10 Questions with ... Dan Rosenberg

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I've been doing stand-up since 1991. I used to go to my best friend's weekly college radio show to do stunts like "win a date with Dan" (never worked) and loved ad-libbing the news and weather. In the late 90's, I hosted a show on a tiny AM station in the middle of a cow pasture outside of Orlando that was sponsored by my employer "The Improv Comedy Traffic School," and also hosted a TV show on UPN in Orlando called "Orlando 2 Nite." I saw a job posting right here on All Access for a radio host for a new station launching in New Orleans, so I sent a copy of the TV show demo reel we were sending out to sponsors. Got the job working 2am-6am (it was 8-noon in England and 6-10p in Australia they told me!) in a multimillion dollar glass encased studio on Bourbon Street for FastBand GlobalCast. (The world's first 24/7 Internet radio station) We were selling 99 cent digital downloads of songs...about 2 years before the iPod came out. (Way ahead of our time!)

Headed to Los Angeles, and got a job selling cars because I had done it before, and also because I was writing a sitcom pilot and wanted to use it for research, I was top salesman my first month, so it became my day job while I did comedy at night. In 2007, I pitched the owner of the dealership where I was now the sales manager an idea for a car radio show. The dealership sponsored the show ("Car Calls" on KLSX) When CBS was looking to do a new weekend car show on KFWB, they gave me an audition.

"Car News with Dan Rosenberg" was born and we've been on KFWB every Saturday since August of 2009. We are really unlike any car show out there. We don't talk about repairing cars, and we're not trying to sell you a car. It's just some real, unbiased advice on buying and selling cars. I Moved to Seattle last year and built a home studio to do the show via ISDN. I decided that I should do something other than just the Saturday show from here, so in September of this year, I launched "The Dan Rosenberg Show," a live daily online show and podcast. I was lucky to find a great sidekick that is a local improv actor. He also works at Starbucks, thus the name "Jon The Barista." (Don't all sidekicks have to have a wacky nickname?)

When I am not on the air or doing stand-up, I am also a partner at CashForCars.com. We're like Cash 4 Gold, but you don't have to mail us your car.

1. You've done a wide range of things; from radio to writing to operating clubs to coaching high school basketball to TV to, yes, working for All Access, but the common thread is comedy. What got you interested in comedy? When did you decide that you could do comedy on a professional basis?

I knew I'd never be a good singer, musician or dancer, so comedy is all that was left if I wanted to be in the spotlight. In first grade, I used to interview teachers on the playground using a banana as a microphone. I also wrote a "Get Smart" and a "Superman" play in grade school (my first spec scripts!) and loved acting. But at some point, I got a HUGE case of stage fright, and couldn't even imagine getting up on stage in front of people and trying to be funny. I got over it by just doing it. I did have to bring my high school buddy on stage with me as a comedy team at first, but finally went solo.

I have always used comedy in whatever I have done. In sales, it really helps to get people out of that "slimy sales guy" attitude by making them laugh. Even when I coached, I'd throw some comedy in whenever I could. (It works wonders with the referees!) I realized I could do it on a professional basis once I was consistently having above average shows. (and also once I started getting the bookers and clubs to take my calls)

2. You've hosted on terrestrial broadcast radio (and still do, with the car show), but you've been doing online talk shows for a long time. What are the pros and cons of doing streaming and podcasting?

Pros: Freedom to do whatever I want. Since I am in my home studio, my morning commute is really short. The fact that I can do a daily show that is live and people can call in is amazing. 10 years ago, the company that started Fastband in New Orleans went through several million dollars to basically do what I am doing now. My show is heard online, as well as on iPhones, iPads, Droids and Blackberrys. Another pro: No Program Director.

Cons: No Program Director. Air checks, while most on-air talent hates them, are needed. I guess it's my coaching background that makes me realize how important it is to have someone to check in with from time to time. Lack of listenership is another huge con. We get a constant stream of calls on the terrestrial show, but most of our audience on the web show listen to the podcast version of the show, not the live version.

As far as streaming vs. podcasting, I still like doing it live for that risk factor as well as interaction with the audience, just like in stand-up. If I just did it recorded, I would never be satisfied and would always be editing it to death. An hour would end up a 5 minute demo.

3. What's the ideal Dan Rosenberg Show like? What kind of talk radio are you most comfortable doing -- in other words, what's your show all about? (And do you think there's a place for it in "regular" radio? Will the kind of talk that, say, KLSX aired for several years make a comeback?)

The ideal Dan Rosenberg Show is me and some pals giving our spin on the news of the day and living our lives on the air. Then once in a while, doing the show at a local comedy club to get some real live interaction with the audience. The show I did on that little AM station in Florida was "No Issues" radio. If there was an issue, I wouldn't talk about it. There's enough of that out there. On the new web show, I've tried to stay away from the politics, but with the current climate it's been hard. I go for "Pro-Smart and Anti-Stupid."

I am a storyteller; it's what stand-up comedy really is at its purest form. I love to listen to great story tellers on the air, and I hope to be as good a story teller someday. Two great examples are the guys that really made KLSX what it was, Howard Stern and Tom Leykis. They are great storytellers.

In L.A., KLSX was my favorite station. I am really upset that it was not a "PPM Friendly" format. It was foreground radio at its best, and I hope that format does make a comeback. It's not about the "shock" to me, it's about that "I am late for work/school/meeting/appointment but still sitting in my car waiting for this story to end" kind of radio. I had the honor of being on that station for almost a year with my car show and even got to work in the sales department for a while as their auto sales specialist and it was so, so, so very sad on that dark day in February of 2009 when the station died. I really felt like I lost a friend. When Bob Moore got a lot of the old band back together over at KABC, I really was hoping they'd find a way to bring back the format. I think it really needs a Howard Stern level show to make that format work. If he came back to terrestrial (which I doubt would happen) the format may come back as well. I am looking forward to 2012 when Tom Leykis comes back... I just hope the Mayans are wrong so we get more than 9 months of Tom!

4. Every standup has stories about great sets and nightmares. What were your best and worst experiences as a standup so far, and why?

The worst, hands down, was when I opened for Kevin Nealon in Seattle. Normally, if I am sick, going on stage is the instant cure. I've had nights where, in the middle of an east coast winter, I'd be so stuffed up I couldn't breathe...but the show must go on. Once I hit the stage I was fine. But this night, something just didn't feel right. I was supposed to do 20 minutes, but I was only on stage about 3 minutes and the room started to spin and I felt like I was about to return my dinner on the front row. I broke the 4th wall and called out to the club owner and said something like "Dave? Is Dave here? I think I'm gonna puke, can someone come up here?" Turns out I had pneumonia. While I was in Seattle, I also was auditioning to replace the recently cancelled Adam Carolla show on The End in a few days. (and did that while on steroids and puffing an inhaler every break.)

I have had many great experiences, and I think all of them have one thing in common... connecting with the audience in a way that just doesn't happen in everyday life. It's that connection with an audience that makes me love stand-up and radio.

5. Who's funny to you? Who are your favorite comedians, TV shows, movies?

My favorite stand-up was always Jerry Seinfeld, and I am talking early 80's Seinfeld as well as "TV Jerry". There are also a few comics that I can listen to over and over again... George Carlin, Larry Miller, Don Rickles, Bill Cosby, David Brenner, Gilbert Gottfried, Jeff Ross, Andy Kindler, Jeff Garlin... the list is pretty big. I love really funny people. And I have been lucky enough to have worked with a lot of my favorites.

As far as TV, I love the classics. "I Love Lucy," "The Monkees," "My Three Sons," "Get Smart," "Hogan's Heroes," "I Dream Of Jeannie," "Happy Days."

On TV today, I think "Modern Family" is one of the funniest shows in years. Also, "30 Rock," The Office," and "Family Guy." Letterman has always been my favorite late night show. As far as movies, Mel Brooks movies, "Austin Powers," anything with Woody Allen, The Three Stooges, and the Marx Brothers.

6. Of what are you most proud?

My family. I have been lucky to have supportive parents, a great wife and a really funny son. When I was doing my show in New Orleans from 2a-6am central time, my parents would log-in to their dial up account from PA and check out the last hour of the show. They still tune in to the daily web show as well as the weekend car show, but now they have DSL.

7. Who do you consider your mentors and inspirations in radio and in life?

My radio mentors would be; Grant Morris; he was my first real PD. I learned a ton from him. I also met Rob Wagman when I was in New Orleans (and also worked with him at All Access) and he has always helped me whenever I've asked and somehow he finds the time to take a call or listen to a demo and give me solid advice. Emiliano Limon, the APD at KFWB, has been doing great things on the weekends at the station.

My radio inspirations are Howard Stern, the old Paulsen and Krenn show on WDVE in "The 'Burgh", Quinn and Banana at the good old B94, and Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP. I also grew up listening to "Future Hits...87..88..89.." with Joel Denver. It was so great to be able to work with Joel as well.

As far as in life, I have several basketball coaches I have worked with in the past that really shaped my work ethic and competitiveness. But recently, my inspirations have been my family.

8. What do you do for fun?

Radio and comedy are my fun. They, whoever "they" are, say that if you do what you love the money will come... well, I am waiting... hello? I have been really lucky to have never had to do the hard, monotonous, manual labor kind of job. Not that I wouldn't do it if I had to, but I really am lucky to have had the opportunities I've had. I love comedy, cars and radio. To be able to do all three at once is great.

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

...the Internet. I just got an iPad and I haven't even opened it yet because I am still too busy researching it online. I watch 90% of my TV online and get 100% of my news online.

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

Best: Win with class and lose with class.

Worst: You can be whatever you want to be if you work hard enough. Actually, no, you can't. No matter how hard I work at it, I will never be a time traveler (or a female gymnast)