10 Questions with ... Shadoe Stevens

NAME:Shadoe Stevens TITLE:Sr. Director of Programming, Branding, and Marketing STATION:Cabo Wabo Radio MARKET:The World COMPANY:Cabo Wabo Radio BORN:Jamestown, North Dakota RAISED:Jamestown, North Dakota

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

* Currently branding, building, programming and marketing an internationally syndicated 24-hour-a-day Rock radio station called "Cabo Wabo Radio" to broadcast from the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, owned by Sammy Hagar.

* Branding, programming and marketing for the most successful AOR station of the '70s and '80s for 10 years, the most financially successful station in the country, KMET/Los Angeles.

* Hosting the most successful and widely syndicated radio show in the world, American Top 40, broadcast in 120 countries to an estimated 1 billion listeners every week.

* Became one of the most recognized voices in the world.

* Currently the host and producer of internationally syndicated radio show "Top Of The World."

* Currently the voice of "Totally 70s" channel on Sirius Satellite Radio and countless commercials and promos around the world

* Founder, Chairman, and President of RhythmRadio, "The Sound of the World in a Good Mood," that had programming on the radio in 30 countries and programming on the Internet delivered in seven languages.

* Branding, programming and marketing the "World Famous" KROQ/Los Angeles, "all new, cutting-edge rock" (pre-Rick Carroll). This became known as the Alternative Rock format.

* As a radio personality in Los Angeles, won the Billboard Magazine Personality of the Year Award, and gained some of the highest ratings in the history of Boston radio (33% of listeners aged 12 and over).

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

I built a radio station in my home at the age of 10 and did Pirate Radio for all of Jamestown, thanks to a 100-foot antenna. At 11 I was "discovered" by the local station KEYJ, which put me on the air with a weekly show playing rock, billing it as "The World's Youngest Disc Jockey." I grew up listening to Chicago, Oklahoma City and Winnipeg radio stations and loved Dick Biondi, but idolized a personality named Chuck Dan, whose real name was Chuck Riley. Chuck went on to become known as a legendary voiceover artist.

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

I started so young that I took it for granted and used the work to help put myself through college, majoring in Commercial Art. In my fifth year of college I had an epiphany. I realized I loved the media and began devoting myself to work in radio and television.

3) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?

Commercial art.

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

Cabo Wabo Radio is as new and original today as KROQ was when I started it in the '70s. From the branding (Where The World Comes to Party - Real Rock Radio Smuggled Across The Border From Mexico - New Rock, Hot Rock, Indie and Forgotten Rock Guaranteed To Make You Feel Better ... Whether You Want To or Not) to the production style, the energy level, the playlist and the attitude ... everything about it is fresh and exciting. Of course, it's an extension of one of the greatest clubs in the world, The Cabo Wabo Cantina, and the high-profile reputation and personality of the legendary worldwide music star who is building it, Sammy Hagar. There isn't another station like it anywhere.

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

You compete by being creative, by taking chances, by rethinking everything that's being done. In the past 10 years, radio has become formulaic -- even the promos and sweepers have the same elements from one format to another. There is a cacophony of audio crashes and blips with a filtered voice. Satellite radio is a bit more inventive, but tends to create programming in much the same way, while Internet Radio tends to be much like public radio, trying desperately to be taken seriously, assuming everyone hungers for depth and real people saying real things in real ways. It's time for "something completely different." That's what Cabo Wabo Radio intends to be.

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

The most important issues facing radio are lack of competition and a total lack of research and development. With competition comes innovation, with innovation comes creative new ways of doing things, and when you have to take chances to stand out, when you have to find new ways to entertain the public in order to succeed, growth takes place.

But when conglomerates own everything, corporate growth depends on scales of economy, and the few remaining people holding multiple positions face life in a fear-based environment, change comes slowly, if ever. In addition, radio is the only industry in the world that has NO research and development. In recent years its only research is to identify and manipulate the audience. Nothing is done to develop anything new, to find new ways to use sound and music and ideas to spark the imagination of listeners.

Why wouldn't these major corporations take their most creative people and get them to collaborate in developing new avenues of entertainment, new content, new shows, new production, new formats? Why? Because the status quo is safer, and it's easier to say "No" than take a chance and be wrong. Fortunately for us all, New Media pressure has created a pandemonium ... and people are being forced to look at what's going on.

7) 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?

Cabo Wabo Radio is focused on finding new rock, undiscovered, indie, underground and breakout rock from all over the world. We have a team of correspondents and volunteers around the world, research people and our programming team reviewing everything, including all the major music magazines: Q, Mojo, Uncut, AR, Blender, Spin; charts from countries around the world, blogs and music sites, in search of the most exciting music on earth. There are no percentages for the weight of one element of consideration over the others. We are artists first, accountants last.

8) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?

I've been a fan of Kevin and Bean on KROQ for years, but I think Ralph Garmond is an astonishing talent who could rise to great heights like Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla.

9) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?

The Talk format I developed for New York Life as the national title sponsor more than a year ago. Despite their commitment as a multi-billion-dollar company wanting to pour money into radio, I couldn't get radio executives to want to take a chance (and in many cases, even return calls) ... even to research it as a weekly show on their existing Talk stations. It was called "Life at the Top" and was programming specifically designed for America's largest, richest demographic -- the more than 80 million people of the baby boom generation.

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

"Laugh now, think later." Enthusiasm is more important than genius.

What is your favorite TV show?

"Greek" on ABC Family. My daughter is one of the stars and I love the casting, the writing, and the whole concept of life in the Greek system at college.

Have you listened to Sirius or XM yet? How does it compare to what we're doing on the commercial side?

I'm a huge fan of Sirius and think Howard Stern is brilliant, one of the great innovators in the history of radio when he's not lost in satellite radio's new-found "freedom." I would listen to him and Robin and Artie talk about anything. I think they're amazing.

What do you do in your spare time?

Multimedia art, read, a lot of movies.

What's the best liner you've ever heard?

Real Rock Radio The Way God Intended It.