10 Questions with ... Stiller

NAME:Stiller TITLE:APD/Interim PD STATION:WBYR MARKET:Ft. Wayne COMPANY:Federated Media BORN:April 28th, 1976 RAISED:Lima, OH

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started at KLEC/Little Rock, AR, then I went off to KDJE/Little Rock, AR. Currently I'm holding down the fort at WBYR/Ft. Wayne, IN

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

When I moved to Little Rock I met up with Scantman at Alice 107.7/Little Rock,. We became close friends and I would hang out with him while he was show-prepping, doing club gigs, etc. Then one day I realized he was being paid to do all of that stuff and I started pursuing a job in the biz!

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

Board Operator. I walked in and offered to work for free (I know, the thought makes ME cringe at someone doing that to my job now) and Corey Deitz hired me. I was EXTREMELY fortunate to be taught correctly (the more time goes on, the more I appreciate it -- sorry for the ulcers, Corey!) by Corey, Jay Hamilton, Bill Morrow, John Arroyo, Brian Prince and our afternoon guy at the time, Trent Tyler.

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

Musically, we cover it all. It's great to be able to program three-and-a-half decades of rock music. WBYR is in its 17th year, so a lot of listeners have literally grown up with the station and are extremely loyal. We have over 40,000 listeners registered with our "I Am The Bear Card" feature, which I would take in any market, let alone market #105. I learned quickly that this market is mostly blue-collar and they love the hard stuff, so that gives us a lot of room to play things that may not necessarily work on a national level -- and that, my friend, is fun.

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

Time, or lack thereof. We have the time to do what's needed to be good at what we do, but do we (as a whole) have the time to be GREAT, day in and day out? It's not a work-ethic issue. Anyone still surviving in radio probably has -- or has acquired -- an incredible work ethic. With less people wearing more hats, it's inevitable that some things will be cut out of the equation, and the time to make good ideas become "great ideas" on a regular basis is usually going to be one of those cuts.

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

Bring it. We offer streaming, so I believe we can hold our own online. Satellite is good for travelers, no question, but on a local level we work very hard to make sure we're in touch with our listeners. Competition is a good thing. Satellite -- like everything -- has weaknesses. As their competitor, we just need to stay on top of those weaknesses as we would a station across the street. I feel sorry if someone walks up to me and says they have satellite, because I'm asking 20 questions that I'm sure they didn't want to answer and probably don't care about. In my opinion, as time goes on, this is as much --if not more -- of a sales issue than a programming issue. Internet advertising dollars and their potential scare me more than anything.

6) 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?

Musically, not yet, but of course the dialogue has changed. How do I feel about it? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. It's scary because I can say something "edgy" and have all but one person get it, but that one person can get me fired. I do like the fact that it has forced jocks to be creative with their content and delivery of things in a way that's different from the days before Nipplegate.

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?

Here's the cast: My Operations Manager Billy Elvis, our midday girl Mary Jane, our Metal-Director Drew Cage and myself. We have a consultant that has a great idea of who we are as well, so all in all, that's five opinions. We listen to just about everything that comes into the station and talk it over. Every opinion carries weight and all five of us have our own unique outlook, so it really makes us that much stronger in a musical sense. Sales, callout and television support are considered, but we mostly go with what we think fits our station and its listeners. We're fortunate to be in a position where the front office has faith in the people they've hired to let us do what we're paid to do. Either that or they're really good at acting like they have faith in us.

8) Besides your own, what format would you like to program and why?

Alternative, because I believe it can and does work.

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

Besides a coffee maker? A station writer. If our medium is entirely made up of words, why don't we have some (R.I.P) Hunter Thompson-type guru with a pen spitting out imaging, copy for clients, promo and show gems on a daily basis? I do believe that most people in radio have the talents and abilities to write well, but I also believe that most don't have the time to spend on it. *see above*

10) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?

Definitely, the people I've met along the way -- from listeners to venue people to reps to co-workers -- have made it a great ride so far, and I still get to meet new people almost daily. I would get a masters degree in something as a back up ... just in case...

Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?

I have two. Phil Hendrie and Jim Rome, it's a toss-up.

Do you read.....everything? Books, Magazines, etc. Nothing? What's your favorite reading material?

I read as much as I can -- mostly websites and trades during the day, but books at night. Chuck Klosterman's books and Lonn Friend's "Life on Planet Rock" are must-reads to anyone interested in rock music. "Scar Tissue" by Anthony Kiedis was a great book as well. No matter how strange you think you're life is, if you read "Scar Tissue" it will make you feel normal again.