10 Questions with ... Mark Randall

NAME:Mark Randall TITLE:Promotion Director, Webmaster STATION:KUPD MARKET:Phoenix, AZ COMPANY:Sandusky BORN:Gouverneur, New York RAISED:Narvon, Pennsylvania

1. What was your first job in radio? Give us a brief career synopsis.

I started out at KCXX in '95, talking about cutting your teeth ... and we'll leave it at that. KFMA '99 - '00. Did the dot-com thing '00 - '01, and now KUPD

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

I needed to find something which required more hours, less pay and a false sense of fame, LOL. Seriously, though, music was my passion and watching a bunch of vets each day do the exact same thing just rotted at my core, so I turned it into my job.

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

Podcast, stream, show videos from your artists, show off those radio faces (or maybe not), make that monster e-mail database, provide bitchin' content ... call it marketing if it makes you feel better. Radio needs to capitalize on the Internet. It's a visual extension of what your station represents. Face it, if you don't have a computer at home or work with a broadband connection, you are behind the times. Take advantage of the tools that other means are providing to reach your audience.

4. How do you interact with your sales staff?

It's still a challenge, but communication and staying organized is the key. Those meetings that we hate so much still need to take place. Involve as many people as you can with them. Ideas to help the client and superserve the station come from all angles. The best opportunities are those that involve existing station campaigns, other current advertisers and/or website activities. Maintaining the balance of serving our clients and keeping the product creative is a continuous challenge.

5. How do you market your radio station?

By using the 3 M's -- music, mornings and marketing. Larry has got the music nailed and Holmberg has the best show in the valley. Our marketing reflects those heavily. Additionally our station is very event-oriented. 18-34, D'OH! Thus we are involved with what THEY do with an amazing street team. If you go, go big! Quit just getting it done. Lame appearance translates to lame response to your station. Also, our audience cruises the Internet -- chats, plays video games -- so our website is a large part of marketing campaign as well. Outdoor and targeted TV campaigns assist when the $ is there.

6. How do you stay in tune with your audience to find out what promotions will work?

By going to our events. Be at as many shows as you can, go to the big events and interact with everyone. Don't just stand back and watch your crew "press the flesh."

7. What is your biggest challenge working at this station and in this competitive market?

Maintaining the focus. Being the big dog in the market, everyone wants to work with you. Everyone can't have a promotion.

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

We're one of the few stations in the country that still plays Pantera/Metallica during the day and then takes it to the street with the same attitude.

9. 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?

The FCC involvement and content issues are the most disappointing to me right now. Granted, we are given the ability to broadcast to serve the greater community good, but c'mon! What happened to rights/the freedom of choice. You don't like it? Move along. Do you order a Big Mac when you know you don't like that kind of sandwich? Do I change the burger because you don't like it? Where does the liability/responsibility of one's own ignorance and/or education come into play? Do you blame the sales guy if your car's crash rating sucks after you have already decided to buy i? Agreed, there is a balance and one must consider the business side as well. I'm just one of those guys who believes in choice vs. ignorance.

10. How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?

We continue to win at the LOCAL level, where satellite will always fail no matter how many advertisers they co-op or ads they buy from venues or outdoor. Satellite does have the opportunity to grow if we don't figure out a way to regulate spotloads. Stations running 20 minutes of commercials within an hour is just ridiculous -- and changing them to :30s only changes the fact that you are running 40 :30s vs. 20 :60s.

Internet is currently used as additional income to the bottom line, suffice the added-value monster, conduct contests or market upcoming station contests and activities. It also provides another way to gain the advantage on the non-terrestrial providers by contacting our listenership directly via an e-mail database or SMS to your cell phone. Now that streaming will be measured come spring; it will become another avenue to reach our audience and take credit for it. As long as we continue to embrace the Internet, not fight it, it will be a friend of terrestrial radio.

What do you do in your spare time?

Ridie a street motorcycle. Got an '86 Suzuki GSX-R 750 if anyone cares. Working on a track bike in the spring. Nothing beats a run through the spars on the way to Prescott.

What's the closest you ever came to getting arrested for an on-air stunt? Or did you actually get arrested?

Got a few speeding tickets racing to numerous remotes and finally got pulled over with a suspended license and they towed the station vehicle away. Nothing like being left on the side of the freeway with your snowboard and gear, watching the van heading off to the impound. Had to get the vehicle out of the yard before the GM found out the next day. Pretty hairy.