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10 Questions with ... James Howard
February 9, 2021
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1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
I interned for the Buckethead Show at night on WJRR in Orlando, FL and then eventually got a weekend/swing shift in Orlando. I learned a ton from Jason Bailey. “Buckethead” and the whole team at WJRR were rad enough to show me how to create compelling content. Pat Lynch, Taco Bob, Crash, Sideshow Dan, Dickerman, Rick Everett, and so many others got the start of my radio race off the right way.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
I was selling Title Insurance right out of college and I was always in a car heading to sales meetings. Radio got me through a job that bored me to my core and I heard an ad for a broadcasting school in Daytona Beach and I decided to take night courses. I was hooked from the very first class.
3. How has navigating the pandemic made you a better programmer and what have you learned that will stay with you moving forward?
It allowed me and our team to focus even more on our true purpose of connection and friendship with our audiences and advertisers. We engaged in more community outreach in the first 2 months of the pandemic then in all of 2019 because we truly had to make it our priority. Battling COVID-19 and all the societal impacts has helped us build and stronger foundation for our brands as we proved to our audience that we had their back. At iHeartRadio, our goal has always been to be where our audience is, no matter what the location…however, this past year we went home with them, and there might not be a more emotionally powerful place to matter.
4. Music comes at us from all sorts of angles these days. What else are you looking for when something from a new artist shows up that already has impressive streaming numbers or other sorts of metrics?
I look at our artists as protein and produce vendors for a restaurant… you want to be able to depend on amazing product not just today, but in the future. TicTok can churn out a consumption story on a record that really should only be 15 seconds long, so when we find those special moments I always dive into what’s next for the artist, so hopefully they can be a regular vendor of music for our audience to come back time and time again. We are brand building for our artists and that takes time. We want to invest in the artists we feel will matter in the future.
5. How does The Fred Show set the table for the rest of Kiss’ broadcast day? You’ve recently added Kristie Graybill to the show—what does she bring to the team?
The Fred Show is the perfect entry point to a day and radio brand. This talented group, led by Fred is the large family I’ve always wanted to wake up to, have breakfast with, and then carpool with to work. They teach me about what I should know, and it always leads towards additional conversation with my friends, colleagues, and wife later in the day. Kristie Graybill is such an exciting addition to this dysfunctional family, her talent and work ethic is hard to match.
6. “Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. How do you keep your station(s) visible and involved in the community when we really can’t go out and interact?
We have provided more options to interact with us than we ever did before…the old “innovation through necessity” mantra because we can’t stand in front of them and shake their hand. Our partnership with our label and management community has never been more important because music is the one necessity you need in a room for a party. Our audience couldn’t celebrate their moments, their proms, their graduations, their pride…so we threw them parties. Our brands have interacted with more people in the last 10 months than in any year prior.
7. What are the most effective social media platforms for your air staffs these days?
Radio, which as we know was the first social medium, is by far our most effective, but we use all of the digital spaces to connect. The effectiveness depends upon timing and ever-changing algorithms, so we keep creating compelling content and share everywhere. We have incredible digital teams in Nashville who support our local efforts, which led to our strongest social year yet in Chicago.
8. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?
WZTA 94.9 ZETA ROCKS! Paul Castronovo & Young Ron Brewer taught me how to laugh before class. I have been fortunate enough to get to know and work with Paul when I was on the national ROCK team, which was time I will always honor.
WPOW Power 96. DJ Lazz “The Pimp With The Limp”…loved that station and that dude growing up and I’m excited that DJ Lazz joined our exciting new station in Miami at WMIA. WGCI here in Chicago is where culture and conversation start in Chicago, WPOW in Miami was like that back in the day.
9. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Pat Lynch, Rick Everett, and the amazing team there showed me what it meant to deliver on brand content and how to execute war time radio. Chris Kampmeier and Linda Byrd asked me what I wanted to do with my career, I told them I wanted to run radio stations like them and they said “Awesome, you won’t do that here just yet but you can start learning in Albany, GA” and off to Albany, GA I went. After making a ton of mistakes and learning from amazing broadcast pros in Albany like John Richards, Marc Chase at iHeart Corporate brought me to Atlanta to learn from him, the Critical Mass Media team, and his awesome RSVPPs. Brad Hardin was one of those elite RSVPP’s and took a shot on bringing me to Tampa Bay, and he continues to be an ever-important mentor in my career. Thea Mitchem, Tony Coles, Brian Olson, Meg Stevens, Mike Preacher, Matt Scarano, Scott Hopeck, Lainie Fertick, Elizabeth Falke, and so many others have helped to guide me with their invaluable skills and talent.
10. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Surround yourself with diverse, talented people who want to make an impact through hard work. My passion for this business is fueled by the quality people I have been fortunate enough to work with each day.
Bonus Questions
With an unlimited budget and the United Center at your disposal, what 5 acts would you bring together to celebrate a cluster-wide “No More Covid” concert?
We have 6 amazing brands in Chicago, so I need 6 artists!
Alicia Keys, Metallica, Michael Buble, Billie Eilish, Dababy, and Kirk Franklin.
Let’s do this label friends, let’s do this.
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