-
10 Questions with ... Sat Bisla
August 10, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I’m proud of the fact that we are not afraid to champion new music no matter the geographical boundaries. Passport Approved focuses on introducing potential future hits with our local radio affiliates before platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Triller, Spotify and others have the music ingested into their eco-systems.
-
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Honestly, I don’t like talking about myself, as I’d rather talk about new music. However since you insist, a couple of years ago one of the world’s top music journalists - Tim Ingham, Founder & Publisher, Music Business Worldwide & Contributor to Rolling Stone convinced me to do a career synopsis, so HERE it is. Essentially, I went from being a music fan to consumer, to helping make positive contributions to global pop culture and the international music industry.
1. Let’s flashback to your early radio days. What’s stands out the most about KKDJ (The Edge)/Fresno and what was your biggest takeaway?
I realized that no matter where music comes from, if it’s exceptional and it can connect with audiences and make a profound positive impact - support it! It was amazing to see the imports and unsigned artists we championed that became U.S. and worldwide hits. I was very fortunate that my two mentors Willobee Carlan and Don Parker gave me the trust and respect to follow “my ears.” Even though KKDJ “The Edge” was the first Alternative Radio station in Central California, our decisions had local, regional, national and international impact. Whereas major market and international radio stations would seek our opinions, as would global radio label Presidents and A&R executives on future hits that were reacting in our local market.
2. Take us back to the early days of Passport Approved and how your global new music pre-discovery show came to fruition on former Alternative INDIE 103.1 in 2004?
Michael Steele (former MD, KIIS FM Los Angeles) had been a great friend and believer in breaking new artists and was a fan of the work I’d done in helping unknown acts with securing U.S. and global record deals, or getting artists music placed in film, TV and videogames. I approached him with the idea of doing a weekly import radio show, similar to what I’d done at KCRW Los Angeles from 1999- 2001. He agreed to let me do a weekly program called Passport Approved, where Indie 103.1FM would have access to being the first in the world to break artists from around the world, essentially being a leader, not a follower! The show became a very popular staple on the station and across Southern California and worldwide and organically started to pick-up radio affiliates in the U.S. and around the world who started hearing about the program.
3. Give us the 411 on Passport Approved.
Our focus is global music pre-discovery. We “Act Local, Think Global.” We provide a two hour and one-hour weekly version of the program, as well as the “Passport Approved Daily,” which introduces a fresh new global track each weekday. I’m proud of the fact that we are not afraid to champion new music no matter the geographical boundaries. Passport Approved focuses on introducing potential future hits with our local radio affiliates before platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Triller, Spotify and others have the music ingested into their eco-systems.
Passport Approved has been on-air before many of the world’s top music streaming services even existed. We’re not afraid to be music fans and consumers, as our goal is to engage listeners passion, which ultimately entices their emotional reaction that creates meaningful data before competitors are even aware the artists exist.
4. How are you able to make Passport Approved the first point of contact on new music before it is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, YouTube, Instagram, Triller, and TikTok?
Over the past three decades, I’ve spent an enormous amount of time building trust and relationships around the world. I travel extensively to understand the DNA of local music markets around the world. Not to mention thanks to my day job, I’m in a unique position to know what acts are about to be signed to local or worldwide record deals, or about to have their music placed in influential pop-cultural platforms (videogames, eSport, film, TV, movie trailers, brands ad campaigns, etc.), as well as playing an active part in helping A&R global emerging acts before they are signed.
This unique access and experience gives us the ability to know what’s on the horizon before most competitors to traditional radio stations. Furthermore, we get radio IDs from artists validating that their music was played on our program “FIRST” before any global streaming service, or exposure on any social media platform. This is something that we share with our local syndication radio partners, so they take ownership in supporting new artists before their local competitors or global streaming brands. It’s always nice to be there first, as opposed to being there after the fact!
5. Explain your positioner: Acting Local, But Thinking Global.
We find amazing local talent and share it with our global audience. We currently broadcast on six continents and over 50 primarily alternative radio stations. If a song reacts locally, most times it does the same nationally and can break globally.
We were the first in the U.S. to play acts such as Wolfmother, Gotye, San Cisco, Adele, LMFAO, Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, KONGOS, Lorde, Naked & Famous, Milky Chance, Gavin James, Forest Blakk, Sheppard, Lime Cordiale and countless others before they were signed to record labels in the US, or worldwide. If we see local reaction in respective markets, we’ll support them globally via Passport Approved – hence “Acting Local, Thinking Global.”
6. How do you know which songs are going to be globally successful?
I trust my gut. I’ve never forgotten that I’m still a music fan and consumer and have always told myself that if I forget who I am at my core than it’s time to leave the music and audio business. Data/Analytics are validation of one’s gut reaction. It’s our gut and human reaction that creates the data not the other way around.
When I see a song we’re championing on Passport Approved reacting simultaneously in various continents worldwide, and the data supports that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the song has potential to succeed in other markets.
I remember having lunch with former KROQ Los Angeles VP Programming Kevin Weatherly back in 2012 at a hotel in Beverly Hills before my flight to London and giving him a demo of Passport Approved, which had an unsigned Swedish act I was playing on my show called Tove Lo with her song “Habits.” P3 national Swedish Radio and Spotify Sweden had not played her song at the time, so we were the first in the world to support her single. Two years later she got signed to Island Records in the US. I remember having lunch with Kevin at his office in 2014, as he listened to the Passport Approved stream and he remembered I had told him about “Habits” by Tove Lo a few years back. He asked me if I thought the song was still a hit and I said yes, because it’d been reacting on our Passport Approved alternative radio station affiliates in Germany, South America and the U.S. He invited his then Music Director Lisa Worden into his office and asked her the same question; she agreed it was a hit! As I was driving back to my office, I heard “Habits” on KROQ and next thing I knew several months later it was the No.1 single in the US and worldwide markets and she was the opening act for Coldplay on their US tour.
7. Take us behind the scenes on your show prep each week with your team?
Joe Arnold who is our Music Director for the program receives music submissions from around the world, but also does his due diligence and sends me his favorite songs for the week. I’ll also share music I’m excited about too, and collectively, we put together our “favorite” list. We’ll then curate the weekly playlist and Joe will put together the weekly show prep for the program – taking key info that we can share with our listeners around the world. Joe’s a former radio programmer and understands the fundamentals of audio well.
8. What is your process on curating your weekly two-hour playlist?
Joe, our team and I will listen to the music submissions and create our weekly playlist. Our goal is to ensure “familiarity.” We make sure we play music that sounds “familiar” to recognizable names albeit – Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse, Muse, The Killers, Adele, Daft Punk, etc.
We understand that familiarity is a “safe zone” for listeners and make sure we find a balance which makes audiences feel comfortable with the new unfamiliar music they hear on the program. Having a new song that makes you go “wow,” what is that between familiar sounding songs is key, which is why our program works on our affiliate stations in the US as it does in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australasia and South America.
9. How has Passport Approved managed to maintain its longevity?
Being consistent and not compromising quality. We’ve been on the air since April 2004 when we first launched on Indie 103.1FM/Los Angeles and subsequently have been broadcast on stations such as KROQ/Los Angeles, KCMP/Minneapolis, FLUX FM/Berlin Germany, Radio 1 India, Xfm/Nairobi Kenya, KNND/Seattle, KNRK/Portland, PUKS-FM/South Africa, Radio Doble/Nueve FM Lima Peru, KFRR/ Fresno CA and many others.
When listeners hear a well-known artist saying that Passport Approved was the first audio platform in the world to play their music, it gives the listeners the assurance that they can trust their local radio station to “be their first” before Apple, Spotify, YouTube, etc. via Passport Approved. In addition, local radio stations have seen very positive audience research testing on the program including positive ratings. We’re consistently introducing new artists before our affiliate partners competitors. You can’t beat being their first with future global hits!
Also, over the years we’ve had respected global guests contribute to the program including Zane Lowe (now Global Head Of Music/Creative, Apple 1), Steve Schnur (Worldwide Head of Music, EA Games), DJs from different radio stations around the world recommending a breaking song from their local market, which adds to the authenticity and credibility of the program. I believe it’s important to not just follow trends, but be a part of a broader movement. I can’t tell you how many times our listeners will communicate to us that they first discovered a song on our program before anywhere else and then heard it on a videogame/eSports, TV show, brand campaign, movie trailer, feature film, other radio stations and streaming services after that fact.
10. It’s been 17 years now. What do you love most about doing the show each week?
Unearthing great new talent and sharing it with passionate music fans around the world.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
Quality family time, long walks, gardening and watching football (aka soccer)!
Favorite food?
Too many to be honest. I never go wrong with Italian, Indian and traditional British Pub food.
Favorite beverage?
Water, veggie/fruit juices and a nice glass of Pinot Noir from New Zealand, Oregon, France or California.
Favorite restaurant in L.A.?
A Spice Affair and Della Terra in Los Angeles
Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
Soccer, Basketball, Skiing, Track.
First record ever purchased?
ABBA “Take A Chance On Me” - 7 inch vinyl back in 1977
First concert?
Iron Maiden in Birmingham, England in 1976
Favorite band of all-time?
Faithless (and The Beatles)
Favorite new band over the past year?
Adelaide (a Euro collective that’s draws inspiration from Kraftwerk, Daft Punk and Air)
Anything else you would like to add?
Never lose your passion. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Make a positive difference in the world, so one’s life has meaning!
-
-