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Best of 10 Questions... Alternative
December 14, 2021
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This week, we look back at 2021 with the best answers to some of our best questions.
Jeff Lynn
PD
WNWV (jenY 107.3)/Cleveland (1/5/21)
“Since we have all local talent, I want them to know the pulse and vibe of Cleveland and reflect it back. I don't want them to waste time with Hollywood News etc., which can be found anywhere. Instead I want them talking about the local music scene, which pre-Covid was very vibrant. We want to be a music discovery vehicle but with YouTube and TiKTok that keeps us on our toes.”Jim Maschio
PD
WJSE/Atlantic City (1/12/21)
“The old JSE I always felt had a very Active Rock flare, which was awesome, but with the reincarnation I’m trying to stay slightly more true to the Alternative realm of now, without getting overly saturated into the pop world.”Laura Lee
PD
WWCD (CD92.9)/Columbus, OH (1/19/21)
“When stations rebrand, you usually have time and budget to make those changes. We did not have that luxury. Those difficulties though, turned into opportunities. If you’ve seen the YouTube video of our triumphant return, Randy spray paints CD929 over the old CD1025 logo. Listeners asked for it to be turned into a t-shirt and it’s available now at cd929fm.com/store.”Angelo Scrobe
SVP/Promotion
Concord (1/26/21)
“Alternative programmers are currently looking to identify new artists for the format more than ever and are discovering them through various metrics or platforms. We’ve seen more artists with viral or streaming stories in the past 12 months, finally getting a shot on the airwaves and moving the needle.”CJ Morgan
Director Of Digital Content/PM Drive
KROX (101X)/Austin (2/2/21)
"Social media is just part of my routine as an entertainer. It just comes naturally to do what I do on-air online as well – or at least use one to tease the other. As I always say, the most important thing about radio is the internet!"Joe “Brady” Blum
Afternoon Show Host
WNYL (ALT 92.3)/New York (2/9/21)
“I‘ve always strived to simply be that friend or companion inside the speakers and I do so by just being true to my weird self. I also feel like humor is a great way to connect that bridge from host to listener and I do my best to make sure when I turn on the mic, I say something that could make someone laugh or smirk.... or roll their eyes, which probably happens more often.”Jack Springer
Co-Owner
Teknicolour Co-Owner (2/16/21)
“Back in the day, Dave Sholin (Gavin Report from years ago) had schooled me and sent me a list of the Top 99 excuses programmers use. He told me to memorize it and I did -- never really had to use most of them -- it was just fun talking to folks.”John Rozz
Dir./Programming
WHEL-HD2 (Gelly 94-1)/Ft. Myers, FL (2/23/21)
“We avoid pop currents (we can't own them) and anything that's too guitar-forward rock (it would sound out of place on Gelly). It's not an exact science - it's more of a ‘feel.’”Josh Tielor
PD
KSKI/Sun Valley, ID (3/2/21)
“KSKI is current heavy with around 60-70 weekly spins or our top records. I am all for sharing those new emerging records/artists. In the not-too-distant future, I would all but guarantee that there will be a new music spotlight beyond the ‘new music discovery’ verbiage that will showcase brand new music and independent artists. There is plenty of room for us to provide a stage/proving ground for these artists.”Benjamin Marcotte
VP/Programming
WOLT (ALT 93.3)/Indianapolis (3/9/21)
“I’d like to think of myself as balanced. With equal parts analytical, and equal parts creative. We have so many resources and data to help us make the best and most educated decisions as possible, but at the same time understanding that human emotion, and creativity are a little harder to roll up in a spreadsheet.”MJ Marty
Co-Director Of Radio And Streaming
Hazel Street (3/16/21)
“The one and only Laura Bender, started poking around to see if I was interested in joining the team. As I learned more about the label, listened to the artists they were signing and had the opportunity to talk with Bruce Kalmick and hear about his vision of artist development and where he and Laura wanted to take the label, it felt like something I wanted to be a part of.”Miranda Daniels
APD
WRIS (106.7 The Resistance)/Madison (3/23/21)
“We are uniquely Madison. The pop/hip hop sound that is everywhere now often falls flat for us, but sometimes a song or TWO that fit that description will be huge hits. It's all about listening to our listeners. The imaging is also unique. Tim Virgin is our voice guy and his outtakes often make it into the final product. We like to poke fun at ourselves a bit.”Booker
PM Driver
KYSR (ALT 98.7)/Los Angeles (3/30/21)
“At my second station, WYAV in Myrtle Beach, we hired a veteran named Jim Bosh who had worked everywhere and I asked him that same question and his answer stuck with me… ‘Same show, different microphone.’ It's true. Do what you do, just be authentic. The station and the format are just call letters.”Ray Gee
Middayer
WZNE (94.1 The Zone)/Rochester (4/6/21)
“I would describe myself as bubbly, goofy and a bit edgy and I try to bring all of that through on-air.”Shawn Rock
PD
KRXP (X1039)/Colorado Springs (4/13/21)
“The conversation about updating KRXP's brand/logo has been going on for the past year or so. Jamie Frye has been such a solid VO for us for several years. Now that we've lined up a full staff again and are streamlining our digital platform with Bahakel it seemed like a good time to make the move to freshen things up and transition to a male VO.”The Morning Mess’ Marty
WAQX (95X)/Syracuse’s (4/20/21)
“We feed off of our listeners aka ‘Morning Mess Nation’ a ton! We interact with our listeners on our Morning Mess text line all morning. We also interact on our socials with topics discussed on-air.”Gregby Harold
Host
The Greg Beharrell Show (4/27/21)
“I think to myself ‘what would any PD worth her or his salt want to hear on the radio tonight?’ Inevitably, I arrive at the same three answers: funny content, unique chat, transatlantic accent.”Mark Arsen
Co-Founder/PD
Radio Free Raleigh (Your Radio Alternative) (5/4/21)
“When you hear Radio Free Raleigh, you get a professional radio listening experience through the music, DJ presentation, and brand imaging. We are not like most internet streaming stations, we could be a terrestrial station if we wanted to be, but then, we'd have to play 15 minutes of ads per hour, and that would be a drag, LOL.”Vinny Foo
PD
WHHZ (100.5 The Buzz)/Gainesville-Ocala (5/11/21)
“I'm a programmer that likes to use as much data as possible to make smart decisions.”Jen Sullivan
VP/Streaming & Sales
MNRK (5/18/21)
“I work with a lot of baby bands and if they’re not touring and don’t have substantial streaming, it’s tough to compete with a Tik Tok hit. In those cases, I try to get creative and develop a song market by market instead of playing the chart game. For example, I had multiple stations using a track as their station intros which lead to Shazams and station performances in those markets. Working this way really gives you a sense of what you have before committing to a full radio push.”Mike Marquis
COO/Partner
PHOTO FINISH (5/25/21)
“My favorite part of the job is delivering the first few big wins on a project. Once an artist is having success, the size of the team around them grows, and everyone is willing to work hard on a ‘successful’ project. However, I really enjoy being in the trenches and getting the process started for developing artists, it is very rewarding and memorable all around to share in those moments.”Momo
Weeknight Host/Xposure Host
KROX (101X)/Austin (6/1/21)
“The charm about working weeknights on any station is the freedom to throw in more new music. With Xposure, I get to take that to the extreme and share what I really, really am loving. Stuff that might be a little more ‘out there’ that would not particularly be in regular rotation. Being new to this, I’ve gotten loots of emails with new music… which is super freaking awesome because I listen to everything that comes across my inbox. I pick my favorites and then check and see what bands that I’m already into are up to/who’s dropping albums etc. And then guess what happens? I pick my faves from that batch and there’s Xposure!”Steven Walker
PM Driver
WKBH-HD3 (ALT 107.1)/LaCrosse, WI (6/8/21)
“There is a lot of underrepresented rock out there and that is where ALT 107.1 wants to fall. Everything about the ’90s that defined the word ‘Alternative’ and all the stuff that has grown from that generation. Alternative hits from yesterday and today. Songs you know and songs that are brand new.”Alex Demers
Demers Programming Media Consultants (6/15/21)
“I’m a big believer in Alternative. There’s opportunity for growth but stations should evaluate the format potential in their market, develop a plan to win and then focus on execution. Maintaining a consistent filter for every bit of content and image your station projects is more important now than ever. Keep connected with your core listenership and respect the nuance of your market. Boise ain’t Boston and vice versa.”Mike Stern
Consultant
Jacobs Media (6/22/21)
“The format’s performance over the last few years seems to indicate that the more manufactured, pop-leaning material doesn’t drive as much listening or loyalty. Alternative has a rich history of discovering and supporting artists that build their career over time growing up from playing small, independent venues to arenas assisted locally by the station’s support. We need more of those.”Nick Chappell
PD
WROX (96X)/Norfolk (6/29/21)
“We know people consume music differently now. With the younger audience streaming music, we knew the slightly older crowd still tuned into us for their tunes. And we know one thing people are super nostalgic about is music. So, we scaled back on the currents, brought back the 90’s/early 2000s rock, and are more choosey about the new songs we play.”Joe Guzik
Head Of NY Business Unit
oneRPM (7/6/21)
“One of the many reasons that I love this company is that we can help artists at any stage in their career, you don't have to leave to become huge or we don't drop you when your sub-genre falls out of favor with radio.”Hayley St. John
On-Air/APD/Digital Coordinator
WBUZ (102.9 The Buzz)/Nashville (7/13/21)
“The Buzz is an ALT-leaning station with a few surprises. You’ll hear Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, and Twenty One Pilots, but we’ll sprinkle in a Zeppelin song every once in a while, or throw in Metallica. Rock is a wide-ranging genre with so many different sounds, so we want to have that variety, but still ultimately be an ALT station.”Bob Stei
Programmer/On-Air Personality
Grunge Garage Radio (7/20/21)
“It's very old school since I handpick every song! And, I am so anal retentive and picky when it comes to it. Like many teens in the 1980s, I was so not into the music of the last few years of that decade. It was around my second year at Manhattan College in 1991 when grunge was picking up and it was like a voice saying, "Great! It's cool to listen to new music again!" I probably rotate a few hundred songs with core artists being Morrissey, Blur, Oasis, U2, Tonic, Live, Alanis Morrissette, Pearl Jam, STP, Offspring etc... I try to stick to familiar songs. Being an anglophile, I think about when I went clubbing in London in the late 1990s and what was playing! But make no mistake: All the songs are from 1990-1999. And there will never be a hairband played!”Jon Cohen
Co-Founder/CEO
FADER Label/Cornerstone Agency (7/27/21)
“FADER Label was born out of our love for the music business and our love of artists. Through all of our work via FADER and Cornerstone, we have constantly come across great young talent. We have also built an amazing network of relationships within the industry through all we do: agents, managers, publicists, media, festivals, radio, etc. They have all been great partners and friends across all we do. We created the label as a vehicle to leverage our relationships and years of knowledge on how to break artists and go deeper with some of the talent we were coming across.”Dustin Carlson
APD/MD/Afternoons
KDKB (ALT AZ 93.3)/Phoenix (8/3/21)
“I can’t think of a better management team to work for. They (Trip Reeb and David Moore) bring decades of programming experience to the table, and I’ve learned so much from both. Every department in this building is a well-oiled machine. They both set high expectations and make sure we have the resources to do our jobs the best we can. It’s a really good time. Plus, everyone knows how great Hubbard is to work for. I consider myself pretty spoiled.”Sat Bisla
Host/DJ
Passport Approved (8/10/21)
“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.”Scott Lowe
On-Air Personality
WNYL (ALT 92.3)/New York (8/17/21)
“The Postmodern show is music intensive. I rarely have interviews and there's no benchmark features. The listeners want to hear the music and I deliver that along with some personality. Occasionally, I'll provide context to some of the songs or share stories from personal experiences I've had with the artists I play.”Dan Rios
PD/Morning Host
KYRK (106.5 Bandtango Radio)/Corpus Christi, TX (8/24/21)
“Instead of highlighting classic-based songs or gold-based alt artists that have been played over and over, we are building on the new artists and new tracks in the alternative music market, embracing them fully.”Michael Dukes
GM
KZND (94/7)/Anchorage, AK (8/31/21)
“94/7 serves the same demo as our Hot AC station, but it’s a totally different crowd of folks. We’ve seen almost no cross over in our contesting and our participation and stream metrics have gone off the charts these last 20 months. These listeners are loyal and the love the hyper localization we’re pushing. We LOVE being part of the Anchorage community, especially since most of the other players are big corp clusters that are not as agile on local stuff.”Jenna Kesneck
Dir./Branding & Programming
WSUN (97X)/Tampa & WXXJ (X106.5)/Jacksonville (9/7/21)
“One of the most important challenges we face as a format is how we own new music. We have the ability to tell the story behind the artist or the song and as an industry we can’t take that for granted. The next generation of radio listeners have the world at their fingertips with DSPs, Tik Tok & Reels, but I believe we have a seat at that table in new music ownership—it just takes a different kind of work.”Kris Metzdorf
MD/Middayer
KRXF (92/9FM)/Bend, OR (9/14/21)
“I don't like to put a label like ‘alternative’ on 92/9FM because in my opinion, that's limiting and honestly, the state of alternative radio right now is annoying and lacking a real rock and roll backbone (but I digress). We're a radio station made up of HUGE music fans and our end goal is to play songs that we hope the listeners will love as much as we do. It could be The Clash or Nirvana or Sleigh Bells or Highly Suspect. The common thread is great music no matter the genre.”Brent Battles
Co-Founder
further. (9/21/21)
“After working with a major label and major distribution companies, we realized artists really needed to be super served and special attention needed to be given to the details that go into developing artists. By owning our own company, we have the freedom to be as creative as necessary to promote and develop artists while always keeping artists first and getting them further.”Ted Stryker
Host
Tuna On Toast With Stryker (9/28/21)
“I've never been so excited to buy snacks and soda (for the guests). My second bedroom is now the podcast/tv studio. I had a vision for how I want to present Tuna On Toast visually and I think I'm pretty close to it. It's very professional while still having that relaxed feel to it. Now that the room is all set up, I'm ready for any artist/band/entertainer to stop by anytime, all I need is 3 minutes notice."Casey McCabe
Host
Alternative Soundcheck (10/5/21)
“Social media is a big part of the show as it will mirror a lot of what we do on air. Keeping fans/listeners informed of what songs are on each feature, artist info and news that day and a recap of the Final Countdown. Most importantly our social media team will be engaging with the audience and the artists on a nightly basis through real time interaction.”Aaron Axelsen
Head Of Programming
FLOOD FM (10/12/21)
“Flood FM is an indie-alternative leaning format, with an emphasis on new music discovery, but we also heavily embrace other genres that are extremely relevant to today’s young and vibrant music demographic, including electronic, progressive R&B/hip hop, bedroom pop, chillwave, folk rock and more. Basically, we embody the diversity and genre-bending spirit that you'd find at a Coachella, Outside Lands or Governor's Ball and also reflect the eclectic aesthetic of Flood Magazine.”Amy Grey
APD/Mornings
WMRQ (Radio 104.1)/Hartford (10/19/21)
“There are no rules! We create something new every day. Whether it's a new feature, promotion, radio bit, contest, we make things happen! The days are limitless, creative and exciting! We also have recess.”Karah Leigh
Nighttime On-Air Talent
KTBZ (94.5 The Buzz)/Houston (10/25/21)
“I hear so many people say they got into radio because they love people. You know, the self-described ‘people person.’ That’s not me! I got into radio because of a love of music, entertainment, and pop culture, so I connect with our listeners through that. I fully understand that they are the reason I have a job, so my focus is on keeping them informed on what their favorite bands are up to, the meaning behind songs, etc. Because even if we don’t have anything else in common, we’ve got that.”The Rev
Afternooner
KFRR (New Rock 104.1)/Fresno (11/2/21)
“I have some benchmark things I post but honestly if I find something cool or something new hits you will see it there. I don't like boring stuff or stations that don't really engage with other users.”Ashtyn Brown
Middayer
WHHZ (100.5 The Buzz)/Gainesville, FL (11/9/21)
“I love that I can be a voice on the radio station I've listened to since I was a kid. And it's a pretty cool flex when people ask me what I do for work, and I can tell them to listen to my show and find out.”Chris Crowley
PD
WEND (106.5 The End)/Charlotte (11/16/21)
"Because what we do is a craft that's ever-changing, ever-evolving. You have to be willing to evolve with it or get left behind. It doesn't matter if you're a talent, a talent coach, or a programmer - it still applies. To me, the 12 most dangerous words in the English language are, ‘We do it this way because we've always done it that way.’ Sure, there may be a good reason to do things the same way, but there are a thousand ways to get something done; let's find the best way and go from there.”Brooke Hunter
Afternooner
WQYQ/Benton Harbor, MI (11/23/21)
“Back in the 90's, Alternative was HOT. Grunge was huge. The music is still very popular, but I believe that with streaming and social media, we hear less about the artists and the music.”Leslie Scott
AUDACY VP/Exclusive Stations (11/30/21)
“Since there is something for everyone, our terrestrial stations and influencers have been excellent promoters.”Phil Kukawinski
PD
WGHL (ALT 105.1)/Louisville (12/7/21)
“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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