWODMARKET:Sacramento (#26)COMPANY:EntercomBORN:Atlanta, GARAISED:So-Cal, Tucson
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Oh my! I was always obsessed with radio, but didn't even know Alternative Radio existed until I had a crush in college on a bartender that ended up wetting my bed. He is history, but he turned me onto 92.1 KFMA in Tucson, AZ. I decided after numerous Retro Lunches with the infamous Chuck Roast (Rob Cross) that I would work there. So I changed my major AT the U of A to media Arts and became a DJ on the student radio station. After six months of doing a live show at lunch in front of the bookstore I sent a tape to Chuck. He called back and offered me weekends 6-10a, the worst shift for a partying college student. After a year and a half at KFMA I moved onto KILO/Colorado Springs for MD/middays, KKMG/Colorado Springs for mornings, KTCL/Denver for MD/middays. Finally in May of 2005, I scored my dream job, working at KWOD for Curtiss Johnson.
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Bartender at an Australian themed night club
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Madonna "Like a Virgin" (cassette tape)
FIRST CONCERT:
Get ready to throw something at me ... New Kids On The Block
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
Beastie Boys
1. How did you become interested in radio?
Remember the pee guy from earlier? No, I was originally going to be a lawyer, but discovered I could talk just as much without having to study. You know how some people can play tennis really well, or read super fast? I just get radio. It's in my blood.
2. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
I LOVE my station and especially my boss. I know most people dream about making it top 10 because those are the stations everyone watches and they win at R&R every year (I'm not bitter -- it was an honor to be nominated yada yada). Unless you are the PD or morning show for those markets you are probably just scrapping by, and have NO say in what you play on your show. KWOD is like no other station. We are 100% a team! We all know how to and have a hand in scheduling, and everyone is invited to the music meetings. We all meet every week to brainstorm, write promos, and mold this station into something unpredictable yet quality. I guess you could say that Curtiss is Quality Control. He lets us go creatively and pulls in the reigns when necessary. I don't have a least favorite part of my job, although I am not a fan of waking up before 9a to do it.
3. What is your biggest challenge at the station?
Honestly I would have to say promotions budget. We can only Myspace our brains out for so long to get the word out that KWOD is amazing. It is hard to convince companies to invest more money when they have to wait 6 months to really see the return. Our world is one of instant gratification, and the higher ups get pressure for it too.
4. What makes KWOD unique?
Team work. Every single person is willing to fill-in or help each other. We have 5 DJs that schedule, do production, write promos, write station specials like the three-hour retrospective we did on the Beastie Boys, and maintain the website. Each DJ has a specialty benchmark in their show that they are responsible for. We play specialty songs three times a day, local bands three times a day, and YES we play requests. It's just the kind of place you want to work and our listeners feel it too. We all hang out together, and make friends with our listeners. No one here has an ego, and our boss is exactly the same. He never pulls rank or craps on us.
5. How has KWOD changed over the past year?
KWOD cleared house in March of 2005 and became a hybrid of Alternative, Hot AC, and AAA. It did not work. It was like trying to have a yard sale in Beverly Hills -- the peeps weren't coming for the goods. In January 2006 we acquired Adam C in the morning, moved Rubin to afternoons, brought back Capone for nights, and added Andy Hawk from former rival station Howard.
On top of that we play the music for the market. We strategically place songs to sound they way you listen in your car or on your Ipod. We also understand that it is all about being on the brain. We would rather be the station that introduced them to the band/song they just downloaded into their Ipod than be the "safe" station with no variety attempting to keep them listening. As long as the listener images themselves with the station -- they will write it down that way for ratings.
6. Tell us about the importance of downloads for determining what new music gets played on KWOD?
Just like any form of research, downloads must be taken with a grain of salt. You have to consider who is doing the downloading. Is it your target? At KWOD it is one of my biggest influences, but I really just look at local downloads and file sharing. This gives me a good indication of what the city wants or is looking for. It also helps to know what to do with specialty songs. We started Panic! At The Disco in specialty over a year ago, and watched it blow up. The same is recently happening with Shiny Toy Guns, Peeping Tom, and OK Go. I also check myspace a lot. How many views do they have, how many friends? Also, how many times have their songs been listened to there? You must always use caution however. For instance if a song is set to automatically play when someone hits a myspace page, that could make a difference on the portrail. Overall I would trust downloads in Sacramento and file sharing more than any national research. Afterall I am programming for ratings in my market, and downloads aren't "cell phone only."
7. What are the benchmarks of your midday shift?
I play a local band at 11:05am, an Indie band with "Indie Blog Heaven" at 12pm specialty new music at 1:05 pm, and my favorite creation – "The Red Headed Step Child" at 2:05 pm, a song they have not heard in a while or their favorite song that never got airplay. It's pretty busy in here.
8. What do you prepare for your show each day?
I go out the night before and DVR all the shows. That is almost true -- I try to be out and about to stay local. I say where I eat, or shows I go to. It keeps me bonded to the audience. At the same time THANK YOU for DVR -- that way I can still watch the hot shows on TV. I also prep like crazy my first hour on the air looking for sound bites or taking requests. Then it's to Myspace -- I go to blog and post bulletins for what I m doing.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
An apple - it keeps me regular.
10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
Probably law, or anything else that changes day-to-day and let me feel like I was in charge.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
Being the life of the party -- I can't help it! I must make them laugh.
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