10 Questions with ... Kerry Gray

NAME:Kerry Gray POSITION:Program Director STATION:WEDG MARKET:Buffalo (#52) COMPANY:Citadel BORN:8-6-66, yes, 666 is my b-day, born in Detroilet. When my son Declan was born, I checked for horns and a tail. RAISED:Representin' 303, baby, D-Bomb, then Bland Rapids, Michigan and moved to Illinois.

LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:

Other than detassling corn, radio is all I've ever done till I got out of radio briefly, but it never got out of me. Last year, I paid bills by being a Marketing weasel at Sheas Box Office, wrote and performed in a comedy musical duo, and played a character in a Canadian kids cartoon.

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Started at 15. 23 years, 11 markets in 2 countries, every format, every time zone, and market size. Made Rand McNally look like a homebody, living out of a suitcase through my lost 20s, plunging to and from small and medium market stepping-stones.

FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:

"Maggot Brain" -- Funkadelic and Ohio Players. My mom grounded me for having a "pornographic album cover" because 2 nude women were making out with honey and a fire hose, yet she had Herb Albert LP with a woman wearing only whipped cream. My mom may be a desert racist, whipped cream is ok, but honey is indecent?

FIRST CONCERT:

Johnny Cash, Kalamazoo, MI in '74. My parents couldn't find a babysitter for my bro and I, so they bought 2 extra tickets, but my first REAL concert with friends and ziplock baggies was J. Geils Band at Cobo Hall in Murder City, Michigan on the '78 Sanctuary Tour.

FAVORITE BANDS OF ALL-TIME:

RAMONES, but best show I've ever seen is Prince.

Growing up it was PFUNK (Clinton, Bootsy, Parliament, Funkadelic), Gil Scot Heron, then Kiss, Stones, MC5, Stooges, Clash, Zappa, Marley, Reggae, Blues, Ska, Hip Hop, Old school punk, EU, and Public Enemy. Then after HIGH school, I found the Replacemats, Primus, and Pixies. I've hated everything since (except Mudvayne, Slipknot and System). The older I get-the harder it's gotta be. We still talking about music, right? The band I've seen the most is the Bosstones (14 times, once paid).

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I came out of the womb hitting posts, talked into spoons as a baby, playing radio, never shutting up, buying 45s, turning down the TV and doing play-by-play. I grew up listening to Detroit radio; I didn't have a chance to be normal. I was drawn to radio, knowing it had power and responsibility. I still realize that everyday and refuse to accept the fact that radio is an appliance; to me it will always be a companion that no other form of media can make a connection and establish an intimate relationship with customer. Besides, when you're fat and ugly and can't play guitar but love people and music, is there another occupation option?

2. What led you to WEDG?

Burning bridges everywhere else. I was already in Buffalo for two years, and I've known the market for a decade. I required no relocation costs. It was a natural fit.

3. The station toes the line between Alternative and Rock. Explain your position?

Nearly 2 years ago, the station underwent a demo makeover and began its focus to dominate 25-34, not 12-24 like most Alternative Stations. That's where the growth potential and hole is in the market. The hole widened last Thanksgiving when WBUF pulled the plug on Rock and switched formats for the 14th time in 10 years. They spun the format wheel and it ended up Jack. We avoid stepping on big brother 97 Rock's heritage upper demo stranglehold and broadly target 18-44, skewing heavily to Males (Maxim Radio). Why be "Just Sox", when you can be the Wal-Mart of Rock and not have boundaries or castrating limitations?

Our only rule is "as long as it rocks." We are artist-driven, but program on a song-to-song basis. The band's image is secondary to the song's hook, texture, and adaptability to our unique stationality. Our Arbitron average age went from 24 to 31 in 2 books. Our dude is 31 and wants an unpredictable mix of hard, alternative, modern, metal, new music and staples from his adolescence, not his kid's. Why be "niche" or narrow, when you're the only gig in town? We shoot right down the middle; our heritage Stern-beating morning show has always had an Active Rock Attitude (dating back to '94). The station has finally evolved to where (morning show) they have always been. Our imaging, promotions, and content go against what most one-dimensional Mallternative GapPunk stations represent.

Our currents could be labeled as Active, but our library is mostly from our AlternativeHeritage. We only play three Active/Classic artists: Ozzy/Black Sabbath, AC/DC,and Guns N Roses. Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth are specialty spices which add "oh Wow" flavor. Our top researching and demanding core artists are Metallica, Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, LinkinPark, STP, and Alice In Chains. Buffalo's Soundscan shows our heavy roation andfuture core artists verbatim (System, Mudvayne, Seether, Slipknot), which are allexclusive. How many cities rock this hard? We are "Rock" Radio not Active orAlternative. We don't fit in anywhere but P1 and P2s presets. We programwith our hearts, not by the charts. Research is gut insurance.

Right now, we only play 11 of the top 20 Alternative and 8 of KROQ's Top 20, yet we do 18 of top 20 Active chart, but we don't play Def Lep, 80s corporate hair cheese or tree hugger crap. The direction of Alternative seems to be counter-productive toour mission due to our a-typical marketplace. However, knowing our luck,we'll get thrown out of Alt, cause we rock too hard and cock-block some euroretro shoe-gazer Pet Shop Boy cover band from being #1 and then get bootedfrom Active since Kenny Wayne Sheppard doesn't fit and is too crusty. Who careswhat panel super serves 31-year-old blue-collar males the most, #1 18-34persons and Top 5 12+ and 25-54 is the only status we desire.

4. What makes WEDG a successful station?

Balls, brains, and PASSION. The management, staff and listener are all on the same page. We sell what we program, not program what we sell. I'm fortunate to finally work with a GM and sales staff that understands product integrity, not just counts beans.

I'm equally as lucky to be surrounded by a seasoned, creative, hard working, hungry airstaff of performers that support and protect the bottom line and "gives good client." Sales is fighting for the client's $1500, while we fight for those precious 15 minutes of the listener's valuable time. There are no egos and I've never heard the words "it's not my job," instead I hear "I'll do it!"

Success breed's success and we will continue breeding for another 10 years. Everyone who works here lives the lifestyle of the listener and "gets it." The mission is" to be more than a radio station," in order to do that, you must know your A.B.G's (always begenerating: thoughts, emotion, exposure, and revenue) and T.O.M.A. (Top OfMind Awareness). Nobody mails it in here, they all work their asses off andhave intense loyalty to the product and team. The morning show never leavesbefore 3pm and the whole staff realizes it's "the show after the show" that reallycounts. Our Promotions Genius floods the street, aggressively, with limitedtools and resources. Remember Mulder and Scully, "trust no one...except yourteammates (staff) and fans (listeners)."

5. What is your biggest challenge at the station?

While a lot of stations struggle with selling, we have the opposite, we are programming-driven but very sales savvy, overselling to sometimes 19 units and over a quarter hourof spots. We're also promotionally overachievers doing 21 live appearances in thetypical summer weekend, so managing the clutter is the toughest problem. Also, there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. I'm not a believer in "there's always tomorrow," because tomorrow your station could be Hispanic, and I barely speak English. Ratings are inconsistent and the market is a constantly turbulent competitive landscape. We have no direct formatic competitor except Canadian bottom feeders, but fight for #1 with a CHR, Urban and Country. We also compete with every lifestyle optionavailable to target. Still beats being predictable, mundane, and bored.

6. What would surprise people most about you?

I collect student loans, among them; I took Agriculture just to get into a 4-year college. Also, my first bachelor pad was in a trailer park and I am a closet hip-hop fan. Otherthan that, most things people do know about me are all lies.

7. What do you like best about your job?

I like that it's never boring, creativity is an addiction, stress is underrated, it's constantly challenging, stimulating, and rewarding. Just when I arrogantly begin to think "I know itall," I found myself feeling clueless and going home knowing that I learned something new every day. I also like when I'm at an intersection and roll down the windows to hear the station being cranked from all directions and see a dude playing air guitar or when a business takes the boards off of his or her windows and the cash register sings "cha-ching" again because they chose our station to deliver a message to our mutual consumer. Everybody wins and it makes every headache go away, till trends day.

8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without __________?

Two hours sleep and my Walkman (too old school and ghetto to be an iPod junkie) and a passionate discussion or confrontation.

9. Biggest career highlight?

Touching the Lambeau Trophy in San Diego on the field after Broncos finally won Super Bowl over Packers, 9-11 fundraiser in Canada, mornings in Denver (KBCO), and being able to finally be a part of a community, here, instead of just a market.

10. If you wanted to completely change careers today, what would you do?

Ricky Williams' dealer, or I could get lypo, penis enlargement and hair transplant and be an adult film star or at least a fluffer. For real, the experience I have in spinning, BSing and getting out of jams, I could be a 1st Amendment Lawyer.

What do you enjoy doing for fun?

Being the other 5 year old in the house and playing with my kid. I love to read, write, road trip, monitor out of market radio stations, and eat -- not in that order. If it weren't for a job requiring pop culture awareness, I wouldn't even own a TV; maybe I'd use it for a bong. Was that out loud?