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10 Questions with ... Scott Michaels
March 7, 2006
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NAME:Scott MichaelsTITLE:Program Director/Ops MgrSTATIONS:KALF/KZAPMARKET:Chico, CACOMPANY:Regent CommunicationsBORN:FreeRAISED:Southern California (fer sure dude)
Brief Career Synopsis:
1982-84 got the radio bug from one of the best,
Boss Jock Dave Diamond (he was teaching at the time at the College I attended in the Midwest, it also doesn't hurt he was a childhood friend of Mom). Started part-time at KOWN/Escondido, CA doing anything I could. After many miles and towns landed at KALF/Chico in 1995 and have been here ever since.
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
Part-time board op running ACC with Bob Kingsley (on Vinyl) Sunday Mornings at KOWN/Escondido, CA, and growing up listening to the Rich Brothers in San Diego and Shotgun Tom Kelly on KCBQ/San Diego.
2) Can you be a boss and also a friend to your employees?
It is a fine line but I think it helps holding down an air shift to relate and keep the daily communication open. I work with some great talent and they know what they need to do to accomplish the goals we've set for the station.
3) If you are wearing more hats today, than say last year, what area is suffering, and what are you doing about it?
Spending Quality time listening to the music and picking the hits, so I'm blocking time each week to sit down and listen and carry them in my truck to listen when I'm not in the office.
4) Will the advent of Satellite Radio affect our biz? Explain!
It will have some affect to those that want a simple jukebox with minimal personality, but local will still win out. You can still bump into our jocks at the grocery store and know about their lives. We better continue to find ways to keep terrestrial radio compelling and entertaining especially for the younger demos who already look at iPods and the Internet as better ways to spend their time with music.
5) What can we be doing with our station's web sites to better our stations as a whole?
If stations are streaming, we better have interesting and entertaining content on the site to attract the listener to continue coming back to listen. Most sites I've seen are still very neglected with outdated information /misspellings etc.
Station websites need to be an extension of the radio station. It has to be as good as if you were putting it on air. As budgets get smaller and disappear for outside marketing what better way to push what's happening with your radio station than your own website
6) What do you plan to differently in the next year regarding work and family?
Don't sweat the little stuff. We have a saying around here, "it is what it is!"
My little guy starts playing baseball this spring, so I want to spend time throwing the ball around. "How 'Bout a catch Dad"??
7) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as say, six months ago? Better than it was? Same? Elaborate please!
I feel very positive about what's coming out of Nashville. And it helps to have the biggest Show on TV (Idol) helping create a Country Superstar in Carrie Underwood, which turns on a new audience to Country radio.
The music has been getting better and hopefully Music Row will keep it coming. There's a little something for everyone on Country radio right now, from Gospel to good ol' partying drinkin songs, to the heartache/heartbreak traditional torch songs.
8) If you could add any one full-time position to your budget, with no questions asked, what would it be?
A morning show partner for my current host. We're in a unique situation where we currently share a co-host with another station the building. It keeps her pretty busy in the morning.
9) Favorite artist that you have met?
I've been able to build some wonderful Friendships with a lot of artists but Garth has been the best to date. He made the listeners and my wife and I feel like we were old friends even though we were meeting him for the first time (back in 1997).
10) Most surprising record of the past 12 months?
I'm not a big fan of Idol but it has to be "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. I didn't give it any chance at all. Oops!!
Bonus Questions
1) Do you read...everything? Books, Magazines, etc. Nothing? What's your favorite reading material?
Wherever I am, I read, newspapers, magazines, brochures, if it's printed I'll read it. Some of the best ideas we've had for morning show bits have come from Airline magazines. (They tell you to take 'em) My daughter hooked me on Harry Potter, also can't beat a good Tom Clancy novel.
2) Do you have Musical Guilty Pleasures?
Jimmy Buffet, nothing beats a cold Corona and "Margaritaville" blasting from the speakers in the backyard.
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