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10 Questions with ... Steven Mills
August 24, 2009
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NAME:Steven MillsTITLE:VP/Programming & MarketingMARKET:Wichita, KSCOMPANY:SMS Media PartnersBORN:Topeka, KSRAISED:Topeka, KS Wichita, KS
Please outline your radio career so far:
KMAJ/Topeka, KS
KLZR/Lawrence/Kansas City, KS
KMXW/Wichita, KS
KANR/Wichita, KS
KTBT/Tulsa, OK
KBLR/Omaha, NE
KQIZ/Amarillo, TX
KSZR/Tucson, AZ
"Sunday Nite Slow Jams"1) What Got You Interested In Radio?
I used to listen to Chris King on KPRS in Kansas City and I thought, "I could do that!"
2) How would you describe your first radio gig?
It was pretty cool. My Station Manager, Brother Ken Scates gave me an opportunity that I can never fully repay him for!
3) How did you get your present gig?
I co-founded this company, along with Matt Johnston and Shannon Reed, whom are long time friends and local icons in Wichita.
4) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?
The Hot AC that I program is actually a Hot AC/Top 40 hybrid, but it is also totally online and getting just as much local attention as a terrestrial station.
5) What is the biggest misconception about your station?
The biggest misconception about KKRD online is that because it's online it can't be monetized. Guess what, we are billing almost as well as a terrestrial station.
6) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?
Cutbacks!! What kills me is that certain companies let go of phenomenal programmers that were under contract and gave them severance. Why not keep them until their contract was expired and not renew? At least they could have kept good ratings on the stations that were affected. Instead, they released them and destroyed their properties.
7) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with Internet radio?
I believe that the internet radio based medium is fast approaching its big brother, terrestrial radio. Some day soon, maybe the industry will give Internet radio the proper recognition.
8) How do you interact with your sales staff, and how do you position the station to prospective clients?
I am a business PD!! I work with sales hand in hand, daily. Since I have the additional duty of being VP/Radio and Marketing, I have a direct responsibility to work with and assist the sales team however necessary.
I tell our clients that this is the perfect station to talk to a 36 year old woman, which is who has the control of the checkbook these days!
9) How do you feel about the new royalty rate increases for Internet radio and proposed royalties for terrestrial radio?
I have no problems with them. The artists need to be paid for their music.
10) As you look back over your career ... any regrets? Missed opportunities?
I regret all of the mistakes that I have made and the people that I hurt in the process. I burned a lot of bridges. I have mended most of those, but if I crossed you in the wrong way and you never heard from me thereafter let me take this opportunity to say "I Am Sorry!"
Bonus Questions
1) Who do you consider your radio mentor(s)?
J.J. Morgan, Sam Weaver, Jon Zellner, Joel Denver, Greg Williams, Moon Mullins, Tom Land, and we can't forget Mike Kennedy.
2) Have you explored launching an HD Radio channel?
Absolutely not......if you are, save your money!
3) What's the best hire you've ever made?
That would be DJ Mista Soul, formerly of KBLR-FM/KOPW-FM Omaha!!! The guy is sharp!
4) What do you enjoy most about music scheduling?
The ability to hand schedule the log and massage the music to draw an emotion. I am not the F10 Selector guy by any means.
5) Do you have any music scheduling tricks you've learned that you wish to share?
Todd Shannon told me to always HAND SCHEDULE!
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