10 Questions with ... Bo Matthews

NAME:Bo Matthews TITLE:PD STATION:WMMS/WAKS MARKET:Cleveland COMPANY:Clear Channel BORN:04/22/77 RAISED:Niles, OH

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WBTJ & WNCD/Youngstown
WBTT & WRLR/Fort Myers
WFKS & WPLA/Jacksonville
WMMS & WAKS/Cleveland

1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?

Rather than talk about my first radio gig, I will talk about my first programming gig. I had the opportunity to be the first PD of WBTT/Ft. Myers. I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from some amazing people. Domino Theodore was at 'FLZ/Tampa at the time, and took me under his wing to shape my mind in how to make a radio station sound good. I owe a lot to him; he taught me how to manage good talent, stationality, music and imaging. Dom has been a great mentor over the years.

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

WMMS is all about personality and talent. We are a Rock station with two talk shows. That's pretty unique for a Rock station ... and I owe the success of it to these shows. Rock music is in a bad place, and has been for a while. People are tuning in for the talent ... and hopefully stay for the music. It's a unique and special situation at WMMS with Rover in the AM and Maxwell in the afternoon.

3) How have the recent FCC regulations impacted the way you program your music and the station's dialogue on the air? What are your feelings about these recent changes?

I think we can still DO what we DO. Hiring good talent that can fully understand the rules, and navigate a show within the boundaries we have, is key. Good talent can do that. Talent that lean on breaking the rules and being too risky are usually one-trick ponies, and don't have enough versatility to be successful.

4) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?

Re: Satellite. I am actually a subscriber. I am a big Howard and Bubba fan, and actually had the opportunity to work with Bubba in the past. But I really only listen to the Howard channels. That should have satellite worried. It has so many channels to offer, but people will end up listening to one or two channels. Then they end up paying the monthly fee for one or two channels. Is that enough value to the consumer? If you are a rabid fan, then yes. But if not, I worry that it won't attract the masses. At the end of the day, it's all about content/talent. No surprise that the Howard channels are the most listened to. The talent is there. Their problem is subscribers ... and lack thereof. I DO think that both can exist, but even THEY should be looking forward to new technologies -- like broadband.

Internet: I think we will be using broadband to deliver our content in the future. It will be much more competitive when people can listen to ANYTHING in their cars. Only the best, most compelling products will win. Being good, being relevant, being local will mean a lot.

5) How is the relationship between programmer and record label changing? For better or worse?

I think it's fine for the programmer (and better than ever actually), but there is less need these days for promotion people. A lot of friends in the biz will hate me for saying that, but it's true. With all the tools and technology, we know faster what our listeners are consuming -- and conversely, what kinda sucks. It's easy to find out what is good, and what our listeners want in this environment. The labels should be focusing less and less on programmers, and more and more on the consumers. They hear things before us in most cases. It's just our job to reflect what THEY want.

6) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?

The lack of talent and personality. We have handicapped ourselves. We have taken away our farm system for growing new talent and personalities because of voicetracking. It really is a tough cycle. The economy is down -- stations can't afford to pay and grow talent -- and it ends up being a budget cut. So many stations have trimmed so much from the budgets that there is hardly anything left to win in a competitive environment.

7) If you could add any one full-time position to your budget with no questions asked, what would it be?

I would pay one of the part-timers who already work for me on my staff and deserves to be full-time. It would be difficult choosing which one would receive it. But these people work hard, and that is the right thing to do -- take care of the people who are already getting the job done for you.

8) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

Talent and personality win ... If they are good. And when they are ... we need to do what we can to keep them winning, and give them the tools to do so.

9) What is your station's weakest daypart and what are you doing to turn it around?

Right now, our weakest dayparts are those where we play rock music. That is my mission -- to figure out what to do in those environments to keep the partisans who are coming to the station for Rover and Maxwell to stay for the music as well. Just wish there was a lot of passion for Rock right now ... which there isn't.

10) What approach do you take after a soft book?

Totally depends on the situation. With the current Arbitron diary system, it's important not to make knee-jerk reactions when you have a soft book. This is all a marathon, not a sprint. I am excited about PPM coming in 2010. It has to be a better listener measurement tool than the diary system.

What led to your station's recent ratings increase?

Rover, Rover, Rover. I still can't believe that we pulled it off and got him away from CBS. Rover has improved our whole radio station. Before Rover, Maxwell was keeping the station afloat and he deserves so much credit for what he did for the station pre-Rover. But now that we have Rover as well, we have great drive-time bookends set up. I truly believe that Rover does better with Maxwell on the station and Maxwell does better with Rover on the station. We are very luck to have these shows.

What is your favorite TV show?

Big 'Dexter' Fan. Californication, Entourage, Weeds, Rescue Me.

What do you do in your spare time?

Spend as much time hibernating at home with the family. Oh, I like to bowl, too.