10 Questions with ... Bill Post

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

My first "real" radio job, not counting college and volunteer, was in 1982 at KBOY in Medford, Oregon as the overnight guy. It was a CHR at the time and my program director was Rick St. Clair.

I wanted to be a "deejay" for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid in the 1960's and 1970's, I listened to the radio to hear what the jocks had to say, the music was secondary. I KNEW I wanted to do that some day!

2. You're the sole local daily talker in Salem-Keizer. How does that affect what you do on your show -- do you feel a special obligation to talk about local issues?

From the very start I made it very clear that my talk show would be local. I found that there were no talk shows anywhere in my area talking about Oregon politics, and more specifically addressing the people of the State Capital City. Since our reach is into the heart of the Willamette Valley (the main population center of Oregon) I consider "local" to be anything that concerns Oregonians, but again, I try to give the people of Salem-Keizer a "voice" especially with the chance to call, or email their thoughts.

3. Another thing about the Salem area is that you have the big Portland talkers booming into the market from 40 or so miles away. How does that affect your actions as a programmer and/or host?

We have been fighting a huge battle for many, many years and that is that we offer the "same" programming as the Portland talkers. What I decided as a programmer was to "counter" them as much as possible. We run Laura Ingraham in the morning and Glenn Beck in the afternoon, have my local talk show in the middle and have someone live in the AM drive and PM drive with, at the very least, live weather reports, contests, live ad reads and more. We also do some "old fashioned" things like local high school sports play by play, remotes, goofy contests and anything that ties us to the community. We are the only locally owned talk station in the area. That is really fun, as the boss sits right up in the front of the building, not in some office back East. He is accessible and very open to new ideas, even if they are old ideas rehashed!

As a talk show host, I found that the local talkers in Portland tend to still do National stories. Since Rush, Laura, Glenn, Sean and the rest take care of that, I figured I would stick to Oregon stories. A wise man once told me that a good local talk show takes National stories and makes them local and takes local stories and makes them National. I have tried very hard to be that host.

4. What's your greatest regret? Your proudest moment?

In my CHR days, I was moving up the ladder and then made a move to Hawaii. A good friend in the record industry told me before I left, "don't do it, you'll never get back in on the Mainland." I ignored him and danged if he wasn't right. It took many years after I left Hawaii to break back into radio on the mainland.

My proudest moment, career wise I assume? Last April 15, I stood in front of over 4,000 people who were at the Tax Day Tea Party in Salem at the State Capital. I knew that the large majority were there because I had talked about it on my show for weeks. That was a great feeling.

5. What do you think the near-future of conservatism in America will be? Do you see the tea parties as a positive indicator? Predict the future: What will happen in the elections in 2010? 2012?

I think Conservatism is rising faster than ever before. I believe that Conservatives have had it with the weak willed Republican Party and the even weaker Democrat Party. I don't want a third party, but I believe that the majority of Americans want America to be proud again and after 8 years of not being real sure and a year of downright movement towards Socialistic thinking, the time is ripe for a very large Conservative movement. I believe that Republicans will win back the House and take a good chunk of the Senate and give our current Administration a very good scare for 2012. In Oregon, which is what I am more concerned with, I feel very strongly that we will have a Republican House, a larger presence in the Senate and possibly a Republican Governor for the first time in over 25 years.

6. About what are you most passionate?

Baseball. I watch my son play high school ball, I play as often as I can and I watch a lot of it (too much) on TV!

7. Who are your heroes?

My best friend, Randy Butler. He is a pastor but with skills that would have made him a great radio guy, or just about anything else he wanted to do but he answered the call to the ministry and has never turned back. I also greatly admire Glenn Beck. Not always his political views but his great ability to keep listeners for long periods, gathering that cume and always leaving them wanting more!

8. Say you hadn't gone into radio. What do you think you'd have ended up doing for a living? What would Plan B have been?

Probably selling something. Now I hate sales, so I would have been miserable. Thankfully I married a teacher so I was able to continue to pursue my radio career even when it was near death!

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

...Facebook. I can't believe how that has changed my daily life. How did we get by on radio without this thing? It's so stupid and yet so incredibly helpful to use as a tool, advertisement and way to be connected to my listeners.

10. What was the best advice you ever got? The worst?

A college history professor said to our class on Socialism, and mind you he was a self described "communist" said to us one day: "if you are not a socialist at 20 you're a fool; If you are a socialist at 30 you're a fool". That was pretty profound and one of the few things I remember from college.

The worst? Hate to say it and hope my dad doesn't read this but my dad was convinced that this "radio thing" would never "pan out." I may not have a Rush Limbaugh contract, but I get paid to talk and tell everyone my opinion.