10 Questions with ... Jave Patterson

NAME:Jave Patterson TITLE:PD/Marketing Director STATION:KDOT, CubCountry, KozzRadio MARKET:Reno, NV COMPANY:Lotus Radio Corp. BORN:11/3/70 San Mateo, CA RAISED:San Antonio

1) Please outline your radio career so far:

KISS San Antonio '89-'97; KFMW Waterloo, IA '97-'99; KDOT Reno, NV '99-Present

2) What was your first job in radio?

Promotions Intern/ Board Op. Early influences? "The Godfather" Joe Anthony, Jason Lee Tipton, Casey Casem, John Lisle, Steve Hahn

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

I was looking for a "back door" to the music industry to promote my band while in college studying RTF. After years of slave labor at my real job, I was offered a full-time position in radio and realized "...hey, I can get paid for doing this!" I jumped at the chance!

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

We can all take a page from YouTube and MySpace to give the listener/fan of our stations more ownership in our product. The last thing we need is another social networking site, but we can use some of the best features of these sticky sites to a greater advantage on our station sites.

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

There are two challenges: 1. Looking for non-traditional ad revenue streams, not necessarily NTR from our websites or sponsorships, but actual ad revenue from new or previously untapped industries that have weathered the current financial downturn reasonably well. Anything medical/health-related comes to mind first. 2. We must do a better job claiming our piece of the cyberspace streaming pie. Five to10 years from now, I can see radio stations having a greater impact on the web via streaming than on the traditional FM stick. As this technology improves, it will become commonplace for listeners to use a mini-plug on a cell phone to stream their favorite stations to their cubicle radio, home stereo and car stereo unit. While this is already happening, to a greater degree in the future stations streaming online in Reno will be competing with stations streaming online in New York, Los Angeles and all markets in between. In fact, just yesterday a friend of mine was on the beach in Honolulu, listening to a station in Anchorage, streaming in crystal-clear stereo via his Bluetooth headset and cell phone.

6) What's the best concert you've been to so far this year and why?

T.S.O. always puts on a fantastic show. The fact that they play for well over two hours, use more pyro and have a stage show that rivals KISS, and then come out to the merch stand to meet fans until every person is taken care of is a great example of how to treat your fans. Metallica at the Cow Palace is a close second.

7) What is the most rewarding promotion or activity your station has ever been involved with to benefit the community or a charity?

The Dog Leg Golf Classic that KISS in San Antonio put on for the no-kill animal shelter was a great lesson on the difference between a promotion and an EVENT.

8) How do you interact with your sales staff?

I've got an open door policy. If they aren't selling their clients, then we might as well turn the station off, so their success is 50% of my goal. I encourage them to come into my office to brainstorm creative ways to make sure their clients have successful campaigns.

9) How do you market your radio station?

We don't have a marketing budget, so any marketing we do has to be creative. We do a ton of touch marketing, from sticker stops to office invasions to simply setting up at a busy intersection and asking the listeners to tell us where we are to win concert tix, etc. For KDOT, we try to work with artists/management/labels as closely as possible to market both. We recently had 5,000 cardboard coasters made with our station logo and "The Rob, Arnie and Dawn Station" on one side and Trapt "Who's Going Home With You Tonight," and a space for a phone number and e-mail address on the other. It has been a nice win/win for both the station and Trapt. We use these at any restaurant, bar, nightclub, concert event we host.

10) If you are voicetracking shifts or syndicating for stations outside of your market, how do you get familiar with that marketplace/community?

It's all online. I set up links for area web-cams, weather, newspaper and television station websites on my PC and have a local liaison at the station email me "daily sheets," a one-sheet with station liner/event info.

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

I once had listeners come to the station wearing clothing made out of only plants to win tix to a sold out Soundgarden show. A 16-year-old girl came up with her father wearing a bikini made of homegrown marijuana! Only in Texas....

Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?

Being a better manager is a job that is a constant evolution; management of time, people, equipment, etc.

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

Content is king.

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

Online Interactive Director

You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have 5 CDs with you. What are they?

AC/DC - BACK IN BLACK
DREAM THEATER - IMAGES AND WORDS
KINGS X - FAITH, HOPE, LOVE
SHINEDOWN - THE SOUND OF MADNESS
VAN HALEN- VAN HALEN

What do you do in your spare time?

Make beer ... just wrapped up a Vanilla Crème Stout and currently working on a Honey Almond Porter.