10 Questions with ... Dan "Kennedy" Baisden

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I began my career in radio while I was still in high school in Holmes County, OH. I spent over six years working at various stations in Ohio, from on-air to Promotions Director, APD/MD and even station janitor. I moved to Pikeville, KY, where I began programming 100,000-watt Top 40 WQHY. Shortly after I moved to Kentucky, I was given the opportunity to program WAZY/Lafayette, IN. My career later took me to WZOQ-WDOH-WLJM/Lima, OH, where we rebuilt each of the stations from the ground up. A year ago, I took the big leap and traveled out to the great West and landed in Flagstaff-Prescott, AZ where I am the Operations Director/Program Director of KWMX, KFLX and KSED

1) How would you describe your first radio gig?

It was small and the owner had chickens and goats in the field behind the radio station. True story ... chickens and goats! During specific commercial breaks we had a timer in the studio that reminded us to go out and check their feed and water. Overall it was a great experience. We still used reel-to-reel, carts and CDs while most stations in the area were picking up automation systems. Talk about an eclectic format ... we played Soft Rock, Classic Rock, Active Rock, Top 40 and even Mennonite services, all on one station that actually made money!

2) What led you to a career in radio?

I remember growing up listening to some of the greatest radio stations in the world. "WKRQ in Cincinnati" was the very first and then WKDD/Akron finally made me decide that this is what I wanted to do for my career. People who inspired me would be Barbara Adams and Elaine Lozier, Matt Patrick, Keith Kennedy, Patti Marshall, Randy Michaels and Brian Douglas, along with many more.

3) How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?

Flagstaff-Prescott is a unique market landscape. We are a hyphenated market with a population of over 400,000 people. Both major cities are where the majority of the stations are located, and while Flagstaff and Prescott are only 50 miles apart as the crow flies, the cities are close to two hours apart in drive time. We have nearly 40 radio stations located inside the market area. However, close to 20 additional Phoenix stations also bleed into the market, which makes it very interesting.

4) What makes your station unique?

Our stations are at the top of the market, claiming #1 positions in multiple demos. We have large signals that cover two of the largest counties in the entire country. Instead of focusing on one city or one county, we focus on Northern Arizona as a whole and equally spend time in both counties. We also launched an entirely new interactive platform, standing out in the market with the highest quality websites for radio stations.

5) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?

I believe the newer radio program directors and talent have been wearing more hats than in the past because of our expansion of services to the audience. Fifteen years ago, the Internet was a side thought, voicetracking was the new fad and a majority of radio stations were satellite-automated or live 24/7. Today, radio has more stations and more ways to reach our audience.

6) What is your favorite part of the job?

I love radio altogether. I have been doing this for over 10 years now, and I wouldn't change anything about it. I love everything from being on-air to scheduling music to meeting with my staff to filling out weekly affidavits. My favorite part about the job is the creativity, and going out and reaching the community. How great is it to be out helping a local fundraiser and seeing smiles on faces of listeners and kids as they participate? To me, that shows that radio is still effective and is an extremely emotional connection with the audience. "Radio is not a job; it's a lifestyle,"

7) What is the most challenging part of the job?

I love a good challenge, so I would say that what makes radio challenging is also what makes radio so exciting. It's the fact that radio is changing the medium to reach our audience. I understand the importance of social networking, but I also understand the importance of a listener turning on their car stereo. Fifteen years ago, no one even knew that Twitter or station e-mail blasts would ever exist. The more products there are for listeners to be distracted by, the bigger the challenge in reaching them.

8) What's the coolest promotion you've been involved with recently?

I used to be a promotions director, so there are too many to name. I loved using The Fugitive ... talk about hype and listener interaction at an all-time high! One of the best and most effective promotions I have ever been involved in was Car Star, where listeners had to get clues to find keys to start the car. Each clue was "faux celebrity" voices that would take listeners to the next clue. It created buzz, TSL and cume!

9) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?

I'm a terrestrial radio kinda guy, so that means I do not own or believe in iPods! However, if I were to have one of those gadgets, I would have Goo Goo Dolls, U2 and Lady Gaga on shuffle.

10) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?

I have taken multiple graphic design courses while working in radio. With our business branching out into interactive platforms, it is important for people to have visual presentation and graphic design skills for assisting the sales department to create a great website.

For someone vacationing in your market, what one thing would you say they "must see"?

In our market alone, you can find Meteor Crater, Red Rocks of Sedona, Montezuma Castle, The Navajo Indian Reservation, the tallest mountain in the Southwest ... oh, and The Grand Canyon!