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10 Questions with ... James Kurdziel
October 1, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Internships, getting promoted and a lot of luck.
1. It's been 20 years since you started working at WEDG 103.3 The Edge as an intern. Looking back, what stands out the most from getting started at The Edge in 1999?
There's this movie called The Time Machine. It's a very bad movie based on a great book. There's one scene when the guy is in his time machine, sitting perfectly still watching the world around him change so quickly it almost seems instantaneous. That's pretty much how this has been. It's felt like life has moved briskly and rewardingly but holy shit, it's all different. I walk in and out of the same building each day but nothing is at all how it was.
2. Your priority was to program your hometown station. How have you been able to thrive and grow in Buffalo wearing so many hats - PD, middays, stand-up comedy, musician, and a dad?
I think being in Buffalo allows for that. Knowing the terrain, growing professionally in a place where I already have lifelong relationships is an advantage. Buffalo is also much different now. It's a far more dynamic place than it ever was so you're able to do a bit more from here than in the past. I'll always say Buffalo isn't as good as people here think it is and isn't as bad as people away from here think it is. I thrive here the same way people anywhere thrive: by being surrounded with people who are more talented than I am. I have the best morning show there is, I have the best MD I could ask for and a Promotion Director who will likely be among the best in the country as her experience gains. As for doing a lot, you just have to do a lot now. If your head isn't spinning are you even IN radio?!
3. Last year you were promoted RVP/Programming-Rock, overseeing the Cumulus Rock and Alternative station in the Northeast. Tell us about your role with Cumulus and working with Troy Hanson.
If I'm doing my job well, then every PD I work with thinks of me as something of an APD to them. I'm here to help them, assist in things they wouldn't normally have someone to do and help them understand some of the more complex initiatives we need to implement. On the macro level, my role is to assist Troy in carrying out his vision for the formats. So anywhere he needs me to jump in and get things done for him, that's what I'll do. Troy is guiding a big picture and it's working. What he needs from me changes with the projects we're working on while the local folks can count on me if they need someone to bounce ideas off of, need someone to do a couple days of music logs so they can take actual vacation or working with their VPPO's on brand architecture. It's all on the basis of need.
4. Let's shift back to WEDG. 103.3 The Edge just had its best ratings of the year in August 2019. What has led to the station's ratings growth and what are highlights for the station?
Man, I don't know. I'll take the "W" but it can suck when things are this good because you know what has to happen soon. It's the same reason I don't sweat it too much when things don't go our way. We don't suddenly become the best or worst thing in the market. That's not logical at all but it's how we're measured. I think of a great book as a way to just show what we CAN do and a bad book as a reason to stay humble and always work to improve. Buffalo is a diary market, so we aren't even trying to get people to listen. We're trying to get them to SAY they listen, which requires a totally different strategy and sometimes you just don't get the returns you need in a demo while other times it can all come through at once. I hate living and dying by this methodology. But here we are. Great ratings. Yay.
5. Give us the 411 on the music and imaging on The Edge.
The Edge's history is in Alt. That's what it was born for and we learned by going too far into rock for a time, that people here just don't want it to be "classic rock junior" (actual diary comments btw). So, we went back to our roots, which is to be an Alt brand, but one that speaks to Western New York which means we need to make it grittier. Alice In Chains, Tool, Metallica... all of that still has a place here. I'm always rooting for Shinedown and Three Days Grace. Our current sweet spot comes from Highly Suspect, The Black Keys and Catfish. Rock-friendly Alt. Or is it Alt-friendly rock? I dunno. It works.
As for imaging, I don't know, we're pretty stupid. Evan (Nights/Imaging) and I write together through text a lot. He's a really talented guy. We try a lot things. If it's lame, we move on. Right now, we're into making our Legal ID's people. Listeners seem to react. I like localism better when it's tied to punchlines. Anyone can name the suburbs. It's more fun when you write actual jokes. We do that a lot. Also, Dan Stone is our lead VO and as you may know, he's about the best there is. His help makes it so much easier. In my opinion, imaging is the most important part of your brand. I spend more time on that than almost anything. We all know it's the only thing setting us apart, really.
6. What is most important to you when deciding what new music to play on the station?
I ask one simple question: Is it good? If it is, we go from there.
7. Tell us about Rock at Work with James, Monday-Friday from 10a-3p.
To be honest, I don't think I'm a very good jock. I consider myself a talent coach and I think I have a skill in identifying and growing talent. So, if I'm being fair to my skillset, being on the air is something I need to work on very hard in order to find adequacy. I work with a LOT of people who are just naturals and that is definitely not me. So, with my shift, I try to keep it simple. Local commentary, important info, keep the music moving, the end.
8. What do you love most about being on-air?
The second after my last break. 😏
9. What is a typical workday like for you?
I get in around 7:30am. That's usually when I'll write liners, imaging, check aired logs, and general office work, email, etc. In that time, I'll listen to my morning show, but I also like to take an hour and "listen like a listener" so I'll spend time monitoring the market. By 9am, I'm in recording promos, producing anything I need to do and any voicetracking. Shortly after, I have a daily promo and digital meeting. That's mainly a "here's what we have to do today" and social media strategy session. After that, it depends on the day. Mondays and Tuesdays are when I'm spending the most time with other markets. Wednesday and Thursday, I have a lot of local meetings and Fridays are when Troy and I catch up on everything and he'll let me know what needs the most attention leading into the next week. There's tons of other stuff but it's the stuff we all do so it's not special.
10. What's your take on the state of Alternative Radio?
It's whatever listeners tell us it is. I try to think about the landscape of the format but I always stop myself because it's not up to me. If it were, we wouldn't touch pop alt but the smartest among us know that our survival is ultimately based upon what the consumer is doing, not what we hope they'll do. That being said, there's a difference between pop alt and bad pop and this format desperately needs to learn how to identify both. We're playing a lot of shitty pop songs and calling them alt.
Bonus Questions
You recently tweeted - Godsmack and Tom Brady: both inexplicably still relevant in 2019. Explain.
Look at the music of 2001. Would you have thought ANY of those artists would still make respected music? Godsmack (Disturbed too) are still somehow doing it despite largely getting lumped in with the Limp Bizkit/Korn era. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Like Tom Brady still being good, it defies logic. Also, I hate the fair-weather Pats fans so much. Your team almost moved to Hartford. NEVER FORGET IT!
How do you listen to music away from the station?
I listen to a lot of radio. I have a lot of station apps and will check out different stations, not just for work. I really enjoy local radio. Otherwise, it's Spotify but as a replacement for my music library. I don't subscribe to playlists or anything like that. I like to set them up for myself.
What are your favorite places to eat in Buffalo?
Chicken wings are gross. I haven't eaten them since I was 10, so I'm happy to never take part in that particular debate. Perhaps surprising is that there are a lot of really great Indian restaurants here. I try to hit those a lot.
Favorite food?
Red peppers. I eat 'em like apples!
Favorite drink?
There's this place in Toronto (less than 90 minutes) and they do infused coffee. They have this ginger espresso that's so good I will literally drive 90 minutes to get it. Otherwise, like, normal coffee.
Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
- Buffalo Sabres
- Buffalo Bills
- Buffalo Sabres offseason
- NY Yankees
- Buffalo Bills mock drafts
- Toronto Raptors
- Buffalo Sabres near the trading deadline
- Boston Cannons
- Buffalo Sabres jersey unveilings
Favorite new band over the past year?
Starcrawler and The Blue Stones
Anything else you would like to add?
Yeah, 8/2(2+2) = 1
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