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10 Questions with ... Michael Koolidge
June 23, 2009
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Former Army officer (6 years, last one in Operation Iraqi Freedom), WGN Radio (Intern, then Fill-in Producer, The Spike O'Dell Show); WRHL (Afternoon drive talk host/production director); The Michael Koolidge Show (Independently syndicated on WRHL and WLBK in Western Chicagoland, podcasting and streaming six days a week at www.koolidge.com); Fill-in host on WIND in Chicago; B.A. Boston U., M.S., Northwestern U.
1. How did you get into radio? Why radio?
Started out as an intern at WGN's Spike O'Dell Show in Chicago after cutting teeth at Northwestern's college radio station, and WGN asked me to stay on and solo-produce the show a number of times in place of broadcasting uber-producer Jim Wiser. Almost immediately, the "what should I do with my life?" little voice in my head shut up, because radio so perfectly combined the two careers I had contemplated jumping back into--entertainment and politics--after six years as an active-duty Army officer. I landed an afternoon talk host/production director job at News/Talk 1060 WRHL in a small town west of Chicago, and in 2008 I independently syndicated the show (with the prodding and help of engineer Doug White) and was picked up by another News/Talk station, WLBK, closer to Chicago, in addition to WRHL. Currently in talks with a third affiliate.
2. About what are you most passionate these days?
Content-wise, it's supporting the war effort, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hearing directly from the troops themselves rather than through the filter of mass media is crucial, I think, to understanding the purpose of "the troops" and what they do. On a larger level I'm passionate about creating repeat-listening audio, which is where I think radio is going: away from ephemeral listen-to-once-and-discard, and more toward the creation of compelling segments--available forever online--that listeners want to come back to repeatedly.
3. You're syndicating your own show from a small market, and that means you're doing everything yourself. What is it like to be a one-man operation, and what are the benefits -- and drawbacks -- of running your own show?
The biggest benefit, of course, is autonomy. I can decide to drive to Arizona for a week to cover the Cubs and White Sox Spring Training, or travel to both national GOP and Democratic conventions in Minneapolis and Denver, and the only people I need to notify are my advertisers and my wife. Another major benefit is that I'm getting hands-on experience in every aspect of broadcasting: sales, promotions, profits and losses, affiliate relations, etc. I live and die by my advertisers, so I've got to constantly keep an eye not just on creating compelling content every day, but on content that brings in revenue.The drawbacks are probably similar to all solo-operations: freedom requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline. My never-ending concern is that I'm spending too much time on content and not enough time on the business aspects of the show. Also, when you're an employee of a station and you've got a good mentor as a programming director, he or she has a direct incentive to make you a better host, every day. As a solo-operator, you don't have that. I'm lucky to have a great former PD of mine Greg Saunders (WRHL) who gives me tips and feedback regularly, but he's not as big a stakeholder as when he was my actual PD. As they say, the grass is always greener; I'm sure there's a host somewhere cursing their PD for butting in too much, but the alternative has it's drawbacks, particularly for someone who knows he still has a lot of growing to do as a host.
4. You're broadcasting and you're podcasting; Do you see podcasting becoming a viable business alternative to the broadcast model anytime in the near future? What timetable do you foresee for podcasting and streaming to be competitive as a business?
Though I'm a heavy podcaster, I see podcasting not as an alternative but as as an augmentation to the old broadcast model. Most people my age (Gen X/Y) and younger didn't grow up listening to AM radio, and most don't even own one at home, outside of alarm clocks. But they still and will always love secondary forms of entertainment. You've got to make audio available on all platforms and go where consumers already are, which is why I've been podcasting pretty much from the beginning, in addition to regular over-the-air radio. So the content I make isn't just for people driving home from work in their cars or preparing dinner; it's also catered for a workout, a cross-country drive, a long flight, or to be played in the background from a desktop at work--all things you don't need an actual radio for.At the same time, I don't have as high an opinion of podcasting and streaming as a stand-alone form of audio consumption as others in the tech industry might. Being on real, terrestrial radio stations has a legitimacy that is powerful--both with advertisers and listeners, and in particular with getting access to guests and resources that aren't always available to online-only operations. And having a geographical association grounds you to things you know listeners want to hear about--for me its peppering my show with Illinois politics, Illinois sports, and national issues that affect Illinoisans.
I think real radio is still in a much better position than print media. Reading words on actual paper will be gone long before hearing audio over radio airwaves in your car stereo will. That is, as long as radio remains cheap.
5. For a show that airs in small markets, you've pulled off some important guests. How do you get those guests, and of the guests you've hosted, who's been your favorite?
The short answer is pluck. I don't consider anyone "too big" for my listeners. The guest I had on my very first show was a U.S. Senator, and I tried to set the bar up there (or down there, depending on whom you ask) from the beginning. Also, I have the autonomy to pre-tape anytime, anywhere, so I can cater to Gary Sinise or Rudy Giuliani's availability, not mine.The other "secret" is simple--showing up. I physically go where the big guests already are. I can take my Zoom H4n to an event in downtown Chicago and do an in-depth 10-minute interview on the spot with the governor or a celebrity that will air that night on my show. Though you can't do it every day, I think segments from the field are often more compelling and "in the now" than in a stuffy studio. And cell phones, of course, make guests much more available for phoners on the way to the airport than they did even 10 years ago.
Favorite guest? A tie between Gary Sinise and Ann Coulter. Oh, and former democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel. He was a doozy!
6. Your show features a weekly talk with troops overseas. Why, and how important is it to you to do that? How has your Army experience informed and affected how you do talk radio -- what does it mean for your show that other shows don't have?
It's easy to say you "support the troops" but it's a little more meaningful, I think, to support what they actually do. On the show I try to periodically talk about exactly what our troops are doing both in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the soldiers themselves. I'm no expert on either operation, but my stint in the Army helps me "talk the talk" a bit easier with the military guests and pull things out of them that I think my listeners might find more compelling. At the risk of horn-tooting, I don't think there's a show in the nation that has talked directly with our troops so regularly and for so long (since the Fall of 2006).
7. Who are your mentors, inspirations, and influences?
I grew up on the Jersey Shore, listening to the giants of talk in the late 80s and 90s, both local and national -- Howard Stern, Don Imus, Bob Grant, and, of course, Rush. I think Stern remains the King of all Interviewers, and Rush inexplicably gets better every year. Roe Conn on WLS in Chicago makes must-listen-to-radio every day that seems completely effortless (which we of course know is not) and Don Wade and Roma (also WLS) seemed to have taken the mantle from now-retired Spike O'Dell by getting the absolute biggest guests on their Chicago morning show, day in and day out. NPR's This American Life continues to set the standard for highest-quality repeat-listening audio, and I'm also a huge Laura Ingraham and Dave Ramsey fan.Career-wise, Jim Wiser taught me a tremendous amount at WGN, and both Jim and Spike O'Dell have continued to give me great advice along the way. But WRHL PD Greg Saunders has been my biggest mentor and cheerleader since 2006.
8. If you hadn't gone into radio, what would you be most likely doing today?
Struggling as an actor in L.A., serving as a foreign area officer in the Army, or being a flunky for some congressman on Capitol Hill. And in every one of those, I'd be listening to radio in some form at least 20 hours a week, pining to be on the air.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________________.
At least one guest-interview, Sugar-Free Red Bull, and Facebook.
10. What's the best advice you've ever gotten? The worst?
Best: "It's better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than in the middle of a ladder you don't." I've heard that in various forms over the years, but it punched me in the face while watching BBC's The Office.Worst: "Don't move outside of the city. There's nothing going on outside of the city!" I love every city I've ever lived in -- Boston, D.C., Chicago... and might move back to one someday, but there is WAY MORE going on in the suburbs and small towns of America than you city slickers would ever believe.
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