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10 Questions with ... Chris Patyk
March 26, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Every day is different. But the one constant is that I learn something new every day. Whether it's a song, a band, a piece of data or having a conversation with an artist who tells us something we didn't know about them before they walked in the door. It's unpredictable and that makes it exciting
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Morning show producer with Mike Elliott and Jimmy Kimmel at KRQ/Tucson, then was off to Power 1490/Tucson, which turned into 1-4-9-0 The End and my first PD gig. Then went up the road to Phoenix to be APD/MD and host of every daypart except mornings and overnights at KEDJ (The Edge)/Phoenix for a few years, then to KYSR (Star 98.7)/Los Angeles for several amazing years, back to Phoenix at KZON, then Portland, OR at KUFO, then mornings and PD at KWMT/Tucson. The last several years were spent at KEGY-FM and the now-defunct CHR, Energy 103.7.
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
I was always taping songs off the radio and listening to Casey Kasem, but in addition to that, I would enjoy hearing shows like CBS Radio Mystery Theatre and tapes of old radio shows. But it was mainly the music that always was the attraction.
2. After many years in terrestrial radio, what led you to your current job at TuneIn?
The excitement of what's happening in streaming right now is incredible. Working with a DSP felt like the logical next step. After getting a couple of great referrals to apply at TuneIn, I jumped at the opportunity.
3. Give us the 411 on the company.
TuneIn has 75 million monthly active users across over 200 devices (think Amazon Alexa, Sonos, iOS, Android, etc.) In the month of December alone our users consumed over half a billion listening hours on our platform. We offer the world's largest network of live sports, news, podcasts, and of course, music.
4. Tell us about your role as Alternative & Rock Music Manager.
At TuneIn, we're passionate about celebrating new artists and the music they make. This makes for a great working environment as I grew up looking for music that was always outside of what was established, so finding new music has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My main brands are ALT Hits, Rock On (our mainstream rock channel), Classic Rock Hits (which is A LOT of fun because there's just so much great music to play), New Wave World (that's all about the great 80's ALT music that fueled the Alternative format in its inception) and Classic Alternative Hits (essentially picking up where New Wave left off and into the Grunge and Alternative explosion). For a guy obsessed with all this music, it's a blast.
5. What is on your new music discovery for your Alternative channel, ALT Hits and how are you positioning the station musically?
We position ourselves as being "passionate about what's next" and that means New Music Discovery 24/7. We're excited about the new Billie Eilish "bury a friend." She has that feeling of being the voice of her generation. Dominic Fike also feels like an artist that will break in a big way. We've been playing "3 Nights" since last year. Loving "Exits" from Foals and we're really excited about both the new Cage The Elephant and Vampire Weekend.
6. You also are producing exclusive content with artists. Explain.
We produce original content in the form of podcasts with artists. Our flagship program is called "TuneIn Conversations." It's fortunate that we're not tied to having to hit a quarter hour or stop set so we can actually sit down and have a relaxed conversation with an artist and talk with them about themselves, their work, and the music they love. We want to have artists come in and tell their stories. When Badflower came in and we went from some really scatological humor to Josh discussing his panic attacks and how they inspired "Ghost." The one thing we always hear afterwards is "we never told that story before"; so that makes it exciting not just for us, but for the listener too. We also invite artists to takeover the station and allow them play and say whatever they want. IDKhow came by and they just went nuts with their list - a lot of stuff that doesn't get played like Sparks or a newer band like FUR. Again, it's a lot of fun!
7. What makes ALT Hits standout in your space from the rest of the competition?
It's advantageous for us to have the ability to play a lot of new music. In streaming, there's a good chance that listener is in discovery mode and looking for something new and different. We also have the ability to expose artists to an audience they won't find anywhere else with our unique content offering.
8. What is your favorite part of your job?
Every day is different. But the one constant is that I learn something new every day. Whether it's a song, a band, a piece of data or having a conversation with an artist who tells us something we didn't know about them before they walked in the door. It's unpredictable and that makes it exciting.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _______?
Wi-Fi.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
That I can cook. I was out the other night with friends and I was describing a dinner in too much detail.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
Weekends are for walking to the beach with our two dogs. We try to get outside and enjoy it as much as possible.
What are your hobbies?
Wine, comics and watching news shows. I should drop the third thing and stick to the first two.
First record ever purchased?
There are two answers to this. Unfortunately, you could say neither is cool and carbon dates me significantly. The semi-cool answer is "The Crossing" by Big Country. The uncool answer is "Friends" (the soundtrack to Sid And Marty Krofft's "Sigmund And The Sea Monsters") by Johnny Whitaker. I'll just use the quote from "Almost Famous" and call it good, "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
First concert?
Does Captain and Tennille count?
Favorite band of all-time?
Hard to pick one. The one with the most impact was R.E.M.
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