10 Questions with ... Mike O'Malley

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Mike O'Malley began his radio career in college, which led to his first commercial radio Job at WATH/Athens, OH. There, he juggled on-air and sales positions. His first PD position was WBGM/Tallahassee, followed by WONS/Jacksonville, FL; WQSR/Baltimore; WCAO/Baltimore; and WPKX/Washington, D.C. In 1987, O'Malley was hired to flip then-AC WYNY/New York to Country. He programmed the station and held down various air shifts until 1992 when he joined the Moon Mullins Consulting firm. In 1994, O'Malley partnered with Country Radio Hall Of Fame member Jaye Albright (2008), forming Albright & O'Malley. The company morphed into its current iteration with the addition of Becky Brenner. In advance of his June 20th induction, All Access sat down with O'Malley to discuss what the honor means and to hear some great stories about his career.

1. Let's begin by asking what induction into the Country Radio Hall Of Fame means to you and what you think it says about your radio career.

Great. Let's start with the easy stuff! At its heart, any Hall Of Fame is about two things: first, it's a fascinating, living and continually evolving history that celebrates a game, an art, an industry. That story is told through the lives of those who are honored there, as well as by those who visit. Second, a Hall should serve as a source of inspiration for those who love whatever it is that the museum honors. That inspiration can be about being a better fan or about being motivated to be being better at your craft. The much harder part of this question is the part about my career. Beyond a doubt, this is one of the greatest honors anyone in the business could receive. Many of my radio heroes are inductees, so the idea of me joining them is still a bit surreal. I've been busy doing what I love - radio - and then bam, this happens. But, going back to the purpose of any Hall Of Fame, I hope as a group we serve to energize, inspire, and affirm.

2. What station or personality did you listen to most growing up, and how did either - or both - influence you in pursuing a radio career?

I was one of those "transistor under the pillow" kids. Growing up in New Jersey, just across the Hudson from the City, I got to listen to some amazing stations and talent. And, while I loved listening to music, I really remember more about the talent I listened to than anything: B. Mitchell Reed and the great Dan Daniel on WMCA, Dan Ingram and the incredible Cousin Brucie on WABC, Murray the K on WINS, and Al Gee on WWRL. Then, later in Philadelphia at WFIL, it was Dr. Don Rose and Dangerous Dan Donovan and Gary Lane on WMID in Atlantic City. These talents have always been in my personal Hall Of Fame. Interestingly enough, though, I went to college (Ohio University for my undergraduate degree) envisioning I'd earn a job as a spin doctor for a politician or a big corporation. One night (where some beers may or may not have been consumed), a few of us went up to the college radio station. I wish I knew who was on the air at the time, because it was magic watching him work. So magic, in fact, that the next day, I changed my major from Journalism to Radio-TV. That sounds rather quaint, now doesn't it?

3. Tell us about your first radio job - and your first-ever live break on the air. Certainly, you remember both, right?

My first job was at WATH, which was in Athens, Ohio - the same town as Ohio U. And, I remember my first break like one remembers a root canal: it was painful. Thank you, Carl Dickens, for not releasing me on the spot.

4. Mentors - everybody has a few of them. Who was it for you that helped you, challenged you, and made you believe you could actually make this a career?

I was fortunate. Nearly everyone who I worked with was gracious enough to share their knowledge. Bob Baron taught me formatics, Gabby Bruce to never take yourself too seriously, Cliff Thompson who gave me my first PD job, and Bill Sherard who taught me how to be a manager and coach are a few who gave generously of themselves. I also learned a lot from the consultants I was fortunate enough to work with, including Moon Mullins and Rusty Walker.

5. You spent your early career doing day-to-day radio and at big stations. How did you decide to shift into consulting many stations, and do you ever miss being inside a radio station all day?

The person that set me on the path I'm now on was E. Karl from this "new" company, the Research Group. E. was the Research Group's program consultant. Until I met E., I never knew such a job existed. When I discovered what it was all about - particularly the part about doing radio from dawn to dusk in different markets simultaneously - I set out on a career path with being a consultant as the end goal. As for being in the station, it's still the most exciting place for me as a consultant. Magic can happen at any moment during a phone call or while writing up some notes as easily in the office as in the station. But, the extra jolt of excitement and the potential for over-the-top ideas that can take place at a station full of passionate radio people is especially energizing.

6. Country has traditionally been an adult-targeted format, specifically25-54 - but we seem to have moved more into the 18-34 arena recently. Long-term, is this the core audience for Country radio, or do you see us shifting in emphasis and appeal, back to mature listeners?

If we look at the last two years (26 PPM monthlies, May 2016 to April 2018), the 18-34 shares and 25-54 shares have held steady year-over-year: 8.2 to 8.3 year-over-year in 18-34 and 7.1-7.1 in 25-54. Of course, there is the US' demography to consider. As of just a few years ago, the number of 45-54s was around 45-million; meanwhile, the number of 35-44s was notably smaller - about 41 million. So, as 45-54s age out of the demo, they are being replaced by a smaller number of 35-44s that are moving in. Then, if we look at 15-34s, we can see that this population is greater than persons 30-44, so we'll have another instance of a younger demo cell being different in size than the older one it is replacing. But, setting numbers aside for a moment, Country remains a destination format. That is, it's like a destination business which owns multiple positive attributes and is a place people seek out. For Country, these owned attributes include artists that have broad appeal yet remain, for the most part, exclusively to Country as a music genre. Plus, there's the talent - potentially another significant attribute. Stations that are placing an emphasis on talent are growing strong bonds with listeners - bonds which can remain strong even as listeners move across demos. Finally, like a destination business, Country stations are welcoming across age groups. One of the biggest common denominators is great songwriting/storytelling. With what's percolating musically right now, I'm feeling bullish about what lies ahead for Country fans, regardless of their age.

7. There's also industry-wide concern about the thin on-air talent pool and its lack of development. How will we get younger talent ready for prime time, and where will we find younger creative types in a time where radio isn't seen as cool as it once was?

While the radio talent pool is pretty shallow, there is no shortage of interesting people who are fully present in the moment and enjoying it. They're the opposite of the self-absorbed, because they want to engage everyone around them so that all can share in the fun. When you think about available talent in these terms, the pool looks different.

8. Also, what about new, programming talent - where will we discover the next Michael O'Malley?

There are already many great program directors in our format - and, probably a lot more who could/will be. Regularly spend time with the two or three most creative/innovative people on the staff, encourage "polish the brand" thinking and "big idea Tuesday." Talk about listeners and all the ways we can create amazing touch-points for them. Nurturing a person's passion for programming benefits us all.

9. Having been in the format for a while now, let's talk about where the format is going - you programmed during the 90s boom and are still at it now, when Country is just huge. What direction do you see it heading? Are the Pop, Hip-Hop and Rock influences here to stay?

Each time the format has experienced a "boom," the traditional center has moved slightly. And, that's a good thing. Imagine how disastrous it would be for almost any type of music if it were to become completely static. Having said that, when the format galvanizes around a sound (usually slightly evolved, but still close to center), and we have artists that are dynamic/unique/readily identifiable, we take a big step forward as we did in the early 90s and most recently in the 2010s. We're seeing that beginning to happen now. More importantly, listeners are hearing it and identifying artists that they see as driving the format forward.

10. What has been you proudest moment in radio? Was it an off-air or on-air moment?

Okay, this is going to sound really corny, but in aggregate, most everything has been a "blessed moment." To have been afforded the opportunity to work in this incredible business, to have had the chance to mentor and be mentored, to have been part of station teams that have brought listeners emotional highs and stood by them during hard times, to have made life-long friends though a shared vision of excellence and passion for what we do, and to have been able to interact with so many talented and wonderfully engaging artists, it's all rolled into an amazing couple of decades. Decades? Wait! How did that happen!? There are some stand-out memories though - like being the PD of the first Country stations in America to raise over one million dollars for St. Jude in a single radiothon (WYNY), to have been part of the careers of programmers and talent who are now in major markets, this honor of being inducted into the Country Radio Hall Of Fame - I would have never suspected. But, most of all, it's those times when someone has said "thanks for your time mentoring and coaching - it's made a difference in my career."