10 Questions with ... Jon Ballard

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

It's the usual story ... five-year-old kid goes to car dealership and sees local radio celebrity (KJR-A's "Emperor" Smith) wearing a crown and holding a scepter ... kid decides that's what he wants to do with his life. Seriously, that's what got me to start thinking about radio.

Then, listening to KISW with "Those Dudes" Langan and West, Crow and Hovanes, Steve Slaton ... hearing the stuff they were getting away with, well, that sealed it. Actually getting to work with some of those guys was a dream come true.

2) How long have you been at KKBZ (105.1 The Blaze) and what makes this station so unique?

Holy crap ... it's been five years! Lotus and our GM, Kevin O'Rorke, give their people the freedom to do what they do best. We're constantly out in the community, pressing the flesh, and we actively solicit input from our audience about what they want from us. Our competition isn't nearly as visible and active in the community, although of late they seem to have stepped up their efforts a little bit (Hmm ... I wonder why).

3) You also do the afternoon show on 105.1 The Blaze and have had a long history of being a solid on-air personality in markets like Washington, D.C. and Seattle. What are some of the highlights of you afternoon show?

Highlights? I don't have any zany benchmarks or anything like that, just a quick fake news thing on Friday afternoon (which started well before "Fake News" became a "thing," by the way). My listeners get quick bursts of pop culture and information, drenched in snark and sarcasm (much like talking to me in the hallway). I try not to derail the music flow with lengthy segments. My goal is to constantly keep everything moving forward.

4) The Blaze has featured some different morning shows over the years and are currently rocking with Izzy and Rash in the morning. How did you put this show together and how are they performing?

We found Izzy doing nights at a Top 40 station in the Midwest, but, after interviewing her, we knew she was a rocker at heart. In addition to mornings, she also hosts our Sunday new music show, "Here & Now," which reflects her passion for both the industry and the genre.

Rash has been in the market forever, knows practically everyone, and has an amazing skill set, so we were thrilled when he showed an interest in joining our team, about a year ago. They hit it off right away, and their chemistry is undeniable. They're also amazing in public. People just gravitate to them.

5) Let's talk about the music on KKBZ. Years ago the station used to be Classic Rock, but current Rock has been a regular part of the mix for a few years now. How is the current to library mix working for the station now?

Fresno hadn't had a real Rock station in several years, once KRZR went away, and there were lots of bands who'd never been exposed here, so it was important that we made the move gradually. So, once we decided to be a "ROCK" station, we hand-picked a few newer songs, and gradually grew the library, until we reached the level we're at now. We're almost four years years into the transition, and the response has been great!

6) What kind of music testing or specialty shows does the station do to expose and test new Rock?

As I mentioned earlier, Izzy hosts an hour of new and local music on Sunday nights, and she actually does it live, so we can get instant feedback. She also has a "Daily Dose" of new music in the noon hour, Monday through Friday, where listeners can text their opinions to us. In addition, since slots on the playlist are at a premium, we've started a "Music You Should Know About" feature on our live stream, to help expose some of the songs that we may not be able to play on terrestrial as often as we'd like.

7) Tell us how The Blaze stacks up against the Fresno market competition for Rock with the Alternative KFRR New Rock 104.1 and the Classic Rock station KJFX 95.7 the Fox.

The short answer is that we're a "Rock Station" - no qualifier. We have elements of Classic as well as Alternative in our mix, but overall, we just play "The Valley's Best Rock." If it fits what we're trying to do, we'll play it, regardless of what chart it appears on, or when it was released. We're also more "in your face" than our competition. Our imaging is more irreverent, and we've got a little more attitude than the other stations in town.

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

The fact that there's more good songs than we have room to play bodes well for the format. The challenge will be finding those new artists that we want to champion, and giving them as much exposure as possible. Obviously, it can be done . . . see "Van Fleet, Greta."

9) The station has featured some successful Blazefest events the last couple of years. What do you have on tap for this year?

The increase in mega-festivals has made it more of a challenge to put something together, that we're proud to put our name on, so nothing has come together -- yet. We've got some ideas that, hopefully, will bear fruit in the weeks to come.

10) Finally, I know you're a huge Seattle Mariners baseball fan. I can't help but notice how the team is fighting it out this year for first place in the American League West with the World Series champs Houston Astros. Did I just jinx things for you and the team asking this question?

For the record, this 10Q took place after the Robinson Cano incident, but even so ... Yes, you probably have. Considering the M's haven't been in the playoffs since 2001, the fact we're even talking about their chances after Memorial Day is a "win." I saw a Twitter post after the Cano suspension that read "Being a Mariners Fan ... Even when it's good, it's bad" ... which about sums it up.