10 Questions with ... Kit Mann

E-MAIL: kmann@horizonbroadcastinggroup.com
WEBSITE: http://www.thepeak1041.com/

Please outline your radio career so far:

God, really? I’m an original radio vagabond: Tulsa, Memphis, Albuquerque, Spokane, Dallas ... Can I stop now? Let's just live in the moment and not dwell on the past.

1. What makes the Bend Oregon market unique? How does this compare to other markets where you have worked?

In reality, this is probably the most unique place I have ever worked and lived. It is small, but growing at an insane rate. So there are parts that still feel and act like a small town, but the influx of money and people are making the line between small and large blur pretty significantly. There is some real talent in this town in all forms of media, but there is also an old school element here that is, sometimes tough to overcome. Also, it is almost exactly 50/50 liberal and conservative.

2. How do you handle the responsibilities of being both a Program Director and a morning show host?

I have pretty much always been both, so it’s not too tough. The toughest part is doing the show. My “morning guy” persona wants to do certain things but my “PD guy” has to slap me around a bit. Morning guy usually wins. Honestly, time management is the key. Get in, get your work done, go home and have a life. I don’t spend a lot of time fooling around being unproductive.

3. What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?

CONTENT! Some of us in the industry spend entirely TOO MUCH time and too many man-hours worrying about things that don’t serve the SOUND of the radio station. I keep reading surveys and research on All Access and other places saying that listeners (especially women) want personality and compelling content and what do jocks and PDs do? They spend hours and hours worrying about minutiae of the inner workings of the radio station and staff politics, and then throw together voice tracked shows in 20 minutes on stations with half-thought out imaging, elements that aren’t demographically appropriate and throwaway promotions.

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

We have a great Social media and web director (Lauren Green) who handles everything and every detail for the whole group. Then Danni K (my morning co-host) handles the social aspect of the morning show. We are active as we can be. We are using Instagram contesting, Facebook call back promotions and Twitter for instant contact.

5. How do you stay in tune with your audience?

Listen to them for God’s sake! And I don’t mean the crazy prize hog callers and the P1s who will listen to you if you make fart noises for three hours. I mean LISTEN to what strangers say in public when they don’t know that you’re listening. Pay attention to what they talk about, what song makes them turn up the station, what they worry about during their day. Learn about your market and how they live their lives.

6. How are you using new technologies in your personal life to listen to music, and what observations have you made about how today's listeners use technology?

I use Spotify pretty exclusively because it integrates with Roku, PS4, my phone, my car, Amazon Echo etc. ... HEY! I wonder if there is a lesson someplace in there?

7. Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you’d like to improve?

Oh God yes! I wish I could artfully craft “after show” content, like podcasting and blogging. I am so spent by the time the show is done and I have so much “PD” work to do that I just don’t have the time to develop the skill set to do extra content.

8. What is the biggest change that you’d like to see happen in the business?

Can we just please hire a few more people? I understand budgets and revenue and all of that, but there has GOT to be a way that we can have slightly bigger staffs. TWO more people would make ALL the difference.

9. What advice would you give people new to the business?

Do it for love. Don’t do it for fame or to stroke your ego. Be humble. Find a dude like me, who has been through the eras and has watched people come and go, and LEARN from them. Ask questions. Take notes. Don’t assume things and STOP multi-tasking so much. SLOW DOWN!

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

That it doesn’t matter what market I have been in or how many listeners I have had, they are ALL just people who do the same things. If you speak to ONE person and not the group, you will make personal connections that will last and translate to ratings. Whether you have a 2.0 share or a 20.0 share, each person is just a person that wants connection.

Also, no matter where I have been, I always fantasize about buying the place when I win the Powerball and who would keep their jobs and who would get fired and how I would just use my riches to run commercial free for two years.

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

That I studied under a Zen master for many years and even considered dumping my career and becoming a Buddhist Monk at one point.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I started in radio when I was 14, so being Rick Dees was always the goal except when I was four. When I was four I wanted to be a garbage man or an astronaut. They were both equally appealing.