-
10 Questions with ... Billy Madison
November 17, 2015
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?
My first job was at polka/country station. I turned the station off at midnight. I was terrible at polka. The older ladies would call in and get real angry. Kidd Kraddick and Tony Fly were my early influences.
2) Was there a defining moment that led to your radio career when you realized this was what you wanted to do for a living?
As cliché as it sounds, it was watching the movie Private Parts. My mom and grandfather both worked on the radio but didn't get to have as much fun as Private Parts. Howard made a career in radio seem like the best job in the world.
3) What were the origins of the Billy Madison Show? How did you all meet and form the show?
Derek's mom was cutting my hair and she said her son wanted to do radio. I hired him. Nard called in asking me to tell Oprah about his story. From there we just became great friends and formed a great team.
4) How long have you been doing mornings for KISS and give us some of the ratings highlights during your time there?
I've been at KISS for four years. The morning slot was 17th in the ratings. The city hated us before we got on the air. We went to #1 in men in four weeks, I think. We have been consistently #1 ever since. We feel very fortunate and don't take it for granted. We owe it to our audience to bring the best content we can everyday.
5) How did the idea of syndicating The Billy Madison Show come about and what station was your first additional affiliate?
It was a goal of ours. The success we had at KISS helped us achieve that goal. We are grateful to Dan Lawrie, Steve Smith, Ben Reed, Keith Hastings and Cox Media Group for helping make our dream happen.
6) How do you maximize the lack of local content in San Antonio to appeal to your other syndicated markets?
Our content is mass appeal and we have always prepped our show that way. We just try to be as relatable as possible to our audience. I believe our show can work in any market.
7) Describe a typical morning show for you guys ... a) What is the process? b) How much show prep do you do and what are some of the key benchmarks of your show?
Prep starts as soon as our show ends until the next morning. We don't use a prep service. I really enjoy crafting the show everyday. Each break and each hour is planned. But some of our best material happens organically. I would rather be over-prepared. Everyone has a roll in the preparation of the show. We do a benchmark called Deadbeat Dads. It's very popular with our audience. I think it's our personalities, love for our listeners and the characters that make our audience want to tune in everyday.
8) Tell us some of the best and most memorable moments to date on The Billy Madison Show?
Nard confronting Charles Barkley about calling San Antonio women fat was great. The video and coverage we got on it was amazing. When Daniel Baldwin just randomly showed up at our station and came in studio. He said he was a fan of the show and wanted to meet us. You just never know who is listening.
9) You guys are VERY active with social media like Facebook and Twitter. How has that benefited your morning show?
It helps us stay top-of-mind and connect with hour audience all day. We can use it to promote upcoming content. It can also provide a visual aspect to our show with pictures and video. It's also a great tool to judge how passionate our audience was on a certain segment we did. If we get a big reaction on social media we know it was probably a homerun.
10) Finally, who is funniest person on The Billy Madison Show and why?
I believe we are all equal parts when it comes to funny. We feed off each other and it creates some very funny moments. We are very self-deprecating and great friends. Makes doing this job so much fun.
Bonus Questions
What do you like to do for fun and excitement when you're not in radio mode?
I'm always in radio prep mode. I love being a dad most, though. When I'm not on the radio, I'm in dad mode.
-
-