10 Questions with ... Bill Carroll

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

CJTT/New Liskeard, ON; CILQ (Q107)/Toronto; MuchMusic; CHOG (Talk 640)/Toronto; CFRB-A/Toronto; Global Ontario; KFI/Los Angeles.

1. You've made the move from your longtime radio home at CFRB to KFI -- how did that come about? What had to happen on a practical level to make the move possible -- what hoops did you have to jump through?

Anyone with ambition wants to play in the big leagues. CFRB was as big as it gets in a small country. I always wanted to take a crack at the Majors. It doesn't get bigger than KFI. A guy named PMS told me at a talk radio conference once that Robin Bertolucci was the most likely PD to take a chance on someone new. I sent a demo. She liked what she heard and when the time was right for both of us we made it happen.

The immigration process was tougher than I expected. You have to basically prove that you are at the top of the radio business in Canada to get permission to come. It's a lot of paperwork and it's not cheap. Nevertheless, you have to love a country that allows proven talent to take their shot here.

2. The obvious question to ask is what differences you're finding between doing talk radio on a daily basis in Toronto versus Los Angeles (and, by extension, Canada versus the U.S.). So... what differences HAVE you found?

In Canada they fly in U.S. consultants who tell you that if you are not pissing off some listeners then you're not doing your job. Then when the consultants leave and the complaints come, and you get whipped back into line. The biggest adjustment is learning to believe you can actually take chances and be rewarded for it. So far I haven't found Robin's limit.

3. Now that you're living in L.A. full-time, what have you learned about the people here, both in terms of talk radio listeners and in general? What's surprised you most?

People here are actually nice. Talk radio listeners want you to cut the pretentious BS and say what you mean. I always thought that New York was the United States' greatest city. No. This place rocks. We love it here. L.A. is so much more cultured than you expect and much more kid friendly. We already know more neighbors here than we ever did in our Toronto neighbourhood. And then there's the weather. My God, they go special coverage on TV when it rains!

4. You're doing middays at KFI, sandwiched between the aggressively national-political Rush Limbaugh and the aggressively local/state issues John and Ken. Does the content of the lead-in and the lead-out shows affect your topic selection -- and whether it does or not, what kind of topics are you finding are working best for you so far? What are your criteria for picking the best topics?

When I first arrived I mostly did the show that my producer Brian suggested. After I located the men's room, I started to get more involved. You can't land in a new city and really be passionate about issues that are really only articles in the paper to you. Now that I live here and own a home and pay taxes, the show is becoming more real.

Brian and I just watch and read everything we can find and then meet while Rush is on the air. I just go with what gives me a real reaction. From politics to parenting, I need a variety of topics to keep me engaged.

5. In adjusting to the new market, what did you do to learn what you needed to know about the city -- the important names, the key issues, the lay of the land?

I arrived ahead of my wife and two small children for a couple of months and just buried myself in homework. What I didn't expect was that missing them would make it so hard to concentrate. Living here and exploring with my family has been the best way to get to know people and things.

6. In a similar but more general vein, how do you generally prep for your show? What resources do you use, and what are you looking for when you do it?

I can't believe this city has only one daily newspaper. Thank God for the internet. The best shows still come from the conversation you have standing next to the other Dad at the kids soccer game.

7. As you look back on the years you spent at CFRB (and Q107, and 640, and, for that matter, MuchMusic and Global), what would you pick as the high point? What's the most memorable moment of your time on Toronto radio? And to close out the nostalgia, what do you miss most about Toronto?

Being on the air on 9-11 was the day I will never forget. Talking about the birth of my kids as an older Dad was pretty emotional too. I miss my family and friends back in Toronto. It's strange being out in LA and rarely running into anyone you've know for decades. I miss the smell of rotting leaves on the ground in the fall but I'm getting over it.

8. What, and/or who, makes you laugh these days?

People who think there are no conservatives in Canada make me laugh. So do Canadians who think they are conservatives.

9. The economy is still shaky, the Gulf is coated in oil, the country is at a crossroads, the state of California is in financial and political turmoil... as a talk show host, is this fun for you? As a resident, are you optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in between?

No one tells you how beautiful this city is. No matter how bad the economy is people will still want to live here. If things don't work out for me here I plan to live in an RV in Venice like a homeless guy. I promise not to flush the brown stuff on the street.

10. What's the most valuable lesson you've learned in your radio career?

It's better to fail being yourself than to succeed being someone else.