10 Questions with ... Lynn Barstow

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

KKYS/Bryan-College Station, TX; KRGY/Rio Grande Valley, TX; KNNC/Austin (first programming gig), KGDE/Omaha, KMYZ/Tulsa, and 101X.

1. It has been a dozen years for you at 101X. What are some of your biggest accomplishments?

That we're still here -- when a market like Dallas, which had one of the country's first commercial alt stations -- doesn't have one today. That ranks right up there. A couple of finalist honors in the Marconis (never the bride, unfortunately); we built a great morning show that’s celebrating the end of a decade together this year. Last year, the brand billed about 2.5x its annual figure upon my arrival.

2. What is it like working for Emmis?

All of the personal upside of working for a mom & pop, but with really, really smart folks to ask questions of, and answer to. There's never a sense of too-many-cooks or top-down management. I feel I'm trusted with the brand, and everyone's here to help, as needed.

3. Give us the 411 on 101X Alternative Austin.

In June, we begin year 23.  PM driver/MD Toby Ryan has been on the air staff for about 22 of those years.  He's one of the best interviewers I know, not because he's a Pitchfork-y music insight guy, but because folks just find him fun to talk to, and respond well to him.  The built-from-scratch Jason & Deb morning show has risen to be one of the top shows in town.  A clever, local suburban kid and a worldly English girl pairing sounds like a weird fit, on paper (and on the radio, for that matter) -- but they work.

Obviously, in a town like this, it's hard to cut through with big station events, so we figure out an angle on city benchmarks like SXSW, ACL, & Longhorn football that lets us sound in-touch, while being seen by many.  Outside the festivals, we look for big brand-friendly shows that our friends with C3 Concerts bring in, and seek to hang our logo on 'em, via our 101X Concert Series or Indie Xmas.  

We support our legendary music scene with Homegrown, the radio show, and its street-level counterpart, the Homegrown Live concert series.  A progressive town and a progressive music product keep us leaning forward, as a brand.  We are tight with charities including Habitat For Humanity and several pet-oriented non-profits.  We support them through events including the aforementioned holiday shows and fun outdoor events like the morning show's annual softball and pitch & putt golf tourneys; also Mutt Putt, our annual disc golf tournament.  We brand our charitable efforts and our email club as "101X United."

4. How would you describe yourself as a programmer?

My staff, including myself, has almost a hundred years of cumulative experience, and except for my own dalliances in other markets, every one of those years have been here in Austin.  They know what they're doing.  Occasionally, I bring them data to remind them of whom they're talking to, & keep them informed on stuff I'm hearing about that might help them represent the station even better.  I work with GSM James White, Marketing Director Gary Weaver, and 101X Promo Director Dana Romero to keep sales promotions and station events looking and sounding consistent with my idea of the brand.

5. What is your favorite part of your job?

I still love finding and hearing new music. I enjoy nerding on research and Nielsen numbers. That's two parts, I suppose.

6. Tell us about UKTX With Lawless on Sunday mornings.

Ha! That's just me, being a hobbyist. It's an hour long specialty program featuring British music gleaned from Radio One, 6 Music, and Radio X playlists, plus stuff that I've run across elsewhere that I like. When the feature started 11 years ago, there wasn’t a ton of crossover between Brit playlists and ours. Obviously, that's less true now, but I still enjoy doing the show.

7. SXSW is on deck. How does the station soak it all in?

This will be year 14 with our HQ at Buffalo Billiards at Sixth and Brazos. We set up shop in the front window each afternoon of the music festival with some stools, couches and a back line, and bring acts through for performances and interviews. It's an opportunity for our listeners to enjoy a piece of SXSW without a pricey wristband or badge, or having to be an expert on where to find RSVP opportunities for daytime events. By night, we get to be tourists, though with an earlier bedtime than most visitors.

8. Tell us about the 101X Concert Series and your other station events?

Well, as addressed above, it's hard to throw a festival in a town that has one every weekend, so we piece together a series of regular booked shows with C3's help, and they let us bring sponsors to the table. This year's features upcoming dates with Catfish & The Bottlemen, The 1975, Muse, and Green Day to start.

9. What is a typical day like for you?

I'm usually in the office by 9:30. I put some midday breaks in the can to allow for a quick chat with the morning show. I'll often do the same with the tail-end of my shift to allow for a variety of regular meetings -- brand, sales promotions, music, a bi-weekly sit down with my immediate boss, OM Chase Rupe, etc. Rest of the day is busy work -- scripts, some production, looking at numbers, music calls and emails...and reviewing the product.

10. What may surprise people most about 101X?

Hmm...I dunno. Did you know we're affiliated with the other 'ROX in Virginia? WROX owner Bob Sinclair bought and moved KROX into Austin back in '95. Bob later partnered with the LBJ family (who still owns our building), before the president's family sold their half of the broadcasting company to Emmis, which now holds a controlling stake. Bob still keeps an office here and chimes in on operations every now and then. Also, re: the Johnson family, it's my understanding that the stones in the building facade were hewn from the family ranch out west of here.

I still have fond memories of you and the rest of the rebels from 25 years ago at KNNC/Austin and I still proudly use the psychobaby 101-7 KNNC, AUSTIN’S K-K-NACK coffee mug all these years later. What do you remember most about K-NACK?

Getting off the air and 10, and jumping off a cliff into the San Gabriel River by 10:15. And then going back to work! Our offices were separated by 30 miles, with the sales staff in Austin's West Campus neighborhood, and the studios in suburban Georgetown, Texas. Work rarely involved wearing shoes -- and the studios always smelled like enchiladas from El Palacio restaurant downstairs!

What are weekends like for you?

Depends on the season. EPL & college & pro football are time-consuming!  Otherwise, getting outside with the dog or on a run is essential. We'll occasionally try to see some shows, get out to the movies, or UT or Round Rock Express (Rangers AAA) baseball.  Catching up on household stuff.

I know you’re a big baseball fan like I am.  What is your 2017 prediction for the Houston Astros?

If Keuchel & McCullers are in 2015 form, sky's the limit.  But gosh, just beating the Rangers more than, say, 20% of the time -- that'd be so nice right now.

In preparation for SXSW, what are your top 5 favorite places to eat in Austin?

Uchiko - Asian fusion
Eddie Vs - steak & seafood
Huts - several decades of great burgers on W Sixth. Iconic here.
Maudie's - Tex Mex chain store that I probably hit 2x weekly
La Barbecue - the greatness of Franklin's brisket, sans the lines.

Final question, what is your favorite Austin venue to see a concert and why?

Ask any Austinite that question, and he’ll tell you it's some place that's closed -- the Armadillo, Liberty Lunch, Raul's, etc. Today, I like the Moody Theatre at ACL Live for its sound and sight lines. It's a venue for regular gigs, but also the home of PBS' Austin City Limits TV show. It serves its purpose well, but I do miss the old Studio 6A on the UT campus. It's about a tenth the size of the new taping venue, so getting one's hands on exclusive passes was really special. Patrons were welcome to a couple of complimentary pints of Shiner Bock on the way into a performance; the same pair of pints are less tasty at twenty bucks in the new venue. But again, great sound & sight lines...and taping tickets are usually get-able.