10 Questions with ... Ken Martin

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started my career in Harrisburg, PA at WKBO-A while still in high school. After a few years of part-time work while I finished my education, in the summer of 1986 I got a job at three different radio stations at the same time, including weekend overnights at WNVZ/Norfolk VA. That led me to my first full-time position doing overnights at WAVA/Washington, DC. That's where I was promoted to full-time Production Dir. From there it was a brief stint in L.A. at KLSX in its Classic Rock days. Longing to return to Top 40, I moved back across country to Q105 in Tampa Bay. I spent over a decade in Tampa Bay working at Q105, Mix 96, Star 95.7, Mix 100.7 and more. Then, the PD post at KUCD/Honolulu was offered and I accepted. That's where I learned that being a PD is more about your staff than the minutia it takes to run a station. It was a painful lesson as it only lasted nine months before I was shown the exit door despite great numbers. Two weeks later, 9-11 happened. I tucked my tail between my legs and got a gig with Mediabase where I was still connected to radio but not subject to its fickle whims ... that was until Clear Channel merged Mediabase with Media Matters and I was downsized. After being out of radio for seven years, the job in Watertown turned up where I have been since 2012. I also work with Premiere Networks in re-mastering old American Top 40 shows with Casey Kasem from the early '70s. Those shows were originally produced in mono and I do a mono-to-stereo conversion for Premiere and the rebroadcasts of the classic shows.

1) What led you to a career in radio?

It was a fateful visit to WHYL-A/Carlisle, PA that got me hooked, and that was at a very young age. My aunt and uncle knew the morning man there and took me on a tour since I already loved records and music. I remember very clearly visiting Ben Barber that day. He even gave me a stack of 45s ... mostly stiffs, but cool nevertheless. One of them was Joe Cocker's "Cry Me a River." In hindsight, it was a cool song, but to a nine-year-old boy, not so much.

2) You took a programming shot, implementing a "No Repeat Work Week." How has that paid off for the station?

The No Repeat Work Week has paid off larger than I ever could have imagined. My TSL shot through the roof faster than Mr. Wonka's famous elevator. Magic 103.1 is a small class-A station with a signal that has poor office penetration in Watertown since it's licensed to its neighboring town of Carthage. Still, the No Repeat Work Week moved me into a tie for 2nd place 25-54. The Border 106-7 (our Top 40) is #1 and I'm tied with the heritage 97K-watt Country heritage station. Not bad for a little 1.8Kw stick. It's almost the story of David and Goliath.

Before the No Repeat Work Week I had co-opted the fictitious WABAC (way back) machine from the old Sherman and Peabody cartoons for WABAC weekends. I would play all '70s, '80s or '90s on the weekends and the listener response was very positive.

The Border and I shared a lot of audience so I was looking for a way to get out of their sandbox, while tackling our "classic hits" competitor. Weekend numbers were good so I thought I could create a vehicle to move some of that to the weekdays. The idea for the No Repeat trick came to me while I was lying in bed trying to doze off. Little did I know it would decimate my competitor and give me the best book I've ever had as a Brand Manager.

I hit the "no repeat" aspect very hard on-air and given that I sprinkle in music from the '70s and even some Beatles, which no one else plays, the audience was getting a hefty dose of "oh wow" records. The format is heavy on '80s but those extra songs give it enough surprise to keep the listener tuned in.

3) Watertown famously (infamously??) averages 123 inches of snow a year. Obviously, no one in town can be surprised when it gets rolling. What do you do to make sure that Magic is the place that people turn to for information?

That's one of the worst things about living in the North Country. I absolutely face a challenge when it comes to school delays and the like. The problem is even worse because I have John Tesh as the morning guy on the station and I do afternoons. When there is snow, I get up early and record the reports from my studio at home and send them into the station to run. I also update the stations websites and Facebook feed from home as well.

There has been some debate as to the need for the school closing reports since all parents get a reverse 911 call from their district. However, you can absolutely see a spike in use of our websites when schools close. I still think there is a "pride" when the kids or their parents hear their school mentioned on the air so I still do it even though management says it's not necessary.

4) "Local, local, local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?

Magic 103.1 has exactly 1 employee, and that's me. I'm PD, MD and afternoon drive on two of our stations (Magic 103.1 and our Country station). I'm also the OM, Production Dir., IT manager and boots-on-the-ground engineer for the five-station Watertown cluster. I'm also the PD for our News/Talk station. If only I could clone myself I might be able to get out in the community more often.

5) How important is social media to your stations' success?

I don't post a lot to Facebook, but what I do post I try to make super-relevant to my audience. In the spring of 2017 there was a State Trooper who was killed in the line of duty. I quickly threw together a tribute using Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You." The song got a lot of response on the air but it wasn't until I put together a video with stills of the trooper and video from a press conference that it exploded on Facebook. That video has been viewed over a half-million times since then. It still gets hits and comments to this very day.

6) What is your favorite part of the job?

Making people go "How did you do that?" With my computer experience, I have written some software code to automate the processes that used to take up a lot of time during the day. That's part of the reason why I'm able to wear so many hats because a lot of the day-to-day stuff is now automated. MusicMaster is tricked out with many rules to tighten up my on-air sound ... rules that even made MusicMaster tech people stop and take notice. I was able to write some software code in Excel that allows me to get my entire 300-plus barter spots done for the week in about 30 minutes. All of my syndicated programming is loaded automatically. I'm pretty good with Photoshop as well. Plus, my production ain't too shabby either, IMHO.

7) What is the most challenging part of the job?

Just trying to juggle all the plates I have spinning. Things can be humming along and then all of a sudden three things break at the same time. Those are the days I wish I had an assistant.

8) If you could add one full-time position to your budget right now, what would it be?

Magic 103.1 is doing okay right now. I have John Tesh in the morning, voicetracks on middays from our sister station in Elmira and Delilah at night. I do afternoon drive. It's voicetracked but I'm always in the studio doing production or scheduling music so I can jump on the air when needed. I would really love to have a Promotions Dir. for the cluster ... maybe one who could also voice track an air shift? It's amazing just how good our five-station cluster sounds for the lack of staff.

9) What artist would we be surprised to find on your playlist?

What isn't on my playlist? If it was a hit, then I will play it. Through my years in radio I've amassed a very large record collection with well over 10,000 45s, 12,000 albums and way too many CDs. Of course, nowadays it's all on the computer but I will not part with the vinyl. There are way too many instances where the digital version of a song, widely available today, does not match the 45 version.

10) Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?

I have to give a shout-out to my Earth and Space Science teacher. Mike Conrad took up teaching while working part time at WKBO/Harrisburg, PA. He was the person responsible for getting me in the door at radio. Of course there are all the usual names that come up in the discussion of influences. While it lasted and before I was in radio, I subscribed to "American Air Chex Magazine." Hearing all the great talents was great inspiration. While driving to work at WKBO I would listen to WLS out of Chicago and just marvel at how the station sounded. I remember hearing the intro for Cheap Trick "I Want You to Want Me" and marveled how the drums jumped out of the speakers.

I was a big fan of Casey Kasem and American Top 40.

Mark St. John was the first PD in a major market to take a chance on me. John Clay was the PD in Tampa when I got there. Chuck Morgan took me under his wing and gave me the APD stripes. As it turns out, Mark St. John is the consultant for Magic 103.1 and was instrumental in my hire.

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

A DJ. Yes, this is what I've always want to do. Fairy tales do come true.