10 Questions with ... Stephen Kallao

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

From 1995-2000 I worked at some great college stations (WLUW, WCRX) and low level internships (Q101) known affectionately as the free years. I had the privilege of honing my craft at venerable alternative springboard stations (KQXR/Boise & KFMA/Tucson) working with really bright minds and having a blast. Mark Hamilton probably doesn't remember but I spent eight months at KNRK. I "arrived" at 91X as the creative director and night guy. Then along with everyone else I worked with, disappeared into the ether. I rejoined my pal Jacent Jackson at WLUM to do afternoons and be the APD/image guy.

1. What stands out the most from your first job in radio?

Cart decks. Oh, actual people too. The more dumpy a station looks, the more fun everyone tends to have. There was never a feeling of dread. There was a bright future in 1995, crazy how that's changed so much.

2. Describe your typical workday juggling your music/imaging/on-air duties?

The cliché is true. Rarely are their typical days. One day you're refreshing an imaging category, the next day at the same time you're air-checking weekenders. The following day at the same time you're meeting about PPM. I'm very fortunate to have a PD that loves hand scheduling, and while I will never understand it, I'm eternally thankful.

3. What is the most challenging part of your job?

Not taking it personally. The best environments at a station have people engaged and invested in its success. The most engaged people contribute the most. Most ideas don't initially work, let alone make it to the air. That's the nature of entertainment, right? It's important not to look at it as failure. Your jokes won't always work. Your promotion won't always be successful. Just keep writing. Just keep planning. Just keep developing your material while considering the persona of the radio station. Know that it's mostly failure and occasional brilliance.

4. How do you define FM 102/1's Independent Alternative Radio slogan?

We're an independently owned alternative radio station. My owner is former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis and we occasionally take credit for that. The station has not had much in the way of consistent branding, so it was important to stick with something simple and clean. We also refuse to play commercial music, ever. Posers.

5. What are the most important indicators for you when evaluating the plethora of new music each week?

If I believe record promotion people, it's that more esoteric stations than ours are playing it (oh you should add this, tastemaker stations with crappy ratings have added it!). Here's what matters: Does it fit? Does it make sense on the air at OUR station? Things like cultural relevance and tour sales beyond that. The chart means less now. Because of the fragmentation, you don't need a national story to build a song. Here's a typical music meeting:

Jacent: Hey what do you like?

Me: This.

Jacent: Cool, me too. Wanna add it?

Finally, we're extremely judicious about the music we like.

6. What are you most proud of since joining the station?

Beating the heritage rock station every once in a while in demo is fun. Beating them 12+ was even better, because we weren't even supposed to compete with them. On a personal note, four complete re-images of the station was satisfying. My working childhood Nintendo in the production studio isn't far behind.

7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?

My co-workers. After 91X, I had a hard time finding motivation. "Is radio rewarding if you're sitting in an empty building" or "What if these people are unfortunate people, energy vampires who time-suck you in oblivion?" I couldn't do it on those terms. Thankfully, I found a situation that was perfect. I absolutely love seeing my morning guys. I love working with Jacent. I love having Michelle (our night jock) sit in studio with me the hour before I get off the air. It's easily the most rewarding part of my day. Adderall is a close second.

8. What are you most passionate about?

NOT USING PPM AS AN EXCUSE TO STOP TRYING. PPM has made a lot of radio stations terrified to do anything. "Don't talk for more than eight seconds. If you do, the listener will be trained to tune you out." Well guess what, you suck at entertaining. Just quit. If you think the solution to the PPM issue of mic flight is to simply stop talking, I'd like you to get out of the entertainment industry and move into analytics. It appears to me analytics dictate this whole thing, and last I checked, most of the great analysts in this country didn't get into radio. The C+ students did. You're an entertainer, not a pacifier.

Here's the other thing I'm passionate about. Sewing the seeds. My buddy Marcus D told me a long time ago to constantly re-teach what you have learned to the younger people coming up. Evidently there are no younger people coming up, so I guess we get to hang around until it's just Ryan Seacrest and Rush Limbaugh syndicated on every station in the country. I'd like to think that this isn't quite over yet, and it's predicated on getting young talented people in here to continue this field. Unfortunately we've destroyed our farm system through syndication, voice tracking and consolidation. You can still train people despite the lack of upward mobility, simply be honest. It's all you can do.

9. What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?

I was in a Roman Catholic Seminary. That usually confuses people.

10. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?

Easily, Energy 88-7, listed by Details Magazine as the "Best Rave Station 1992." How could you not love it? It was Loyola's student run station, but was completely legit as a commercial pop station. Mark Driscoll was the VO and would say insanely silly CHR things like "Don't turn your radio off...It may never come back on again..." or "The best DJs minimum wage can buy..." I absolutely loved listening to seminal techno records introduced by guys who still are doing well in the industry today, like Alan Cox and JR Rizzo, and I was fortunate to work under people I listened to like Rob Creighton and Joe Delfin. Seriously, it played new wave and techno, people! Early Prodigy, Depeche Mode, New Order, Erasure, I know you don't care but I loved it.

Tell us about your photography hobby?

I love the idea of working in an all visual medium when the entirety of your background is all audio. When I lived in San Diego, I lived next door to some incredible photographers (www.lunaphoto.com) who were gracious enough to let me in to see their world. I absolutely love it and have been fortunate to take all sorts of interesting photos thanks to them and my job in radio. Eventually, this is what I will do full-time and my work is showcased at whateverkallao.com.