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10 Questions with ... Dustin Carlson
July 11, 2023
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Programming is like trying to put together a puzzle with no picture of what it's supposed to look like, especially with Alternative. Seeing it all come together and the positive response from the audience is the reward.
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
From my first radio gig right out of high school to soaking up the endless sun in Phoenix over 20 years later. It's been a wild ride! I've been lucky enough to call Denver, Milwaukee, Vegas, Boston and Phoenix home. I've worked Hot AC, CHR, Active Rock and Alternative <-favorite. KWWW, KALC, WLZR, KXTE, WODS, and now KDKB plus a few freelance imaging and tracking projects along the way.
1. You got your start on your hometown Top 40 station board-oping the weekend countdown shows for Casey Kasem and Rick Dees. Let's flashback. What year, what station, and what do you remember about your first job?
1997 - KW3 Wenatchee, WA (KWWW - Quincy, Wenatchee, Moses Lake)
I was a senior in high school. Imagine a cocky teenager who had no idea what they were doing even though they thought they knew everything. I should have been fired multiple times (and almost was.) I remember my interview with the GM, who I believe I was replacing as board-op. It was during Casey's Top 40, he gave me a quick tutorial on how the board and CD player worked, showed me how the computer worked and turned me loose to play the local spots and rejoin the show on CD. I didn't mess it up, so I got the job. A few months later I talked them into letting me voice track, then go live on a Sunday afternoons, eventually nights and production director for the cluster.
Another thing I remember was the first time I played Eve 6 "Inside Out" on the air, it was one of my first live shows, I played the song from my buddy's CD because we hadn't added it to the automation system yet (and totally shouldn't have been playing it.) When I went to announce the song I froze, forgot the title and stumbled all over myself. In total frustration and embarrassment, I fired off the song, threw off my headphones and screamed "F#&K!!!!" at the top of my lungs. Then I realized the reason I couldn't hear any music playing was because my mic was still on and potted up. Then there was that one time I found myself hanging off a tower helping our engineer install a temporary antenna because our tiny transmitter shack had blown off a nearby cliff during a severe windstorm which bent our station's tower to a 45 degree angle with the transmitter rack dangling off the side of the cliff, still connected to the tower by the cord. We saved the rack, not the tower. We were still technically on the air, but the STL link had been severed. We're talking a 10w translator that covered the whole valley, the STL link was actually a relay to the main transmitter in Quincy. Small market radio at its finest.
2. You have worked at several different radio stations, formats, and markets. I know your eight years at KXTE/Las Vegas was a great opportunity for you. Overall, what was your biggest takeaway before you moved to Phoenix?
That there are incredibly talented and passionate people at every station in every market regardless of format or company. Some of us have it better than others but we all share the same commitment to something bigger than ourselves. Also, that we're all a little crazy, we all choose to do this, for better or worse, and nobody 100% knows exactly what they're doing.
3. How many years have you been at KDKB now and what are you most proud of?
Creeping up on halfway through my 8th year at KDKB. I'm most proud of the fact we're still in format. Nothing about the last 8 years has been easy. Launching a new station never is. Being a successful Alternative station the last few years has been nearly impossible. I'm proud that we've hung on and have all grown and learned a great deal along the way. Our future is bright and I'm excited.
4. The station has been on fire in 2023. What do you feel has led to the station's significant ratings growth this year?
I don't want to give away any of our secrets, but a look at our 7-Day and daily logs from today vs a year ago vs 2 years ago tells a story that might be worth reading. To be totally honest, I really don't know if any specific thing we've done has made a damn bit of difference. I can say that I like how the station sounds now more than ever, our talent is a perfect fit, and we seem to be firing on all 8 cylinders.
5. Share with us some of the ratings highlights.
May 2023:
#7 6+
#2 P18-34
#3 P18-49
#5 P25-54My Daypart:
#5 6+
#2 P18-34
#3 P18-49
#5 P25-54Just for fun…
May 2022
#25 6+
#10 P18-34
#15 P18-49
#19 P25-546. I was reading the latest Alt Insider and the station has a lot of contesting and great prizes for listeners to win. Talk about the Air ALT AZ Flight 93.3 and what this means for the station.
Air ALT AZ is a Summer-long campaign that includes one flyaway each month using our app as an entry point. Everyone who enters for any of the trips, anytime during the campaign, is also qualified for the grand prize: a trip to ACL. Of course, there's a sponsor attached to it, like any good promotion. Nothing revolutionary here. Just one example of regular app-exclusive promotions we're constantly running. We're not afraid to overlap promotions when we need to and still do regular call-in ticket giveaways every day.
7. Tell us about your ALT Sessions. How do you execute them and what makes them special for listeners?
We recently secured a vibey new venue for our sessions. "Studio A" inside the new Walter Studios downtown Phoenix. The building has a long history of being various recording studios dating back decades. It's now a multi-purpose event venue with a full restaurant/bar and some really fun/unique spaces. Walter Productions operates it, if you've ever been to Burning Man or other nearby festivals you may have seen some of their pyro or art displays. This venue has totally elevated our sessions and the entire experience for our listeners. As routine as sessions have become for pretty much any active Alternative station, it never gets old for the listeners and it's an experience they can only get from radio.
8. How much has your current job changed over the years?
I'm wearing a few more hats than I was when I was first hired. I'd like to think I'm wearing them well. When I started at ALT AZ I was just Afternoons/APD. Since then, I've added MD duties and I write and produce all the Imaging. Somehow, I've figured out how to keep up with logs while getting promos written and produced, holding down afternoons and trying to answer the phone once and a while. I find the early morning hours are the best time to knock out logs while I'm sipping on coffee in my backyard which frees me up for other stuff during the day. I'm never caught up and the imaging is never what it could or should be but we're doing great and I'm still having fun.
9. What is your favorite part of your job?
Solving problems and finding solutions. I like puzzles. Programming is like trying to put together a puzzle with no picture of what it's supposed to look like, especially with Alternative. Seeing it all come together and the positive response from the audience is the reward. The free concerts are pretty rad too.
10. Last time you answered 10 Questions you had some wonderful words of encouragement for people in our industry. You mentioned that in tough times you discover your true character. What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you?
To make yourself invaluable. I got this advice early on in my career and it's probably the reason I've not only never been fired, but also why I've excelled in every roll I've taken. Of course, it's also why I always end up wearing so many hats. The most effective job security is when replacing you means hiring more than one person. I pass this advice freely to anyone who wants to hear it. That said, it's important to not forget your worth and never work for free (unless you're given a platform to prove yourself, then take full advantage and leverage the opportunity to get paid.)
Bonus Questions
When you're not in work mode, what is your favorite thing to do?
I love traveling and being in nature.
Talk about your Petbar.
Petbar is an upscale pet grooming and wash boutique, a franchise system based in Dallas, TX that my husband and I bought into a couple years ago. We're building 3 locations in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area over the next few years. Our first location just opened this past December and is doing fantastic 6 months in. We're starting to look into our second location. It's been a lot of work getting to this point but it's very comforting having a future plan in today's radio climate.
Favorite Drink?
Red Wine
Favorite Food?
Whatever my husband is cooking.
What are your favorite restaurants in the area?
Fez is my go-to, it's about a mile from our house in downtown Phoenix. One of those places where everyone knows our name and we know theirs. Fun vibe, great menu, amazing weekend brunch, a lot to love! For sushi, Harumi is some of the best I've ever had. It's also about a mile away but be ready to wait for a table, they don't take reservations.
Favorite new band over the past year?
100 gecs. I'm surprised I'm saying that based on my reaction when Atlantic first played the single for me. But then I went to the show and listened to the album and now I'm hooked.
Anything else you would like to add?
Buckle up, the world is only going to get weirder and it's only going to happen faster and faster. Be prepared to adapt to change and even be slapped across the face with it. Face it with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow, you never know where it might take you. The only thing you truly have control over is your attitude and that can make or break you.
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