10 Questions with ... AJ Carson

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WCSF-FM, Joliet, IL
WJOL-FM, Joliet, IL
WBNQ-FM, Bloomington, IL
WZOK-FM, Rockford, IL
WNDV-FM, South Bend, IN
KUDD-FM, Salt Lake City, UT
KZHT-FM, Salt Lake City, UT
KODJ-FM, Salt Lake City, UT

1. How would you describe your first radio gig?

I’ll forever be grateful to Todd Chance for giving me a real shot at being a true Top 40 DJ when he hired me for weekends at WBNQ in 2000. I met my future wife there, Meredith Wilken, she was across the hall at WBWN-FM. Tony Travatto became PD at ‘BNQ about a year later and I’ll be forever grateful to HIM for giving me my first true daily radio show. Tony and I were like kids in the candy store at WBNQ. I imaged the station, hosted late nights, and listened to many FMQB airchecks back then. So, I watched him become a stellar programmer almost overnight.  

Tony and I shared a REELWORLD jingles CD and couldn’t wait for the Kiss 108 jingle package to come with the WBNQ sings.

2. What led you to a career in radio?

I think my ‘career’ in radio started in 1993 with a mixer I purchased with paper route money. I’d tape sweepers and commercials from WBNQ-FM/Bloomington, IL and ‘play DJ.’ Back then, Scott Robbins and Scott Laughlin were on the air in the AM, and I did my best to copy their style. I’d record myself on tapes and listen to myself on my paper route. (Cheeky, eh?)

Later, after DJ’ing for my junior high and high school dances and proms a few times, I started at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL, in 1999 on WCSF-FM. It was a REAL (albeit COLLEGE) radio station – and IT WAS A BLAST! I also began reading local sports scores for Scott Slocum on WJOL-AM/Joliet.

3. How do Frankie & Jess set the table for the rest of the station’s broadcast day?

Frankie and Jess are an institution. I witnessed just how impactful radio personalities can be to their communities every day through their listener interaction and dedication to their craft. Frankie’s a legend and a superb human, his longevity in the market stems from his dedication to bringing the listener into his daily life. Jess, while also legendary, is the one person that EVERY person agrees is TRUE to HERSELF. She and I started a few days apart on KZHT in 2005 and I feel like we’ll forever be brother and sister because of it. Frankie and Jess define KZHT as much as KZHT defines Frankie and Jess. You just can’t have one without the other.

4. You’ve been doing afternoons for 16+ years now at KZHT. What is it about being on the air every day that still lights you up when you hit the studio?

The truth? I’m still the kid in my parents’ basement playing radio. That feeling has never left. I get amped up playing a hit LOUD and layering the production of a hot sounding sweep over the record’s ramp. Hitting the post with a phoner or one-liner is a joy only radio people know. And being on the air is a privilege. Being on the air at KZHT every day is an HONOR. I’m not qualified for a real job, so I’m very lucky. I thank my lucky stars every day for this opportunity.

5. Who would be the ultimate “dream guest” to have come in and sit across from you on your show?

Jon Stewart. Jon’s “The Daily Show” formulated my young adult years. I was in high school his first year on that show in 1999. I was a married, father of two with a 15 year-run in radio when he ceased hosting the show in 2015. His humor, his perspective on everything from 9/11 to the Kardashians, his candid interviewing, and his ability to do it all as a husband and father made me dream of BEING him (or at least emulating him as much as a DJ can). He’s kind of my hero, really.

6. You and PD Jeff McCartney have been in the trenches together for years now. Given all the technology and resources that we have on hand, is it easier to “find” the hits these days?

Jeff’s the smartest PD on the planet. Technology aside, he can pick a hit. I’ll never forget the audio we received of Wyclef Jean finding out Jeff was the first CHR programmer to add ‘The Sweetest Girl” years ago – and that we were playing it 35x/week. It was gratitude and astonishment. That was WEEKS before mainstream Top 40 picked it up and it was eventually a power for many weeks.

Though we use traditional callout and the vast iHeartMedia resources and metrics, I can’t think of the last time Jeff’s intuition was incorrect. To say the least, Salt Lake City and the broader Utah market are unique. Knowing the nuance of the local listener’s taste is something Jeff has taught me. iHeartMedia is incredibly smart to have Jeff as a programmer and a mentor for other programmers.

To the question: Is it ‘easier’ to pick a hit? I’d like to think Jeff has perfected the art of finding the songs that AREN’T hits. A mass appeal artist like Drake just doesn’t have that swagger in Utah. I love Drake, but Drake rarely flies well with our audience.

7. You also handle the station’s imaging. What do you love about doing your thing in the production room?

It goes back to the kid in the basement. Making a piece of audio that sounds juicy on the air and cuts with its messaging over a record is just SO MUCH FUN.

Radio Imaging is only as good as a listener who can identify the station’s unique personality IN that imaging. Playing with voiceovers and noises to achieve that end is something I can’t imagine ever NOT ‘geeking’ me out. I’ll never tire of putting together station imaging and hearing the finished product on the air.

8. You’re part of iHeart’s national weekend programming platform. What has that part of your career been like?

Pretty darn cool. Creating fun content on the air in multiple markets simultaneously is a thrill I don’t think I ever envisaged. Through both the iHeartCustom platform and Format Center platform with iHeartMedia, I’m more engaged ‘in the moment’ than ever.

When Kobe Bryant passed away in January 2020, I was on multiple Format Center stations across the country in both AC and CHR formats delivering the news to the listeners in each station’s unique and local way.

During hurricane season last year, individual stations along the Gulf Coast that are part of the iHeartCustom platform received up to the minute content from myself and the other Custom jocks for their specific local markets. It allowed the programmers in those local markets to focus on staying safe and allowing the jocks around the country to do the heavy-content-lifting.

9. What were your favorite stations growing up as a kid? Jock(s)?

WBNQ-FM/Bloomington, IL. WWCT-FM, Peoria, IL. WLS-FM, Chicago. WLUP-FM/Chicago. WBBM-FM/Chicago. From Scott Robbins and Scott Laughlin to Steve Dahl and Gary Meier to Bob Stroud to Kevin Matthews. I emulated them all at one time or another.

10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?

Jeff McCartney, no question. The man is a legend. His legacy at KZHT is unheard of in this industry. We’ve become great friends and partners in radio, but I learn new things from him every week. His humble personality and the fact that he’s so approachable are what make him even more special. He’s air-checked me pretty hard, had me re-work imaging to get it right, showed me how a master music scheduler does a log, and I hope he never stops.

I have to say, Todd Chance, Tony Travatto, and Casey Daniels have all been mentors of mine as well. I would never have been in a position to get on staff at KZHT without their guidance.

With the Vivint Arena at your disposal and an unlimited budget, which 3-5 artists would you pull together for a station show?

Only 3-5? Haha! Salt Lake, for all its nuanced musical taste, LOVES pop-alternative. Taylor Swift has kept a special place in her heart for this town, and for a good reason. She’s beloved here. And Ed Sheeran, too. And if we have an unlimited budget, let’s add The Weeknd. His records have spun in the 20,000+ range here…and they’re not getting retired yet.