10 Questions with ... Amy Miller

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• KZSC/Santa Cruz, CA - DJ for jazz and indie rock shows; Promotions Director
• KFOG/San Francisco, CA - Programming Assistant
• WTYD/ Williamsburg, VA - Music Director/Program Director
• DL Media Music, Philadelphia, PA - Music Publicist
• KXT/Dallas, TX - Assistant Program Director/Program Director

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I was always the kid that would call into the local alternative station to request songs and win concert tickets for my friends and me. I loved radio, but never thought about it as a career until a couple of years into working at my college station. I was completely intrigued once I realized at most stations, there were one or two people in charge of scheduling the music for an entire day ... who knew?

2. Since you have been there, and as KXT marks its 10th year, how has the music mix evolved?

I think we've become a bit more eclectic over the years and we've started incorporating more new music into the mix, as well as more local music. As of a couple years ago, we now have specialty shows dedicated solely to new music and local music which has helped put a spotlight on both.

3. Tell us about some of the cool benchmark events the station has and how you are incorporating them into the 10-year celebration.

We've had bands play live in our studio since day one. This November, to celebrate our 10th year, we've decided to release our first ever KXT Live Sessions album on vinyl and CD. Additionally, we'll be celebrating with our birthday concert on November 9th (the day KXT went on the air). We wanted to create a lineup that really showcases what KXT is all about - artists who have been a staple of KXT for years, new emerging artists and local music. With that in mind, we have Grace Potter headlining, Devon Gilfillian opening up, and we'll be adding a local band to the lineup in mid-October. Right now we're running a video contest for bands in North Texas to determine the local opener.

4. Who are some of the artists to be featured special live-performance CD.?

I can't say yet because we haven't announced the featured artists to our listeners yet - but there are some killer artists on there that we can't wait to reveal!

5. You switched around some of the on-air hosts this year. How has that been working out for you?

Right now we're searching for a new host - our afternoon host left the station recently and it's opened up an awesome opportunity for someone with great on-air and production chops. In the meantime, we hired a couple of new people for our sister station (KERA) who have been filling in on-air at KXT - Jeff Penfield (formerly from KCSN) and Nilufer Arsala. It's always great having fresh voices on the air!

6. What insights from the commercial side of programming are you bringing to this noncomm station?

I cut my teeth as a programmer at a privately owned, small market start-up station and didn't have to worry about some of the things PDs have to at corporately owned stations. For that reason, my insights might be a little different than some. I think that naturally my instincts tell me to play it a little safer than perhaps some programmers who have been doing noncomm for most of their career. I'm not sure if that's necessarily an insight, but I think it's something I bring over from commercial radio and could be beneficial in some circumstances when trying to grow our audience.

7. What resources does the greater KERA organization offer you?

KXT is very lucky that we can share some of KERA and KERA-TV's resources. We have an excellent film crew that comes from our TV station, so the live sessions we film in-house look great and we're starting to explore ideas for how we can utilize those resources even more. We also share some of KERA's air staff, as needed. Our marketing team works for both KXT and KERA (and Art&Seek - a North Texas resource for arts and culture), so we're able to effectively cross-promote events when it's fitting.

8. What do you see as the most pressing challenge for public radio?

I think because there is such a broad spectrum of public radio stations, a lot of people have a misconception about what public radio is and its potential. There are a lot of stations out there that serve as training grounds for first-time DJs and the programming is all over the place. Don't get me wrong - I think there's a place for that and it's necessary when you look at the big picture, but a lot of people don't realize there are format-focused music stations that are exactly what they're looking for when they're saying commercial radio doesn't have enough variety. I also think that because there are so many resources out there for acquiring music and media, it's becoming more of a challenge to stand out. I think that's why local relevance becomes a priority and is extremely important.

9. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

Creativity is often more valuable than experience - sometimes the best ideas can come from interns or someone who has never set foot in a radio station.

10. If you wanted to completely change careers today, what would you do?

Probably something outdoors or with animals. If I were to stay in the industry, probably artist management.

Last non-industry job:

99% of my non-industry jobs have been working in restaurants.

First record ever purchased:

I think it was either MC Hammer or Janet Jackson on cassette.

First concert:

Steve Miller Band

What do you enjoy doing with your time away from work?

Playing music with friends, going to shows, finding places to go hiking around North Texas.