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10 Questions with ... Chet Buchanan
May 16, 2006
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NAME:Chet BuchananPOSITION:MorningsSTATION:98.5 KLUCMARKET:Las VegasCOMPANY:CBS RadioBORN:SeattleRAISED:About 35 miles NE of SEATTLE in MONROE, WA
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started at 15 at KRKO in EVERETT, WA. It was a Top 40 on AM then. I moved on to the old KNBQ in SEATTLE. Got the "big break" at 17 doing nights at Z100 in PORTLAND....where I ended up going back to two more times. I spent about six amazing years at KUBE 93 in SEATTLE, sandwiched around a stop at KZZP in Phoenix, where Dave Ryan tortured me mercilessly. I got a chance to really get my hands dirty programming two stations (KZHT & KURR) while doing mornings on KZHT in SALT LAKE CITY. After a year and a half back in SEATTLE at KBKS, I found my home in LAS VEGAS at KLUC.
1. What was your last non-radio job?
I ran one of those "maggot wagon" type concession trucks in the pits at Evergreen Speedway in MONROE. I served a lot of hamburgers to future DAYTONA winner DERRICKE COPE! That's actually where I met JEFF CHASE from KRKO and convinced him to let me intern. I don't think anyone had actually WANTED to intern there before...who knew it would go from washing vans and sweeping the parking lot to this??
2. What got you into radio?
I was a single kid raised by a single mom in an area without a ton of kids. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time shooting hoops and listening to KJR. I've always loved all formats of radio and found pretty early that the jocks were as interesting to me as the music. I was lucky to grow up with KJR and later KUBE. My mom got a poster of the KJR jocks from around 1978 for me and then framed it for me for a high school grad present. It still hangs in the bathroom...kind of half good luck/half inspiration.
3. YWhat's your favorite aspect of being on-air?
I love the interaction, the connection, and the ability to do things that touch people's lives. There's a creative element that I really enjoy the challenge of.
4. What's the highlight of your career radio to date?
Toy Drive is a highlight that seems to keep getting topped every year. Doing the hydroplane races with PAT O'DAY and that whole "Pirate Ship" Seafair in SEATTLE is really huge for me, as was sitting with him on a Rose Bowl trip when we took an entire plane load of listeners to root on the Huskies (that was obviously a LONG time ago!) PAT is THE godfather of SEATTLE radio, and my Dad knew who he was so it sort of legitimized my career path....I'm lucky to have a really great team around me here in LAS VEGAS, so as cheesy as it seems, there are a lot of highlights every day. I never really thought I would be doing this.
5. Tell me about the members of the Zoo?
Spence is the creative genius and the guy who does 99% of the produced stuff. I never want to do a radio show without him again. We first met at KBKS when he was doing production and I was APD/MD/Afternoons. We started doing this show together when I came back here in '04...he's become one of my best friends.
Lauren just came here from Jammin in SANTA ROSA....what a freakin' star she is! People just love her! I still love AMY SWEET, who left us after seven years to go back to IOWA to raise her family, and there was concern that we would never be able to replace her. And we haven't...nor have we attempted to. LAUREN came in as her own person and the audience loves that about her. They can love and miss Amy, and love LAUREn too! She's beautiful, smart, hilarious, and fits perfectly with us. I knew after spending about an hour with her that she was the one. I told SPENCE, "If this girl can string two sentences together on the radio...she's in!"
Carlos Diaz from the TV show "Extra" does entertainment reports every hour, and is a complete stud, usually rolling in at 5:58 after being out all night with the PARIS HILTONs and GEORGE CLOONEYs of the world! I really want to be his best friend, ya know? The audience loves that we get entertainment scoop before ANYBODY and they can tell the difference. How many people have a guy on their staff getting exclusive audio from PARIS talking about MATT LEINART, MATT LEINART talking about PARIS, HUGH JACKMAN talking about X-MEN, NICK LACHEY not talking about anybody, SIMON COWELL talking about IDOL, HOWIE MANDEL talking about DEAL OR NO DEAL....you get the idea. We did! And MORE! This week! We love Carlos.
JUICY and DAVEY THE SHOWKILLA bust their asses behind the scenes handling whatever SPENCE, CARLOS, or I are yelling about. It's mostly me. LAUREN doesn't yell. I just try to keep it all in order and keep it moving quickly!!
6. Ever miss programming? Why or why not?
I miss the people....a lot. Some people may "play the game" in the radio/records relationship, but I like to think I had a lot of good friends on the records side. I actually miss airchecking weekenders, it's cool to know you helped them improve. I DO NOT miss music scheduling or the mountains of corporate b.s. that programmers deal with now. It used to be pretty cool to just concentrate on your staff and how you were going to beat your competition. I get the idea there's not a ton of that focus being allowed to happen any more. My PD, CAT THOMAS, is really great about gathering input. He knows what I've done and listens to me just long enough so that I feel like I made a point....and then glazes over until I finally leave his office!
7. Who do you consider your music and radio mentor(s)?
There's so many that I can't imagine even being here without their guidance and confidence. They know what they've done...and then I'm going to hit the phones, because a lot of these people I haven't talked to in a long time! In semi-chronological order...JEFF CHASE, SEAN LYNCH, JAY PHILPOTT, RIC HANSEN, RP & MARK, GARY BRYAN, DAN CLARK, BOB CASE, CHARLIE BROWN (!!), JOEL DENVER, SHELLIE HART, ERIC POWERS, JERRY CLIFTON, COLLEEN CASSIDY, MARK SHANDS, PAIGE NIENABER, DEBI LIPETZ, SUE BRETT, FREDDIE ZAEHLER, BOBCAT SMITH, GREGG FELDMAN, STAN FOREMAN, LARRY REYMANN, MARK ROSE, JULIE RAE MCLEOD, GREG LEE, DAVE RYAN, DAVE ROBBINS, JOHNNY COPPOLA, JOEY CARVELLO, ISSY SANCHEZ, GEORGE HESS, 8 million other VP's, PAT O'DAY, ERIC BRADLEY, CHUCKER, and of course CAT THOMAS and JB here in VEGAS. Seriously, the people are the best part of this business. You may not see your name here, but if I worked with you, around you, and even against you, I remember you and appreciate you for your inspiration.
8. A freak gravitational shift has added three hours to everyday. What would you do with those extra three hours?
Finish getting in touch with the people listed above...get stuff done around the house...Who am I kidding? I'd sleep on the couch with ESPN blaring in the background!!
9. What's your favorite part about living in LAS VEGAS?
You wouldn't expect this, but the people here are phenomenal. Most didn't grow up here, so when you give them something to feel good about, that feels like home and friends, they really react. There is ALWAYS something to do and the weather's great (duh!)....and with all the people moving here, everything's new. There's a lot more here than just that 3 and a half miles of Las Vegas Boulevard that you know about.
10. Ever have an artist come in that you may have had significant preconceptions about and they turned out to be totally off-base?
I'm always bummed when they turn out to be "not into it" that day, but no one specific comes to mind. If I'm good at anything, it's making guests feel comfortable, and making them feel like we're on the same side...so it usually turns out pretty well.
Bonus Questions
Any advice for aspiring morning show hosts?
Get a great TEAM around you! I love guys like DAVE RYAN, KIDD KRADDICK, STERN, MOJO, all the usuals. They are all incredible, amazing talents.....made that much more incredible by equally amazing talents like COREY, KELLY RASPBERRY & BIG AL, ROBIN, BABA BOOEY, SPIKE, CHAD & SARA...you get it!! You really are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I guess I'm pretty damn good right now!!
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