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10 Questions with ... Ryan Schuh
September 12, 2005
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NAME:Ryan SchuhPOSITION:PD/MDSTATION:KJCE Talk Radio 1370amMARKET:Austin, TexasCOMPANY:InfinityEDUCATION:University of Texas at Austin - B.S. in Radio/Television/Film (specializing in management)BORN:Austin, TexasRAISED:Austin, Texas
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
1994-1996 KUTZ 98.9 "Z-Rock" Morning Show Producer, Weekend/Swing & PSA Director
1996-1999 KJFK 98.9 "Hot Talk Radio" Assistant to Operations Manager
1999-2000 KAHK "Classic Hits 107.7 The Hawk" Music Director/On-Air Personality/PSA Director
2001-Present KJCE Program Director & Marketing Director1) How did you get your start in radio?
I have always been interested in radio. It's an innate characteristic of myself and have never wavered in wanting to pursue a career in the broadcast industry.
I officially got my start as an intern at KUTZ "Z-Rock" on the Sharkman Morning Show. As soon as my internship was over, I was hired as the producer for the show.
2) What are you passionate about?
I am extremely passionate about providing a quality on-air product for my audience. I have an extraordinary high standard for what goes out over the air (as I produce all the imaging). For example, I always write, voice, produce and schedule all on-air promos. I'm constantly trying to take 1370am to the "next level" by coming up with promotions & programming ideas for our sales department to sell - and yet still be able to maintain the integrity of the station. Customer service is paramount; meaning that listeners ARE customers and I personally respond to each and every call/e-mail I receive.
3) Austin is a competitive talk market- what's KJCE's position, and why? How do you see the competitive landscape in the market?
We bill ourselves as "Austin's Conservative Voice" with such "top shelf" programming as Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham & Michael Savage. As of Monday (September 5th), we added The Dr. Laura program to our weekday lineup. Dr. Laura has an extremely loyal following here in Austin, as she had been on another local station for many years.
The landscape is viciously competitive. Austin has traditionally been perceived as a "liberal" City. However, there are many places in Austin (and Central Texas) that are highly conservative and these locations are reflected in the audience research. Ironically, these conservative areas are the "high growth" communities with new businesses, neighborhoods & schools being built (virtually non-stop).
4) If you hadn't gone into radio, what would you be doing today?
I'm a computer buff. I probably would have gone into some aspect of the computer industry.
5) What makes a good radio talk show? Which are your favorites?
A host that can connect with the audience. Meaning, one that can empathize & relate with a listener. I think being as "local" as possible is essential for a good local talk show (i.e. giving local high school sports scores or discussing city election results). National topics should be a part of a local show, but it's up to the host to take these topics and try and "localize" them as much as possible.
I do not have any favorites. My job is to obtain and promote talk shows that will increase our listenership. I pride myself as being able to think of myself as an "average listener" and I do not let my personal feelings get in the way of good sound judgment.
6) Who are your influences?
My influences are as follows & in no particular order:
Alex O'Neal - KKMJ
Dusty Hayes - KAMX
Daryl O'Neal - KAHK
Brian Billeck - KJFK
Mark McCray - KQBT
Preston Lowe - KQBT
Gavin Spittle - KLLI
Sharkman (Matt Hobley) - KUTZ7) Of what are you most proud?
The thing I'm most proud of is that I can go to bed at night knowing that I've provided my audience with a sense of entertainment & information. I do not placate or make "knee-jerk reactions", but use sound judgment, factual data, co-worker & audience input when making decisions.
8) What do you do for fun?
Believe it or not, radio is a hobby of mine - I live it, I love it. I enjoy going to other cities and communities & just listen. I'm able to distance myself from "work" and enjoy listening to other stations
9) Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ____________.
...coffee. I drink an exhorbitant amount - I should buy stock in Juan Valdez!
10) What's the best advice you ever got?
The best advice I got was from a part-time job I held at a local hardware store. The owner told me that customer service is momentous. Meaning that the "one-on-one customer service" is how to compete with the national "big guys". When you address a customer (aka listener) on a first name basis, that makes a connection- and hopefully that listener can recall the intended station in a survey. It's all about top-of-mind awareness.
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