10 Questions with ... Tony Katz

1. The standard question to open with is: How and why did you get into radio? What appealed to you about doing radio?

My first ever hosting gig was on WWJB in Brooksville, FL. I was doing a presentation for a business networking group I belonged to, and station owner Barbara Manuel was there. She liked my style, and came up to me after and said, “I need you!” I filled in for a week on the morning show. After that, I started asking myself if this was a future I can see for myself. The answer was very clearly yes! It was then, it still is today.

2. When you moved into mornings at WIBC, it was a departure from the station's previous morning image, which was a lot more traditional. When you took over the shift, was there any concern that your more controversial and explicitly political style would encounter resistance? And to what do you attribute your fairly immediate success in mornings?

Change is never easy. And there were plenty of people who were questioning of my style and the direction change of the station. But, I wouldn’t say I am explicitly political. I’m very cultural in my conversations; how does subject ‘X’ affect all of us and why. Then, my politics comes in when I talk about solutions or responses. Even people who don’t align with my politics respect that I know the topics, that I’m presenting a point of view they can agree or disagree with and that I’m not yelling at them.

As for the success of the show, that’s easy. I love Indy, and I talk about Indy. I made it a point to engage my new home, and get feedback from Hoosiers who grew up here. Also, the way I present and discuss subjects is upbeat, not angry, and it shows. That style, and working on how to get better at it, has also led to the success of my syndicated midday show, “Tony Katz Today.”

3. About your politics -- how would you say your views were shaped? Were there people or books or life experiences that led you to your particular brand of conservatism?

My politics come from my parents, and my experiences. My parents are self-starters; entrepreneurs at every level. Even today they work at their own business, and my father is 81! As a kid, dinner table conversations were about how to work with people. When we talked politics, it was about self-reliance, control of one’s destiny and how government programs did not always equate to kindness.

I failed a lot in my early life. A lot. Too much. But it all changed when I started being honest with myself about what I’m good at and what I’m not. That led to the recognition of my own fear of success. Turns out, in my early years, I was really good at self-sabotage. The minute I stopped doing that, that’s when things started to click.

When people ask me what it took to be able to host mornings at 93.1FM WIBC and also a daily syndicated show, I tell them, “For me, it took working at any radio station I could for four years for no money, then working nights on WIBC for 8 months for free.” They can’t believe it, nor understand it. But I wanted to do this, and I learned from my parents that if you want to control your destiny you have to work for it…and, very often, risk for it. The risk has been well worth the reward.

4. As you expand your syndication efforts, what would you say are the things about you and your show that make you different from other syndicated offerings? What would a prospective affiliate get from you that they won't get elsewhere?

I view syndication different than most, from my unique barter proposition to my content, which is much more culture-focused but still politically right-leaning. Of course, I want to be your station’s live mid-morning show, but I think the lessons learned about podcasting (people want the content when they want it, on their schedule) can apply to our business. Stations, like people, need content when they need it.

If running my show from 10-1pm ET works best -- take it. If you only need two hours -- take two hours. You need something from 6-9 pm? Great. Time shift it. Do you need a show that you can use as a fill-in while one of your hosts is on vacation or has to take an unplanned sick day? Put my show in. Have a station that runs MLB or other sports, and you need something to fill before and/or after? The list goes on and on.

My show is upbeat, entertaining, incredibly informative and offers stations the biggest financial opportunity. And how I deliver the show makes a program director’s job easier. I like this model a lot.

5. You have the "Eat! Drink! Smoke!" podcast alongside your radio work. Why do you do podcasts, what's the best thing about maintaining a podcast, and, keeping with the theme of the podcast, if you could create the perfect meal, what would be in it?

”Eat! Drink! Smoke!” is wonderful. (Subscribe on iTunes Right Now!!) It allows me to show other facets of my personality. Politics and culture and how people can be in control of their own lives, I love those conversations. But I wanted to show people some more about me…..what moves me outside of the “political.”

I love cigars - the art in creating them, the involvement of mom and pop businesses - all of it. I have a pretty good cigar palette. I’m getting better with bourbon, but is a far better drink for me than scotch. Scotch competes with the cigar, and I don’t want that. So I review cigars and review bourbon, and in between, I talk about food and stories that I don’t get to on the radio shows. It’s growing great, and who knows what will come of it. (Did you subscribe yet? “Eat! Drink! Smoke!” on iTunes!!)

As for the perfect meal, there is no such thing. It’s like when people ask, “What’s your favorite cigar?” I don’t have one. I want to constantly try new things. But, if you want some recommendations - the JD Howard from Four Kicks, The Winston Churchill Late Hour from Davidoff, Asylum 13 Medulla Oblongata.

6. You're not the stereotypical angry, yelling talk radio host, so here's a question about America: Do you think the country will forever be polarized the way it is today or can the country at some point come together at least in a less contentious way? Is there common ground between left and right or is centrist America gone for good?

I think the country will be polarized as long as some people still profit from it, and other people build reputation from it (which is a different kind of profiting.) I’m not a screamer or stereotypically angry because morning radio has taught me well: everyone else is angry, sometimes the audience is angry and the very last thing they need is me being angry. They want me to have a command of the facts, to have passion about the subject and to share in a conversation; learning and entertainment, not lectures.

I’m not as much concerned with common ground as I am with common decency. That’s what’s missing. Dennis Prager always discusses how he doesn’t want agreement, he wants clarity. I get that.

7. Who were and are your inspirations and influences? Who in radio influenced what you do today?

I’m not the student of radio that others may be, but Rush built our niche, and I’m thankful for it. And Howard Stern is what I grew up with as a kid in New Jersey. Dennis Prager. I think he’s unique. No one is doing what he is on-air.

But I can’t say they are necessarily influences. I go back to my parents for that. Definitely an influence.

8. Of what are you most proud?

I have a great family. Truly an amazing wife and excellent, well-adjusted kids. That’s always first. But getting to this point involved faith and sacrifice, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Sticking with it, especially when there were no deals or dawns on the horizon, was not easy, but nothing earned ever is. I’m certainly happy, if not proud, that I didn’t give up.

9 . Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _______________.

Send me an email and I’ll tell you. tony@tonykatz.com We can also talk about how my show is right for your station!

10. What would you say is the most important lesson you've learned so far?

A bad show is not the end of the world. My Indianapolis program director, David Wood, likes to remind me that it’s never as bad as you think it is and it’s never as good as you think it is. He’s right. I’ve learned that you keep at it. You focus on the basics; You keep coming back, keep smiling and trust your talent and abilities. Learning to trust in myself to have a better show tomorrow has been invaluable.

I’ve also learned that radio station coffee is terrible.