10 Questions with ... Mike Allen

NAME:Mike Allen TITLE:Operations Dir./PD STATION:WYBB 98X & WCOO The Bridge at 1055 MARKET:Charleston, SC COMPANY:LM Communications BORN:Atlanta, GA RAISED:Atlanta

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WCKN/WROQ Greenville, SC 1987 - 2000
Part-time overnight
Full-time overnight
Morning Show Producer
Creative Services Dir.
Promotions Dir.
APD
Interim PD

WYBB & WCOO 2000 - now
Operations Dir./PD

1) What was your first job in radio ... early influences?

My first radio job was working on the AM side of the building at WCKN in Anderson, SC. Actually spinning 45s and playing Country music on WAIM. After sufficient begging, pleading and whining, they let me on the FM to play Rock music. Early influences include Lee Rogers (PD) and Mike Benson (morning show ... I eventually became his producer)

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

I had always loved the old radio serials ... WSB/Atlanta used to run old radio shows and the idea that you could suck somebody into that world always fascinated me. CBS Radio Mystery Theater was the best ...EG Marshall going, "Pleasant dreams?"

As for a "This is it" moment ... it's that moment you make great radio. It's the same feeling that keeps you going back to the golf course or the tennis court. It's the perfectly hit shot that rings through your whole body. It's a great feeling.

3) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?

This, being a seaside market, has been a victim of station creep. Stations that were serving smaller markets outside the metro have slid in, creating a situation where there are too many signals. I like to call it Darwinian radio. It happens in a lot of oceanside markets.

4) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?

The industry continues ... I'm not sure of the nature of ownership five years from now. As some of the bigger companies sell off stations you might see a re-emergence of the "local" owner ... somebody who loves the business, understands it and is maybe able to build a cluster in a city or a few cities that are geographically aligned to allow for a very flat management structure. There are already a few out there, but I think you'll see more as the sell-off of some "non-core" assets at the big companies continue.

As for me ... Still making great Rock/Alternative/AAA radio ... somewhere.

5) What can we be doing with our station websites to better our stations as a whole?

Working on that a lot in the last year. We have to offer brand extensions that make sense and enhance the on-air product. The Jacobs Media consultants we do business with really brought some of this home with The Bedroom Study; it found that people have gravitated to media where control, variety and choice are available.

So when you offer something on your website, any ability to offer one or more of these without dilution of your brand will pay dividends. We are in the process of site redesign and rolling out a number of different streaming options to accomplish some of these goals.

6) Describe your weekly music meeting ... a) what is the process when you listen to new music? b) Approximately how important by percentage is gut, research, sales, video play, and chart position when determining the status of a record?

My MDs for each station and I all listen to music on our own; we communicate with arcane notes scribbled on post it notes with our thoughts on the track: Like it ... Don't like it ... They want to be U2 ... Not my favorite, but everyone else will be playing it ...

etc.

There is probably a greener way to do it, but the post-its make it easy

Then we sit down once a week a look at where the songs are/ Who's playing it? Are we supporting a show here in town and start to make the decisions about who gets airplay and why?

Percentages? 50% Gut ... 10% Research ... 10% Sales ... 0% Video Play ... 20% Chart Position

7) What is the most rewarding promotion, or activity your station has ever been involved with to benefit the community or a charity?

We've been consistent partners with The American Red Cross for both blood services (donations). where we do five blood drives a year with our TV partner. and for disaster services for fundraisers after natural disasters. We've also been partners with The South Carolina Aquarium on their sustainable seafood initiative.

8) Most of us have known or even worked for a "colorful" owner/GM/air talent. Care to share a story? (The names can be changed to protect the innocent).

Twenty-one years in the business a lot of colorful characters. Such as the GM who, when he got mad, was called a "three-veiner." He was balding and when he got angry, three veins on his head would pop up.

The part-owner who used to bring his "girlfriend" into the station and fool around on the conference table while I was working back in the studios.

The business manager who was also a member of PETA.We had a mouse in the building and she wouldn't let us set a trap. The mouse was eating the only edible thing in the building --the dry coffee for the drip maker. So it's 3am, I'm in the middle of a break and the over-caffeinated mouse is running up and down the curtains in my studio making a growling noise. I thought I had freaked out for a second.

9) How do you interact with your sales staff?

We work together. I tell my people on the air all the time: "You're in this end of the business because you don't like to hear the word 'no.' They're out there hearing 'no' every day, then come back and do it again tomorrow.

Best practices: When they bring me the clients needs and I craft something that works for the client and the station. My favorite question in the process is: "What are we trying to sell here?"

10) In today's world of multi-tasking and wearing many hats, how do you find time to show prep and what sources do you use?

I use my first 30 minutes in the station to prep my show for the afternoon. I use a lot of web, including Drudge, Wikipedia, What Would Tyler Durden Do, and others. We've recently started sending out our daily logs as pdf files a couple days in advance to help the staff with prep -- cut and paste your shift onto a word document and then do your work to set it up.

What are your three favorite artists or songs of this year?

Black Keys - I Got Mine
The Hold Steady - Sequestered in Memphis
Shiny Toy Guns - Ricochet

What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same?

Better because you've got Metallica and AC/DC out with new product that that's good for everybody. When people are tuning in to check out the big guns, they get exposed to the Shiny Toy Guns and Five Finger Death Punches of the world

Favorite artist you have met?

BB King, He put on a phenomenal show and then sat and chatted for five or so minutes with each of our winners and a few minutes with me. A gentleman and a national treasure

Name the artist/act (living or dead) you'd love to meet and why?

I've met most of my heroes. I'd still like to meet AC/DC. They got me my first ticket from the police, I had just bought "For Those About to Rock" on cassette and I had just put a new deck and speakers in my car. I got a noise ordinance ticket ... he could hear it 300 feet away.

You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have five CDs with you. What are they?

First off, I'd take my Zune, cuz why be stuck with just five CDs when you can have them all ... but having said that.

Chuck Berry - "After School Session"
Gov't Mule - "The Deepest End Live"
Led Zeppelin - "BBC Sessions"
The Black Crowes - "Shake Your Money Maker"
Offspring - "Smash"