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10 Questions with ... Brad Dolbeer
May 9, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Mainly in Portland, KGON, KQFM, KMJK then KMTT in Seattle for many years before coming back to KINK. I am now with KKXT in Dallas.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
Always have been a music fan from as far back as I can remember. My dad had a fairly good record collection and I used to play "DJ" without really knowing what I was doing on the family Hi-Fi.
2. Who were/are your mentors?
Les Sarnoff encouraged me to get into radio when I was pondering it. Bob Ancheta took me under his wing when I was interning at KQFM. Tom O'Hair was an interesting influence when I was an intern, too. Dennis Constantine continues to be an influence and great teacher as he's been for the last 16 years or so.
3. How has it been making the transition to Public Radio?
The transition continues. I'm just starting the second Membership Campaign since I arrived and I'm getting the hang of it. The non-frantic pace of the noncom world is agreeing with me well.
4. What is your typical day like?
Is there such a thing? Every day brings something different for me as I'm sure it is for most people in our industry. I'm spending most of my time working on special projects, doing library maintenance and booking our summer series KXT Sun Sets.
5. How are the music meetings conducted?
We have a panel of people from different departments sit in. It's interesting to get people's feedback that aren't immersed in the programming department. Ultimately, it's our decision though.
6. How would describe the music mix on KXT?
It's fairly eclectic, but maybe not as adventurous as some noncom stations. One thing that distinguishes our mix from other stations is the local music element. We play at least one song an hour from the local North Texas music scene.
7. Your first impressions of the Dallas market?
The radio landscape is pretty much the same as most major markets. No judgement there, just the reality of the commercial side of the industry. Outside the radio aspect of the market, Dallas is a beautiful city. It's growing very fast and I get the sense that this is a good time to be here. The art scene was much more advanced than I expected, and the food and entertainment aspect of the market is on par with any major city I've ever visited.
8. What is the local music scene like?
The North Texas music scene is very rich. As I mentioned earlier, we play at least one song from a local artist every hour on KXT. The quality and quantity of local music has been a very welcome surprise.
9. What do you view as the most important issue facing Public Radio today?
To me, the most important issue is to continue doing what we do and make people aware of how we are different than commercial radio, by offering a quality product that is significantly different than anything on the commercial side. This isn't really an issue, it's more of a reminder to follow our mission.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...
... laughing?
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job:
Logistics Coordinator for Context Associated (herding 50 people for five days in a retreat seminar setting)
First record ever purchased:
The Beatles Revolver
First concert:
Chicago ('71 tour)
Favorite band of all-time:
Little Feat
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?
Lately, getting my house set up. I found an incredible house that has taken most of my "spare time," doing some upgrades and getting things settled.
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