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10 Questions with ... Gregg Steele
December 5, 2006
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NAME:Gregg SteeleTITLES:Senior Director of Music ProgrammingSTATION:SIRIUS Satellite RadioCOMPANY:SIRIUSBORN:Far too long agoRAISED:Minneapolis
1) Please outline your radio career so far.
Started in Hamilton, MT in 1980. Moved to Fargo in 1981 at KQWB-FM and eventually becoming MD there. Left in 1987 to program a station in Grand Forks, ND for about four months before moving to San Diego and KGB. Eventually became MD and moved to L.A. to co-produce "Rockline," then on to be PD at metal legend KNAC/L.A.. Also worked at 93X/Minneapolis as OM/PD and spent eight years in Miami at (eventually) Clear Channel, initially as PD of "Zeta" and overseeing a few others. Been at Sirius since mid-2003.
2) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My earliest influences were the great Top 40 stations in Minneapolis -- WDGY, KSTP, U100 -- and KDWB when they were album rock. The one station that led me into the business though was this little AM "alternative rock" station back in the late '70s called KRSI. They'd play all this shit you'd never hear on the other stations I mentioned, and one day (not surprisingly) they changed formats. I loved the station and was heartbroken that it was gone. The concept of "format change" really caught my attention.
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?
I would. I always think following your passion is a grand concept. If I could have been a night jock in a ski town so I could hit the slopes all day.... That would have been my dream gig.
4) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
I had intended to get my law degree in college (Concordia College in Moorhead Minnesota -- go Cobbers!) while taking various languages and getting my Master's, then join the military and get into international law. But then I decided that pulling carts for the morning guy and making his coffee while doing overnights sounded like more fun.
5) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?
I work with about 30 or so channels, overseeing Rock, Latin & Jazz, and Classical, plus a few others too, and my job is to work with our really skillful programmers at making each channel unique. Each channel has to be better than any option a listener may have, be it terrestrial, Internet, or otherwise. With the multiple channel offerings per genre we can modify each brand to superserve our listeners' needs.
6) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?
There simply isn't a competition, frankly. I came from a long, happy (for the most part) career in terrestrial radio, and many of my friends are still there. I believe there's always a place for everybody. Internet radio is an interesting concept, and we've just launched Sirius Internet Radio. The true challenge with Internet will be -- after there's absolutely no connectivity issues, and I can get it in my car easily -- the ability to find a channel I like. There'll be some significant branding issues, and we're already working toward that.
7) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?
Billy Raven in Miami is amazing. A smooth jazz talent, now part of Broadcast Architecture's "dream team" of hosts. There are many more, but I'm hoping to lock them all up here at Sirius.
8) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?
We've created a couple of things here that really work well for us. One is Faction -- it's a hybrid designed for the 12-30-year-old, and it's a skate punk/hip hop/metal mix, with hosts such as Bam Margera, Tony Hawk, Marky Ramone, and others that kinda reside within that world. I know there's a station in Northern California that's trying a similar format. It really does well for us because it's what 12-to-30-year-olds really want to hear, and we do our homework.
Classic Rewind is another format we developed here. We found a great deal of division within the audience for Classic Rock. The format had grown to the point where there were two distinct audiences: those who wanted the early music from The Beatles, The Doors, The Zeppelin, and the later fans who wanted Boston, Foreigner, Kansas, etc. We started with this concept in January 2004, and to my knowledge no one has completely co-opted this format, except XM about six months ago.
9) Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player (or turntable) right now. What is it you enjoy about that particular selection?
Sirius channel called Chill -- our ultra hip lounge/downtempo electronica channel. I could listen to this one all day!
10) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Change -- it's constant. Don't fear it. Embrace it. Growth comes from some level of discomfort. And ... the people you think may be crazy really are. They're usually the ones who have all the great ideas too. Always listen to a crazy person -- especially if they're armed.
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