10 Questions with ... Michael Martin

NAME:Michael Martin TITLE:VP/Programming, Los Angeles MARKET:Los Angeles OWNER:Clear Channel

Please outline your radio career so far:

Began as an intern then mixer at KIIS-FM/AM.
Brief nine-month stint at Pirate Radio wandering the halls, having no idea why I was there.
Back to KIIS as MD.
Left in '92 for the MD gig at KYLD.
PD KYLD/KMEL/KIOI (they kept adding stations and I never saw a pay jump. Must be some kind of mistake).
RVPP/Western Region.
SVPP/Western Region.

1) Welcome back to L.A. How has the market changed since you were last here?

I'm looking for the 30-person "intimate dinners" with Charlie Walk at the Ivy and can't seem to find them.

2) You've gone from being SVPP, overseeing a large region, to focusing just on L.A. Did the market need the attention? How has your role changed?

Having a region is a great thing and fun for the ego. You get to experience a lot of different stations, formats and people, BUT by sheer station count (I had about 150), you can only really scratch the surface with the products.

I love to program. I love to write promos, listen to music, interact with jocks and listeners (insert Chris Hanson from "Dateline NBC" smart-ass joke here). I had to get back into a station and feel the pulse again. I missed it like an old friend. I lost some of my creativity, my passion for new music, and my patience. I found myself doing exactly what I cursed; checking research to spins and sending scathing e-mails to the variances. I forgot that as a programmer, there are the gut calls regardless of the research. There are the rules, then there is understanding why they are in place, what the intent is and how do I make this work and FEEL great.

3) Assess the current state of radio for us; what are the biggest problems that we face?

Ourselves. Yes, we have to think forward and move as quickly as the audience. First off, we aren't moving anywhere close to the audience. We hang on to "this is how I've always done it" mentality. Don't pay any attention to that 2 share you have; just keep doing what you've always done.

The other thing is we have lost our gut, our vibe, our passion. We follow the research, put check marks in all the boxes and think we did our job. We forgot that when we schedule music, it is not just about the categories, but it's about how it SOUNDS. I've met those who program NOT to lose instead of programming to win -- "If I follow all the research and my ratings still go down, maybe I won't get fired because I did what everything told me to do."

4) Shorter spots, fewer sweepers, more segues, more website promotion ... what are your thoughts on all of these new initiatives?

Very necessary IF done right and IF you understand the intent and not just the rule. You cannot just slash your jock talk down, cut the promos and sweepers in half, do more dead segues and play more web promos and think you did anything. That's just programming to the boss and trying to save your job.

The INTENT of the initiative is that the listeners are pissed off at us that we interrupt their music with useless self-serving "Arbitron rated #1, playing the most upbeat mix from the '70s, '80s and '90s without the rap" elements and aren't delivering what they want -- MUSIC, delivered by people who love music! After I hear a new song I want know what the hell that was, who sang it and tell me if I can download it on your site or listen to it on demand over and over and over, like I used to as a kid when I got a new album.

5) What advice would you give to a young programmer who feels powerless because he can't do anything without approval from a group programmer or consultant?

I've been on both sides. I've made programmers miserable by looking over their every move, and when I was a mixer I quit gigs if the know-nothing manager tried to tell me what to play. There are things you can control and there are things you cannot control. Focus on what you CAN control and do it to the best of your ability. Sometimes we spend too much time complaining about what we can't control.

6) A combination of new technology and new regulation has created a new dynamic for the radio/record label relationship. What do the labels need to do better when it comes do dealing with radio?

They have made great strides in creating marketing partnerships with radio. We can co-promote artists and releases together with on-air, websites, exclusive online content, etc., and that's a win-win for everyone. More of that, please, and less of "but it's top 10." For the most part I see some great partnerships working.

7) What does radio need to do better for the labels?

Just keep communicating. Give feedback. Talk about your station, your target, and your goals. Give direct answers.

8) Given the stellar success of Mainstream Top 40 stations in many large, diverse markets -- most notably KIIS, Z100 and KHKS -- why isn't there one in San Francisco?

GREAT QUESTION! WILD is the Top 40 as that market knows it. Could someone come in and grab a lane between KYLD and KIOI? Maybe. Wanna try it? Have fun and let me know how that works out.

9) What's your take on HD radio? A boon ... or a boondoggle?

I have a huge DVD collection. I stand in front of it with pride and point at its glory. I wake up one day and there is BlueRay. BRIGHTER, CRISPER, LOUDER, BOLDER. I'm pissed. I invested all this money and now you want me to change? It will take time.

Also go to Best Buy and ask to see the HD units. Most employees will take you to the satellite receivers. Minimum wage is a killer.

10) With big broadcasting companies going private, do you see more working capitol flowing to stations, now that managers don't have to answer to "Wall Street?"

Yes. To pay programmers and air talent more. :)

What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?

I want to keep trying until I get it right.