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10 Questions with ... Phil (PK) Kukawinski
December 7, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Over the past year I would say that we’ve just embraced more of the Rock sound. As we learn more about what our listeners are looking for, what they’re missing, and what they’re enjoying, we’re able to keep molding the station to be the desired stop for Louisville. Filling that void while maintaining a balance between things internally for our cluster has pushed the sound of the station to a slightly different direction, but I think being able to cover many different sounds is what makes our format so exciting because it’s breaking the mold and giving people something different.
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1. How has the ALT 105.1 brand been building since the station launched 3 years ago?
It’s been an interesting few years building the station. Trying to figure out the identity of the station and then also navigating things through the pandemic has been a challenge. We tried out a couple of approaches, fine-tuned some things, and now we’re looking at continuing our build in the market with getting new listeners and reaching new audiences now that more COVID restrictions aren’t interfering with getting in front of people at client events and, most importantly, concerts that are FINALLY coming back.
2. You made a change in mornings in 2021. Talk about why you added The Dave & Mahoney Morning Show.
We launched Dave & Mahoney in late September in 2020 to get things going as we headed into 2021. The whole team is just so amazing to work with. On top of delivering a compelling show every day, their talents stretch outside of the airwaves as far as digital, social media, and being available to help out the station and the market however they can. A lot of syndicated shows can phone it in and not get involved, but Dave & Mahoney really want to be involved, know what’s going on, and continue to help build their brand and get stronger by helping their affiliates get stronger. I’ve always been impressed with their work ethic, and I look forward to building the show even more here in Louisville and continuing to attract more listeners on the morning drive.
3. Explain why you've added more rock records to the playlist in 2021.
Part of our strategy with the playlist and adding more rock records is a bit two-fold. First off, the Alternative and Modern Rock sound was the void that was missing for a long time in the market until WGHL flipped to Alternative. The Modern Rock sound was absent in the market, so there are a lot of big records that are getting no exposure (Bring Me The Horizon, Volbeat, Papa Roach, etc.), and frankly some of them are performing a lot better than some of the ALT records we’ve been getting. Taking the opportunity to fill that void seemed like a no-brainer, but the other half of the coin is the very heavy competition that some new ALT records have because of Top 40 airplay. I found that there was a great deal of crossover with my new music with our Top 40 station in the building, so we’re trying to find a balance between the stations that works and we’re not competing with ourselves.
4. How would you describe ALT 105.1 and how much has it changed in the past year?
Over the past year I would say that we’ve just embraced more of the Rock sound. As we learn more about what our listeners are looking for, what they’re missing, and what they’re enjoying, we’re able to keep molding the station to be the desired stop for Louisville. Filling that void while maintaining a balance between things internally for our cluster has pushed the sound of the station to a slightly different direction, but I think being able to cover many different sounds is what makes our format so exciting because it’s breaking the mold and giving people something different.
5. What would surprise people most about ALT 105.1?
I don’t think people would find too many surprises about the station, which I’m alright with. I don’t think it comes as a surprise to industry people that it’s just me here locally for the station (Dave & Mahoney and Greg Beharrell are both syndicated in), but being a one-man-show isn’t atypical in the industry right now. I’m fortunate that we have a lot of people and company tools that I can utilize for help, so that does make it a little easier some days.
6. Tell us about how you use social media and what is your favorite platform.
Social media is still one of the biggest tools to generate more listener feedback. Some days are more daunting than others when you remember how many platforms you use and how often you’re posting, but everyone uses different platforms in different ways, so it’s important to have an understanding of how your listeners are interacting with the station based on what they use most. I still think my favorite platform to use is Instagram. Just show me pictures of your dog all day; that’s the positivity that I need every day!
7. In addition to programming ALT 105.1, you are the PD of WXMA 102.3 JACK-FM. What is a typical workday like for you?
Thankfully our JACK-FM station doesn’t take up a great chunk of the day for me. The music, of course, is part of the JACK brand and we’re fairly hands off with that, but that gives me more time to focus on finding creative ways to make the station sound local and think of different promotions to keep listeners engaged with us.
8. What is your favorite part of your job?
It’s that every day is different. New music, new shows, new opportunities, new ways to connect with listeners and be involved in the community. It’s a fun job that lets us be part of the community, listen to music all day, and just have a good time. Sure beats sitting at a desk looking at spreadsheets all day long.
9. What have you learned about yourself as a programmer navigating during the pandemic?
I’ve honestly learned a lot, like I think a lot of programmers have. I think the pandemic was a bit of a blessing in how we think about radio and how it works. I feel like a lot of times we just get caught up in metrics, revenue, and song selection that we forget about serving the community. I was just as guilty as I think a lot of programmers were when I was forced to take a step back and think about what we can do FOR our community instead of what they were doing for us. It also made me start thinking about things outside of just your standard ticket giveaways and station remotes, so it was all focused on how I make the product something that’s desirable to someone that isn’t getting freebies or anything like that. Being able to think outside the box that way I think has helped me readjust my thinking and bring me back to a place of being part of the community instead of a jukebox that occasionally mentions the city. Another big part of the pandemic was learning new things and finding ways to continue to be a valuable team member for the cluster and the company. I took over hosting Nights for our Top 40 station in April of 2020, so that was a definite learning experience starting out, but it was another way to keep broadening my experience, taking in another side of the industry, and challenging myself with things that I hadn’t done before, which has helped me just become a better personality and programmer overall.
10. Who are some of your favorite programmers and why?
I’ve always been a big fan of Tommy Mattern in St. Louis and how he runs The Point. When I was in Detroit, they were always an example we could look to see if there were records we were missing or opportunities that were successful that might work for us since we had similar sounds. Gene Sandbloom in Portland at KINK has done amazing things at that station since he got there, so a shout out to the Alpha family there. Dustin in DC and Michelle in Milwaukee deserve some love, too.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
When I’m not working station events for our Top 40 station, I like to spend the weekends relaxing as much as I can. I get to catch up on all the shows I don’t have time for during the week, and it’s honestly our time to clean the house haha!
What are your favorite places to eat in the area?
We spend a good amount of time getting some Detroit-style pizza at Emmy Squared in the Nulu area, but other than that we’re big fans of Royals Hot Chicken, Garage Bar, and our favorite Mexican spot down the street from our apartment, Limon Y Sal.
How often do you get back home and what are your top priorities when you get back to Michigan?
We actually get back a lot more than we used to, which has been nice. A 6 hour drive is a lot more manageable than the 11 hour drive we used to have to do in Scranton. Typically, the holidays are when we go back, but we’ve had some weddings (shout out to my brother on getting married this year) and other family events to go to, so we’ve taken a few long weekends to head back. Family is always the priority, but every once in a while I can sneak away to grab some tacos and beer with friends.
Favorite new band over the past year?
Maneskin is probably top of the list right now. I know they’ve been around for a bit, but the noise they made with “Beggin” and then showing that glam-rock side with “I Wanna Be Your Slave” and “Mammamia” really shows that they could be an important band to the ALT format.
Favorite song in 2021?
According to my Spotify Wrapped, “Flames” from MOD SUN & Avril Lavigne was my most listened to. I really love the new Bring Me The Horizon song, “DiE4U,” and I was pumped to get a new album from Beartooth with “The Past Is Dead” being another one of my heavily rotated songs personally.
Anything else you would like to add?
I’m just looking forward to finally getting to see all my radio friends from across the country again soon. We’ve all been locked down for too long, and I’m ready for 2022 and seeing people face-to-face again.
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