10 Questions with ... Derek Madden

1) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it?"

I found radio in college at Cornell. I was hoping to get on "Sportscenter," and my campus was lucky enough to have a student-run, fully commercial station. A bunch of guys at ESPN, including Keith Olbermann, had come through there, so I worked in the sports department and hosted a talk show. One overnight, they couldn't find anybody to DJ, and being a music fan, I volunteered. I had such a good time that I wound up as the PD in about six months. Very suddenly, I had a new career path, and I've been forging it ever since.

2) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?

Wow, that's a pretty complicated question. I didn't realize we were gonna get personal here! I got into radio at a pretty damn crazy time, just before the Telecom Act kicked in. At the time, I loved music, I loved the idea of turning people on to new favorite bands, and I loved the intimacy of the medium. And I somehow had the idea that I could do this thing I love, make a good living, and not have to live this completely corporate existence. And of course, these big companies started buying up stations immediately. Now I've learned to adapt and to see a lot of the advantages of working in that environment, but I didn't see that change coming, and I certainly wouldn't have predicted the way technology and the Internet have revolutionized music and the media. Having that knowledge might have seemed pretty daunting to 19-year-old me.

But we've reached a point where being in radio is like other careers in the music business. Maybe you wouldn't recommend it to someone else, but it's the right thing for you because it's what you feel like you need to be doing. Personally, I love a career that offers new challenges constantly. And it still gives me some of the same thrills I had in the beginning

3) Can you give us a brief history of your radio career including stations, the years you worked there and the positions you held?

Brief, huh?

• WVBR/Ithaca, NY: PD (1995-97)
• 99X/Atlanta: Weekend DJ(1997)
• WRXR/Augusta, GA: PD/Afternoons (1998-99)
• WXZZ/Lexington, KY: PD/Afternoons (1999-2000)
• KLLC/San Francisco: MD (2001-2002)
• KITS/San Francisco: Nights, Middays (2002-2009)
• KSJO/San Jose: PD/Middays (2010)
• KSAN/San Francisco: PD/Afternoons (2011-2013)
• KLOS/Los Angeles: PD/Middays (2013-2015)
• KXXR/Minneapolis: PD (2015-present)

4) Before we talk about KXXR, you programmed KLOS/Los Angeles before taking over at 93X. How was that experience for you?

Excellent! I've been lucky to work at some great stations, but it was an honor to take the reins of a station that had meant so much to so many for so long. I mean the logo is iconic, you see bands co-opting it in merch and things! Those four letters have always meant "ROCK" in Los Angeles.

I got there at a point when KLOS was figuring out not just what it was, but what it was going to be for people. Forging a new course was made easier by all the talented people who are in that building every day. When you have total pro like Stew Herrera to work on creative, a funny and supremely motivated show like Heidi and Frank and walking music encyclopedias like Gary Moore, Melissa Maxx and the late Bob Coburn at your disposal, then you've got assets to highlight.

We wanted to showcase our team, be a hub for all these incredible bands who really grew up with the station, and have a ton of fun on the air every day. I'm excited to see Keith Cunningham really pick up the ball and run with it. He's taken it to a whole new level.

5) How long have you been at KXXR (93 X) and what makes this station so unique?

Two years, and I happy to report I just signed on for a few more. "Unique" is one of the first words I'd use to describe 93X. I've never worked at another station quite like it.

You start with the history. We are coming up on our 20th Anniversary this year, and over that time, the station's done such a great job of building a relationship with our fans. We've basically had the same morning show for that entire run. Pablo, our APD/afternoon guy, has been here for more than a decade. Wade Linder and John Lassman left me with an incredibly sturdy foundation to build on. And a lot of our staff are here because they grew up listening to this station; it means something to the worldview.

I also think this is just a really great place to have a Rock station. Minnesota has an incredible music tradition, not just of bands who've come from here, but the music venues and as being one of the biggest hubs for retail. So many were raised on rock here, and that still means something. I look at Soundscan for a lot of the artists we play, and Minneapolis will be the #1 sales market.

The passion coming from both sides of that relationship allows us to do some really cool things, whether it's goofy events like The Average Joe Car show that turn into big annual things, or launching a beer that winds up in 700 locations around the Twin Cities.

6) Tell us about the Half-Assed Morning Show on KXXR. Who are they players and how is the show doing in the market?

Man, I love that show. HAMS is Nick Bourn and Josh Bitney, who've been there since the beginning. They've had a few partners over the years, but when Ali Mattacola came on board a few years ago, we found someone who could hold her own between The Hardass and The Wiseass, and the show jumped up another level. Ross Hoffman and Andrew Wapple produce the show, and their willingness to take an on-air punch from time to time has made them beloved parts of the family.

This is a show where the chemistry is right, and it's so effortlessly local. If you call in and tell them where you're from, there's a pretty good chance they know where you went to school and who the rival was, and will be ready with a laugh about it. That's such a rare thing in this day and age, and key for an area like this.

I'm proud to say that HAMS is big as it's ever been. This is a show that frequently puts up 1st place quarters in a number of demos. All in a market with several huge, heritage morning shows.

7) Let's talk about the music on KXXR. Lots of Cumulus Rock stations play a nice balance of Active Rock along with Alternative leaning rockers. How would you describe the music position on 93 X?

First of all, thanks for describing it as a "nice balance." That's definitely a word we think about.

We are the ROCK station for Minnesota. We are the only ones standing on Rock corner (did I just make it sound like this is "The Wire"?) I believe that the word "rock" is still a powerful thing here. I also believe that time and the "forces or radio" conspired over time to create a much more narrow definition of that word. In 2017, that's death in a PPM market. So we've set about opening up the tent to include more textures and types of songs. This is essential for the survival of the format, and I'm proud that Cumulus has led the way on this. Big ups to Troy Hanson!

8) What's your take on the Active Rock format as a whole?

Honestly, I wonder why we're still called "Active Rock" instead of just "Rock." It's not like the word "active" means anything to listeners, and it's not like the word even describes many of the stations that are left. We're Rock stations, and we're here carrying the flag for that word at a time when fewer people do.

I look around I see a lot of Rock stations, places like WRIF or WMMR, or KUPD, or KISW that are doing really well, and outperform some other formats that get more attention. And these stations are really different and doing it different ways. There are still a lot of paths to success down this road.

There are also going to be stations that are going to continue to be more and more protective of a tinier and tinier slice of the pie, and I hope it turns out that they see something that I don't. These days we have better access to what people are actually listening to than ever, and I think programmers who keep their head in the sand about that will have a rougher time.

9) How does your station utilize the KXXR website and other social media (Facebook, Twitter) as an interactive marketing tool with your listeners?

I don't think we look at social as a marketing tool; it's a relationship builder. The terrestrial, linear radio experience is extremely impermanent; you're always onto the next things. Our digital platforms allow us to go back and offer the best of our content, whether it's an On-Demand form, or a highlight, or something that pushes out to social only.

Social channels allow us to build a visual relationship with our audience, which is something the younger parts of your audience really expect to have. And they allow us to really dive into the lifestyle of our fans. We do things like having people live-tweet big sporting events on our account, and we get tons of interaction, and become part of the second screen experience for our fans.

We've got an outstanding digital team that constantly gives us great, original content, and has a great visual sense for the station. Together we've been able to build a really robust library of original content. Our podcast of HAMS is one of the most-listened-to AM show podcasts in the country. We offer pods like Celebration Rock, which is hosted by Uproxx's Steven Hyden, where we talk to bands and music writers from all over, and it's garnered a national following. We have podcasts devoted to sports and pop culture. There are original news stories, and a ton of funny videos. We know people are only going to embrace more platforms for their entertainment and convenience. We want people to get be able to easily bring the 93X experience to all of them

10) Finally, what do you like to do to relax when you're not fully in radio mode?

When is that, exactly? I'm a fan of the Atlanta Falcons and Braves, Arsenal Football Club, and the Golden State Warriors. So I guess I like to learn lessons about grace in the face of adversity? Also, I'm into new restaurants and old whiskeys.