10 Questions with ... Cliff Saunders

NAME:Cliff Saunders TITLE:Afternoon Drive Co-Host STATION:WSSP MARKET:Milwaukee COMPANY:Entercom BORN:7-15-71 RAISED:New York City

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Interned for Art Rust Jr. at WABC at the age of 16 in 1987. First job was at WGR in Buffalo in 1991. Also worked behind the scenes with ESPN Radio and The Fabulous Sports Babe Show (ABC) until moving to One on One Sports/Sporting News Radio in 1999 where I went from being a producer to an anchor to a weekend host. After SNR, did fill in at WSCR The Score in Chicago before moving to Milwaukee in 2005. Started as the afternoon driver update anchor for Peter Brown, moved to midday co-host in September of 2005, and in February of 2006 was moved to co-host of afternoon drive.

1. How did you get into radio? Why radio?

I got into talk radio as a kid listening first to Art Rust Jr. on WABC, and then to Howard Stern. I wanted to actually be a sports columnist but the newspaper at Buffalo State College refused to let underclassmen write. It was either the college radio station or nothing. I chose the college radio station and, judging by my grades, never left.

2. About what are you most passionate these days?

Pennant race baseball. My Mets are leading the NL East. The team we talk about every day -- the Brewers -- leads the NL Central [for now]. Milwaukee is a baseball town and the fans are going crazy (in a good way). You can't help but draw off of their passion.

3. How has the Brewers' improvement (ignoring their recent slump) changed what sports talk is like in Milwaukee -- can the Brewers push the Packers and Wisconsin football to a secondary position if the Brewers are still in first place in, say, mid-September, or is football still going to dominate the phones? What is the Bucks' place in the pecking order?

The biggest thing is we are talking baseball and it's mid-August. That hasn't happenned here for a while obviously. If the Brewers can get things on the right track once again they can definitely push the Packers and Badgers to the back burner. If not, it'll be Packers, Packers, Packers, Badgers. The Bucks are not even on the radar right now.

4. You've been a producer for years as well as a host and anchor -- how critical is a good producer to making a good show? What should PDs and hosts be looking for in a producer?

If you do not have a good producer you will not have a good show. it's as simple as that. Producing today is different than it was even five years ago. A good producer needs to be versatile. Needs to book guests, help come up with benchmark ideas, topic ideas, and needs to have the strength to keep the hosts on track. Sports radio has changed somewhat over the last few years. Working as a producer at the network level (Sporting News Radio), there was a premium placed on getting big name guests on the air. There was less of a preium placed on the kind of topics that were being done. Having big name guests is great, but does it compel a listener to stay tuned after that interview is over? I know the host is the guy who's out front, and some producers are afraid to suggest things, but my belief is that the more ideas the better. And the only way you get more ideas is to get more people involved in the pre-show production process.

5. You work alongside former Packer Gary Ellerson; what's the best thing about your co-host? What annoys you the most? And what do you think annoys him about you?

The best thing is that Gary brings a former player's perspective to the dance. But, unlike other former players that do shows, he doesn't have the ego. He will poke fun at himself as much as anyone else. He's also my total opposite. In every way, shape, and form imaginable.

There is nothing that truly annoys me about Gary. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that he's twice my size [ok, maybe it does]. On a serious note, I have never had as much fun working with someone in this business.

I had never really done a team show before working with Gary, so the thing that probably annoyed him the most was my tendency to want to dominate a conversation. I said annoyed. We've been doing this for two years now, so there has been a lot of growing. It's a much different show than it was in September of 2005.

6. If you hadn't gone into radio, what would you be doing today?

Great question. I pretty much put all my eggs in the radio basket. But, outside of radio, probably media relations for any of the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB teams. Or something sports related.

7. What do you do for fun? (In other words, what's crackin'?)

My wife and I enjoy going out to dinner (and we have been known to go out a lot) and going to movies. I also just bought my first set of golf clubs in April. The golf bug has definitely bitten me.

8. Who are your heroes?

In this business, there are a mix. Former ESPN Radio host Chuck Wilson was the guy who instilled the work ethic in me. I never saw a guy put so much into getting ready to do a show. He tought me that you could never be too prepared. Outside of Chuck, Howard Stern was the guy who made me fall in love with radio. I couldn't believe he would talk about some of the things he talked about and get away with it.

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

...the internet. I need to keep up on what's going on - even on vacation. It ticks the wife off but again you can never be too prepared.

10. What's the best advice you've ever gotten? The worst?

The best: keep plugging away. The worst: stay behind the scenes because you don't have a 'great radio voice'. The same person said both things to me. I'll protect his identity.