10 Questions with ... Dan Jessop

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

You're kiddin' right? Here are some highlights:

• KCPX/Salt Lake City, UT - 1972-82
• KISN/Salt Lake City, UT - 1982-84
• KSL/Salt Lake City, UT - 1984-89
• KMGR/Salt Lake City, UT - 1989-93
• KSFI/Salt Lake City, UT - 1993-96
• KBZN/KLO/Salt Lake City, UT - 1996-Present

1) What Got You Interested In Radio?

My brother-in-law was a DJ and he would take me to work when I was eight years old... I was fascinated!!

2) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?

Salt Lake City is a very young, and very conservative market. And it's becoming more diverse. This is the most "over-radio-ed" market in the country!

3) What is it about your station that you feel really makes it cut through?

Music! Music! Music! And great local talent that understands the audience.

4) How are you using social media to market your radio station?

Our Facebook page is relatively new. We are using to contests to communicate one-on-one with our listeners. It's a great way to form attachment for a station that doesn't talk a lot.

5) What can we be doing with our station web sites to better our stations as a whole?

Keep the commercialism down. We need to make our web sites a service to the listeners.

6) How do you stay in tune with your audience?

Ask 'em! Do research... go where they go, learn to listen, and learn.

7) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?

I think radio is doing fine. It just needs to be available on all of the platforms that people are using today (iPods, streaming, etc).

8) Who do you consider your radio mentors?

Gary "Wooly" Waldron of KCPX. He's the greatest PD, a mentor, a friend... and to this day I still learn from him.

9) Who is the most amazing talent you've worked with?

Lynn Lehmann (KCPX mornings) who left radio at the age of 30 to pursue TV syndications with Dick Clark, author books and such. He never considered returning to radio, but he is a hilarious, "Will Rogers like" down to earth morning guy. (Who the hell is Will Rogers you ask?)

10) What is the one truth that has held constant in your career?

PLAY THE HITS!

1) What has been your station's biggest accomplishment?

Moving from Smooth Jazz to Hot AC and going from 21st place to 3rd or 4th inside of just two years. We are very pleased with ourselves.

2) Do you have any good stalker stories? Misty requests? "Fatal Attractions?"

Nah!!! Once the girls told me to go away, I did!!!!! Ha!! Honestly, nothing to speak of.

3) What was the biggest gaffe you've made on air? (dead air ... forget a mic was still on ... etc.)

I'm not saying! It was in the middle of the night and I was never caught :D