10 Questions with ... Chad Briesacher

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Other than KCLC, I interned at KTRS-AM and CBS's St. Louis FM cluster while in school. My first gig out of college was at an independent station owned by Jack and John Scheper, WHCO-AM in Sparta, IL, as a sales person in 2008. I eventually weaseled my way on air as co-host of my PD, Peter Stork's, morning show. By the end of my time there I was sales manager, working on the morning show, and calling sports. In 2010 I went to grad school and started teaching in 2011. I still did some work for smaller stations here and there, but I thought that was it for my radio career. Then in January 2015 the new owners of WHCO, who also owned WINI-AM in Murphysboro, IL, asked me back to help with sales part time, four months later they asked me to step in as GM of both stations. I missed teaching, but I couldn't pass up my dream of running a station. We flipped WINI from news/talk to oldies when we received an FM translator. Now I have the best of both worlds; I get to work in radio, but still get to work with an amazing batch of students every day.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

This will kind of make me sound like a geek, but I fell in love with radio in grade school listening to Cardinals baseball and CBS News on KMOX/St. Louis. I never really considered it as a realistic career path until high school. I mean, who thinks of going into radio? We are all supposed to go into finance and get desk jobs, right? So, in high school my English teacher, Rick Ortiz, encouraged me to follow my passions, and the speech coach Elaine Laws coaxed me into entering a speech meet in the radio newscast category ... I finished eighth out of eight.

2. How did your new position at Lindenwood and KCLC come together?

I'm an alumnus of Lindenwood University and I was an adjunct instructor here for three years before becoming GM at Southern Illinois Radio Group. How do any of these things come together? I absolutely loved my last job, but when I saw Rich Reighard was stepping down I applied. It was an opportunity too good to pass up. I missed working with students.

3. KCLC has a long tradition of helping students prepare to enter the radio broadcasting field. Tell us a bit about that.

KCLC has a rich tradition. We are getting ready to celebrate 50 years on FM in 2018; the original AM was founded in 1948. Our goal is to run the station as close to a professional station as possible. Of course, we don't have a sales department, but the MD, sports director, and all of the air staff are students. At Lindenwood, we want the students to be able to walk down the aisle at graduation and into a job ready to perform.

4. Rich Reighard has a long tenure guiding KCLC, how do you feel about taking over the programming reins?

I consider Rich and GM Mike Wall to be my professional mentors. Rich knows so much about the industry and how it's evolved in his long career. It's intimidating to think that this year students will be coming to me with all of the questions that I asked him not so long ago. I wouldn't have the career I have without Rich. He taught me so much about the both the on-air and business side of radio.

5. Your programming background is mostly in commercial radio. What aspects do you think translate to the noncommercial side?

The music side is pretty much the same. The biggest difference here is getting to work with amazingly talented student broadcasters. Some of them are a little rough around the edges at first, but when the passion is there, you see them improve rapidly. The bonus of not having to sell spots is pretty nice, too!

6. Tell us about the station mission of new music discovery.

KCLC flipped to Triple A in 2002, immediately prior to that we played Smooth Jazz. I feel like with Triple A, we are getting back to our roots. When our FM went on air 49 years ago, we played AOR which was cutting edge and full of new artists of the time. Triple A is a great format for new artists and independent labels. We take full advantage of that. My MD Jess Hodge always has her ear to the ground to find new acts. There is nothing better than hearing an act on another station after they hit it big and thinking to yourself. Pffft, we have been playing them for a year.

7. How would you describe the music on the station?

KCLC emphasizes more the singer/songwriter-type music, which gives us room for experimentation and newer artists. We tend to lean toward the Alternative side of the format rather than the 'Americana' stuff.

8. What is your biggest challenge at the station?

Getting students to leave their comfort zones. Very often, students want to work in music or sports or news, but I want them to step out and try something different. I like to see students who develop multiple skills and want to try a little of everything. Versatility makes you more marketable in the radio industry. Starting out, I had a job where I had to jock, sell, call high school football, and hop on the tractor to cut grass around the tower. I wouldn't have been able to succeed had it not been for my mentors pushing me when I was in college radio. At Lindenwood, we can help students with all of those skills, except the tractor part.

9. What is the best advice you would give to young programmers?

Listen to everything you can get your hands on. Listen to a variety of formats and styles. You never know where you will end up. I never saw myself in Country radio, but I spent several years selling and managing a Country station. Listening to everything not only gives you flexibility in the industry, but helps you develop a broader appreciation of music as a whole.

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...

... Music!

Last non-industry job:

Boy Scout Camp Program Director.

First record ever purchased:

We didn't get a CD player in my house until the mid-'90s. All I grew up listening to were my dad's vinyl records from the '60s. I remember getting a Beach Boys greatest hits CD with my first stereo for Christmas one year. The first album I purchased was probably The Beatles' 1.

First concert:

I'm embarrassed to say, but I'm not much of a concertgoer. I see a lot of bands playing in small venues like coffee houses and bars. Probably the St. Louis Symphony.

Favorite band of all-time:

I know I work in Triple A, but who can top The Beatles? I could listen to a Beatles album every day, never get tired of it, and probably pick up something I've never noticed before on each listen.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

I listen to a lot of music. I have a 40-year-old Pioneer stereo and it's my best friend. Other than that, I like hanging out at events around St. Louis; it's such a vibrant city with museums, outdoor concerts, beautiful historic architecture, and tons of events around Forrest Park.