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10 Questions with ... Derric Tanner
September 20, 2022
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. "My content is very music centric. I do a 94 minute commercial free stretch from 3:45ish-5:15ish. At 6p, I have a really fun segment that carried over from my predecessor, Gustav, called the Perfect Playlist. This is where I play a 5 song playlist that a listener chooses, no really, whatever they want! I make the segment about the listener, I tell their Portland story, share parts of their life, why they picked the songs, and sometimes I can even convince them to come on air with me."
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
KGRG/Green River Alum
KNDD 107.7 The End- intern, KRQI 96.5 KROCK Seattle - Program Assist., KITS LIVE105 - on-air/production asst., KLCK 98.5 CLICK FM Seattle - PM Drive, KSJO CHANNEL 92.3/San Jose - PM Drive, KNRK 94/7/Portland - PM Drive.
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
Picture this, it's Bremerton, WA the fall of 1999, I'm reading the Bremerton Sun newspaper, and in the classifieds section, there's an ad for a board op at the local AM radio station - KITZ AM 1400. I knew nothing about the station except that it broadcasted out of the South Kitsap Mall, so I decided to apply… and they hired me on the spot (unpaid of course). Plot twist - it's a conservative talk radio station - and I'm not conservative; there was no window (just open space where the window should have been) between the control room and on-air studio. Despite hating every second of every show I worked on, I somehow fell in love with the art of radio and soon after went to Green River Community College to pursue a degree in Broadcasting.
2. You've hit the 20 year mark of working in Alternative Radio, including multiple stints at The One And Only KITS (Live 105). What stands out the most from your early days working at that iconic radio station?
The people. That was my first on-air gig outside of college and on my first day I was trained in the studio by Marco Collins - the guy I grew up listening to on The End in Seattle - and my first PD was the legendary Sean Demery! Aaron Axelson, Robin Rockwell, Miles Anzaldo, Derek Madden - I was a rookie on an all-star team. Being surrounded by that caliber of talented people, you can't help but grow and excel as a jock. There was a true sense of comradery in that building at that time, everyone was a mentor. I worked there 3 times over the course of 10 years - there was even a time I was doing PM Drive in Seattle and commuting to SF for weekend shifts at Live 105! Hopefully it returns someday so I can work there a 4th time.
3. What led to you to 94/7 FM Alternative Portland?
When I was in college, 94/7 is one of the stations I wanted to work at. I loved Portland back then and still do today! Perfect timing is what got me in the door though. When I was moving to Portland in 2014, unrelated to radio, Spud (who hired me at Live 105) suggested that I contact Mark Hamilton (ex-Live 105). I did and he ignored me lol - but then I persisted and contacted him a few more times until he agreed to meet. I asked him for a weekend shift, he offered me nights.
4. Tell us about your afternoon show from 3-7p.
Well, a couple of weeks ago I just decided to start at 2p and go till 8p. No one asked me to, I just did it. I'm currently the only personality on the station, so I have a bit of freedom to stretch my wings at the moment. I get to pick where I talk so I can custom tailor my prep around the music. My content is very music centric. I do a 94 minute commercial free stretch from 3:45ish-5:15ish. At 6p, I have a really fun segment that carried over from my predecessor, Gustav, called the Perfect Playlist. This is where I play a 5 song playlist that a listener chooses, no really, whatever they want! I make the segment about the listener, I tell their Portland story, share parts of their life, why they picked the songs, and sometimes I can even convince them to come on air with me.
5. How would you describe your on-air style?
I'm that guy that mispronounces band names (actually got in trouble for mispronouncing Metallica when Lars was listening!), unnecessarily pluralizes band names (listeners love to complain about this), and more importantly, I just let my personality shine through. I don't have a schtick, I'm not trying to be bigger than the station, I don't have an ego (at least I don't think I do lol). I feel that our listeners at 94/7 aren't listening for pop clutter breaks, so I stick to what I know and tell stories about the music, life in Portland, and life in general.
6. What is your show prep routine?
My situation now at 94/7 is great, I have full autonomy over the content of my show (outside the music, of course). I schedule my own talk breaks throughout the show, this allows me to keep my content relevant to the music and allow for me to take breathers from having to talk into/out of the same songs constantly. It's great because if I find a tidbit of relevant info on an artist I can easily work it into my show. I find myself pulling from some local newsfeeds, I listen to and read interviews with artists in an effort to extract just a tiny bit of engaging content that I can use on air.
7. What do you love most about being on-air?
Connecting with people on a mutual interest in music. I don't know anything about making music, but I know a lot about enjoying it and articulating how it makes you feel. Even the most passive listener is moved by the music they hear, that deserves to be talked about and shared.
8. How are you using social media to augment what you're doing on-air?
Social media was once upon a time one of my strengths. A few months into the pandemic I had to take a break to deal with some mental health issues that primarily stemmed from social media. It got pretty bad. I still haven't fully recovered but I'm working on it. With that said, I am on social media much less frequently and primarily use it to share the parts of my life that I enjoy - I'm pretty fortunate to work in an industry that affords great opportunities to meet artists, experience concerts, connect with notable Portlanders, etc. and I share these experiences. I also share updates on my dogs, my home projects, scooting with my idiot friends… I guess I use social media just like everyone else does, except I have a platform to share my updates on social media with an audience outside of my friends and family.
9. What would surprise people most about you?
I still think the one thing that surprises people the most is that I was one of the subjects of an award winning documentary. Me and a few friends rode our scooters on backroads from Jacksonville to Seattle and filmed the whole trip. The movie is called Slow Ride Home and it's on Amazon. Hope the shameless plug is ok lol
10. I saw a bio online that describes you as a professional stuff sayer, live music junkie, social media savant, grower of epic beards. Explain.
There's a lot to unpack here… but honestly, I think most of my answer to this is spread through the responses to the other questions. As a professional stuff sayer, I say stuff about things on the radio. Live music junkie, that's easy - I love live music as long as it's not a festival (I still believe that whoever invented music festivals was not a real music fan, I can't think of a worse way to experience live music). Lately, I've been going to more local shows around Portland, there is an immense talent pool here that gets overlooked by everyone outside Portland. I covered that social media part, so onto the beard… it's a little less epic these days but it's still a big part of my identity. It's like costume jewelry that grows on me.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
I've started doing this new thing on weekends where I'll find a city that I've never been to and just go. Cheap airfare, driving, scooting, doesn't matter. Recently I went to Ketchikan, Canadas Sunshine Coast, Baker City - coming up: Albuquerque, New Orleans, Oceanside, and probably Boise. Trying to do 1-2 adventures a month, one road trip one plane trip.
What are your favorite places to eat in the Portland area?
A couple years ago I started a social group called Dive Bar Diners Club. It's a group of friends that meets weekly at a dive bar for dinner, it's great! It makes sense in Portland because every bar has to serve hot meals… and many of the dive bars here have fantastic food. Some faves: Reel M Inn (fried chix), Railside (prime rib), the Lutz (pork sando), Stanich's (not really a dive bar, but a great burger joint with a weird af story) ... I could go on for hours about this, actually. There's also other great places that aren't dive bars: Montelupo, Urdaneta, Pacific Standard, Langbaan, Eem… again, I could go on for hours lol. Favorite food?
This is almost as impossible to answer as who's my favorite band of all time, which you're probably going to ask me next. I'm a huge fan of smashburgers, I spent the summer of 2021 hunting down the best one in Portland. It's Mid-City Smash, in case you're wondering.
Favorite beverage?
It's always been and will forever be Rainier beer.
Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
Blazers, SF Giants, Pickles, Warriors, Seahawks - been really into watching the M's phenom J-Rod this season which is pretty cool since I grew up a huge M's fan thanks to Griffey and J-Rod is just as (if not more) exciting to watch
First record ever purchased?
I honestly don't recall the first record I purchased, my first purchase was a Columbia House 10 records for a penny thing. I was 12 and got in a lot of trouble for it and had to send all the CDs back. The first record that my parents purchased for me because I begged them: Tom Petty - Damn The Torpedoes. They gave it to me on cassette for my 8th birthday, I think I wore it out before I turned 9.
First concert?
1991 Bad Company, Damn Yankees, Poison, and Jackyl. I was in 9th grade and went with my mom and aunt. My only regret is buying the Damn Yankee's shirt that had 'Yank This!' across the back, I wore it to school the next day and Mark Clifford yanked the shirt so hard he ripped it off of me - after which I got in trouble for not wearing a shirt to school. I'm no snitch.
Favorite band of all-time?
Impossible to answer so I'm just going to pick one that I've loved the longest: The Cars
Favorite new band over the past year?
You might kick me in the shins for this one because they're not new (or even new to me), but they did 'reinvent' themselves in the last year: Turnstile. Their album GLOW ON is phenomenal.
Anything else you would like to add?
Go watch my movie.
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