10 Questions with ... E. Curtis Johnson

1. What led you to a career in radio?

I was born and raised in a small town in a remote corner of Northwestern Montana. In the mid 1970’s, at night, I would listen to far away radio stations. 14 CFUN, from Vancouver, B.C., Canada was my favorite. The DJ’s were awesome, and I wanted to do what they did. At the time I didn’t realize I was being molded by a major market, Drake/Chenault radio station.

2. What was your first radio job and can you give us some brief career highlights leading up to your current gig at KKBZ?

When I was 16, the only station in town had an opening. I found out later I got the job because I was the only person who applied! DOH! At the start of my junior year, myself and another teenager split the 4pm-10pm shift on weekdays. Weekend shifts were 8 hours long: 6am – 2pm and 2pm to 10pm. The station signed off at 10, probably because everyone in town was in bed my 9pm. My senior year I did the morning show from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. After the morning show I went to school. I knew then that I wanted to do radio for the rest of my life!

I moved to California in ’81 to work at a small AM station (KWUN) in Concord, California. My career didn’t take off until ’83 when I got the morning show at KCAQ in Ventura/Oxnard/Santa Barbara. Every FM signal from L.A. penetrates that market. KCAQ went from not existing to #1 in its first book. That was a head rush. During that time, I also did some V/O agency work in L.A., which was fun and profitable. Everyone who left KCAQ went to a top 30 market.

I left in early ’85 to work at one of the many incarnations of 90.3 in San Diego/Tijuana. I got to work with the legendary, Jack McCoy. Hearing KCBQ hay-day stories was educational and entertaining. Driving to Mexico every day is also an experience I’ll never forget and one that I never want to do again.

In ’86 I left San Diego for a KFMY, Provo/Salt Lake City, that Brian Burns was overhauling. Brian hired me for afternoons and APD because it was a one-year project for him, and I would replace him as PD when he left. We were a P1 CHR, but I was a green P.D. Lou Simon at KCPX, and Wolley Waldren at KISN, kicked my butt and handed me my lungs in the ratings. I left KFMY to do mid-days and Production Director at KCPX in ’88.

In ’89 Brian Burns called me to launch to launch KRZR in Fresno. KRZR launched as a Rock 40 and was modeled after KXXR (Kansas City), which Brian programmed. Within a year I turned KRZR in an AOR direction. We beat KKDJ and we never looked back. Fresno quickly became home. I eventually became the Director of Programming for all 8 of Clear Channel’s Fresno stations.

In ’93 I did some side consulting work and had a hand in launching WARQ in Columbia, S.C. (Hi, Dave Stewart!) In the mid and late 90’s had job offers from stations in San Francisco and Kansas City, but Fresno had become home, and I didn’t want to uproot my family.

Shortly after Clear Channel left me in 2007, I became the Director of Programming for what is now One Putt Broadcasting’s group of stations.

3. Before we talk about KKBZ, you programmed the old KRZR/Fresno for years. Tell us about that experience and The Wild Hare mascot?

I’m extremely grateful that Brian Burns and Jim Votaw gave me the shot and what became an incredible 18 years. With a few other stations around the country, KRZR was one of the stations that created Active Rock. KRZR was a mash-up of programming, promotions, and on-air personalities. I had the honor, and sometimes shame, of leading the team (asylum). The stunts and promotions we pulled were what used to make radio fun. We’d be arrested now if we did some that stuff now. The Wild Hare mascot/character/logo was my creation. I’m proud of it, but some of the staff hated it. The Wild Hare was a play on the saying, “Got a wild hair up your butt…” I changed “hair” to “hare” and it became a mascot vehicle for visual marketing and audience interaction for an often rude, always irreverent, rock station. It was a trip to have thousands of listeners buy tee-shirts and merchandize to advertise the station on their chests! Every Wild Hare t-shirt design always sold out. We couldn’t keep up with the demand for free Wild Hare swag.

4. Before you became PD at KKBZ (105.1 The Blaze) back in April 2019, you were out of the business for a time. How long were you away from radio, and what did you do?

I was out for five years and I never thought I would come back. I became a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. I’ve always had a soft spot for the elderly, and I thought I could make a difference in the nursing home industry. I quickly found out the nursing home industry is less stable, and more transitory, than radio. The average administrator gig lasts 14 months. Dealing with the California Department of Public Health – Licensing and Certification is a hellish existence. I grew to hate the industry and dreaded going to work. The KKBZ job was offered to me and I jumped on it like a dog on a bone.

5. How did your time away from radio help your perspective in jumping back into it again, and how different is it programming radio for you today?

The worst day in radio is better than the best day of a real job. Changes for program directors started in the late 90’s. Since then, the industry is experiencing what Ries and Trout (Marketing Warfare) called, “a fractured attack.” Radio now competes with a host of other technologies and entertainment mediums. That’s as simple an explanation as it gets.

6. Let’s talk about the music on KKBZ. The station plays a good balance between Classic Active Rock and current rock. How would you assess the music on The Blaze?

So-called “classic rock” and “rock” is a seriously blurred line. To say any more than that would be opening my playbook and “this coach” isn’t doing that.

7. How is The Blaze doing in the Fresno market against Alternative KFRR New Rock 104.1 and the Classic Rock station KJFX 95.7 the Fox?

In my opinion, what was once “alternative rock” is now, pop. KFRR is a pop station and doesn’t intersect with KKBZ any more than KKBZ intersects with KBOS (B-95), KSEQ (Q97), or KWYE, (Y-101). I don’t believe that KKBZ and KFRR are in the same format. The fact that both stations have the word “ROCK” in their names, is inconsequential.

KJFX 95.7 The Fox is a heritage station in Fresno. They have strengths and weaknesses. The Blaze and the Fox aren’t the same animal. Every radio station flanks, and is flanked, but I won’t be any more specific than that. Please see prior comment about, “play book.”

8. What’s your take on current Active Rock music and the Rock format overall?

Any form of entertainment changes. Radio has constantly changed since KDKA signed on in Pittsburg, Pa. in 1920. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment we’re currently in and forget we’re all involved in a constantly changing product and audience.

The rock format hasn’t changed much since I left KRZR it in 2007. I don’t believe rock music is going away or that rock radio is going away. “Rock” has always morphed and evolved. We’re simply living in the stage that the format and genre is in presently. Kids still buy guitars, start bands, and want to be rock stars. It’s true that there’s massive competition from Rap music, the influencer trend on YouTube, and other technologies, but rock is not dead.

The following have claimed, “Rock is Dead!” Gene Simmons, Joe Perry, Peter Criss, The Doors, Iron maiden, Lemmy, Tom Scholz, Tenacious D, Twisted Sister, The Who, Ozzy, Lenny Kravitz, Marilyn Manson, Anthrax, John Mellencamp, Flea, and Todd Rundgren. There may be more who have also claimed the genre is dead. I disagree. Since the day that Chuck Berry played the riff of “Johnny B. Good,” rock has been morphing. Rock isn’t dead, it’s just like everything else in the world; it’s changing, and it will continue to change. NOTHING stays the same.

The key to success to figure out where the market is and where consumers are going, and then doing your best to be where those consumers are. Every product must respond and follow its market, accordingly. If I told you any more than that, I’d have to charge you a hefty consultant fee. Please also refer back to the “play book,” comments.

9. You are known for some very “creative” station promotions, like the “Isolation Games” and “Paper, Scissors, Rock.” Can you give us the scoop on both of these promotions?

When the COVID isolation started in March, I challenged the on-air staff, and myself, to invent concepts to keep people listening and coming to the website. The Isolation Games were Rash’s creation, our morning show host. The Isolation games were a series of juvenile stunts like, “Hallway Hockey” and “Nerf Gun Wars.” We made them into videos and put on the website and made them sound like we were ESPN. We promoted them during the depths of COVID quarantine in March and April and into May somewhat.

Marble racing was my idea (oh, the shame!). I built a marble racing track as a revenue generator and as entertainment for the listeners. Along with “The Isolation Games,” the marble races became “sports” of sorts that listeners could watch on the website. They were attempts to stay active and entertaining during a dark time. We treated the marbles like players or cars and gave the marbles names and personalities. Rash and Justus called the races, with the video’s posted on The Blaze.

Three people who, have never met or talked to each other, created “Paper, Scissors, Rock.” I believe that my predecessor, Jon Ballard was inspired by a John Frost liner that says, “We don’t believe that paper beats rock.” Jon created some T-Shirts with graphics representing “Paper, Scissors, Rock.” When I arrived at The Blaze, I took Jon’s idea to another level and made a 15 second TV/Internet commercial of two people playing, “Paper, Scissors, Rock” on a video. That video was used to market the station in a TV advertising campaign and on the Internet. You can see the video by clicking HERE.

During COVID isolation we offered a $1,000/$500/$250 prize for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for listeners to make their own “Paper, Scissors, Rock” scenarios. It was simply marketing to our listeners while trying to stay relevant and top of mind during a rough time.

10. Finally, how have you and the station coped with Covid-19 and all that has come with this pandemic in 2020?

Lotus has been very generous. Some people have lost their jobs, and many have had to take a haircut. I don’t know any business that isn’t experiencing the same. I’m stubborn and tenacious enough to not let a national disaster roll over the station I’m responsible for. Rock is a music form, but it’s also an attitude. We’ve kept 105.1 The Blaze sounding like what our listeners expect: irreverent and fun. Pandemic be damned! KKBZ is staying true to what our audience expects us to be: The Valley’s Best Rock.