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10 Questions with ... Beej Bretz
March 17, 2008
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NAME:Beej BretzTITLE:PDMARKET:Reno, NVCOMPANY:Americom BroadcastingBORN:Fairfield, CARAISED:BFE, Idaho
Please outline your radio career so far:
I bounced around in a bunch of small markets for a while. I spent '96 through '01 in Salt Lake City at a couple of Hot ACs. Then I was the Hot AC Editor at the late Network 40 in Los Angeles for approximately seven minutes (think I'll stay on the "radio" side of the fence from now on, if that's okay). I then joined Americom Broadcasting in Reno Five and a half years ago and decided to stick around. After all, buffets are cheap in this town. Might as well.
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My very, very first job in radio was at a college station at a little liberal arts college in McMinnville, Oregon in '91. I was playing Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden before anyone had ever heard of 'em. Good times! I was SUPPOSED to be a theatre major, but I spent so much time at the student radio station that my grades suffered horribly. Seeing the writing on the wall, I just decided to plunge into broadcasting.
2) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Nope! Bet I'm the first person to say 'no' to this. Don't get me wrong! I still love my job. But if I could do it again, I'd be a diagnostician. I've watched every episode of House at least 12 times, so I figure I'm probably at least half-qualified by now.
3) What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you? The worst?
The best advice ever? From Howard Jones. Don't try to live your life in one day. I used to get SO hung up in solving all of my problems, at work, and at home, at the same time. If you take a breath and just let the days come as they may, things tend to work out nicely.
The worst advice I've ever received came from Jon Smith, morning guy at KSNN in St. George, Utah. He bugged me for YEARS to see the movie "Colors." I finally relented. Lord, what a pile of shit that turned out to be. I'll never forgive you, Jon. EVER.
4) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?
Man. Terrestrial radio is being attacked on all sides, how do you pick just one angle? Okay, I'll choose "the lack of FM tuners in cell phones and iPods." People's entire lives are now in their Blackberries and iPhones ... if we can't find ways for our stations to get in there as well, I really fear that people are going to just grow out of the habit of flicking a radio on, and sooner rather than later.
I credit the Jacobs Media Blog that I receive every morning for continuously pounding this fear into my psyche. Thanks a lot for that neurosis, Paul.
5) What led to your station's recent ratings increase?
Oh as mentioned before, focus on the local aspect of the morning show. That's been the big thing. But our station just came off a huge book top to bottom, to which I also credit our local music research. This is SO important. I'm shocked and dismayed that there are stations nearby in Sacramento, a MUCH larger market, that are forced to use their corporate national music research. I mean, come on...I know times are tough, but services like listenersurvey.com are barter. I don't see how one can afford to not be researching your local P1s and their musical whims.
6) How much difference is there between your programming at night, versus programming in the day?
Very little. I'm a big fan of brand expectation. Look, when you bite into a Snickers bar, it should always taste like a Snickers bar...right? Every time someone samples my station, I want to give them the full impression of what we are.
7) Just about every market has a station flipping to "Jack," "Bob," "Max," or "Movin' Rhythmic Hot AC. What are your thoughts on these newer formats? Will they go the distance?
Rhythmic Hot AC figures to be a market-by-market success or fail situation, just like Modern AC (or any format, for that matter).
However, I thank God for the Jack format. It forced Hot AC to reinvent itself, to stop relying so much on '80s and '90s library. Our own company put on an 'Adult Hits' station of sorts several years back. At first, it took a shotgun right to my Hot AC's cume, but after some tinkering, we came back strong as ever by focusing on songs from the new millennium and more brand-new product.
8) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?
I hate to give the cliche answer, but..."local, local, local." It's so true. For years we've done nothing but focus on our local angle with our top-rated morning show, Bill and Connie. And it's paid off! Those two are always out hosting events and doing charity gigs ... they're so passionate about it. It's hard for me to keep up with what they're doing. It pays off in the ratings, yes, but even when we get hit with a bad book, clients still buy us because of how huge Bill and Connie are in our community.
After seeing the results we've had here, I get so frustrated when I see stations around the country giving a new morning show six to seven months and then moving on to try something new. This kind of payoff takes YEARS of hard work.
9) What other stations and markets do you like to keep track of?
Eh...I don't really have any benchmark stations or markets I like to follow. Once in a while I like to browse KLLC's playlist in San Francisco just because they're so damn interesting. KPLZ is always neat to look at as well. They've really done a great job of carving out their own format specifically for Seattle.
10) What gets you upset at work and how do you channel your anger?
Man, everything makes me mad. I'm just one of those angry people. Even this question is pissing me off. Excuse me, I need to go cool off with a cigarette. Cigarettes make me mad too though sometimes. Maybe I'll punch a wall instead.
Bonus Questions
1) Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?
George Michael. Shut up, he's awesome.
2) What is your favorite TV show?
"House, M.D.", but I need to throw "Lost" in here as an example of a show that radio can learn from. Let's face it, 58 minutes out of every hour of that show? Not very good. But they know how to tease, how to leave you hanging, how to ensure that they'll get you back next week.
We use Randy Lane as our morning show coach, and he's pounded the importance of teasing vertically (within your show) and horizontally (from day to day) to create more listening occasions. "Lost" has mastered this. Plus, John Locke just rocks my ass off. John Locke makes me want to move into the jungle and throw knives at everything that moves. I would have John Locke's baby.
And the way this season of "Lost" has gone thus far, it wouldn't be that inconceivable of a plot device.
3) What has been the best performing record on the station so far this year?
I'll go back to 2007 for this one ... easily Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer." That bastard spent almost 1700 spins in power. I STILL crank it up every time it comes on.
4) Name the artist/act (living or dead) you'd love to meet and why?
Willie Nelson. I hear he knows how to party.
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