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10 Questions with ... Jim Kennedy
July 29, 2008
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NAME:Jim KennedyTITLE:VP/Urban ProgrammingSTATION:45 Urban Mainstreams and Urban Acs, plus other assorted formatsCOMPANY:Cumulus MediaBORN:Indiana, PA (A LONG TIME AGO)RAISED:Same as above
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
Armed Forces Radio. First commercial job: KCIN Victorville, CA. Influences: I loved CKLW, WLS and WCFL and was greatly influenced by all the jocks on them. I wanted to be a "boss jock!" The jocks were Jackson Armstrong and Jim LeBarbara.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it?"
I was always interested. I did a "show" in my room when I was in 5th grade with my records and turntable. My name was Jim Williams. When I did my stint in Armed Forces radio, I realized that radio is what I wanted to do. Plus I knew it beat working in the steel mill!
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Probably not! I would have studied harder in college ... actually gone to class ... and been the rocket scientist I was supposed to be. That being said, I love my radio career.
4) How you feel about being asked to wait on a record you hear until the call-out research validates it?
I feel great about it since I am usually the one doing the asking. My motto is: I don't need to be first -- I just need to be right!
5) How do you feel about syndication? Does it affect significantly the number of hours that the stations for which you are responsible have control over the music they play?
I have no problem with syndication ... except for the barter. It allows us to have a high level talent in some situations where we could not otherwise.
6) Because of callout research, are today's Urban and Urban AC programmers going to be slower in adding and playing new music?
I hope so. The audience always moves slower than we do -- especially in AC.
7) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?
My TypInG.
8) Although you had been functioning in a similar capacity for Cumulus for some time, did anything about the additional responsibilities surprise you?
Heck no! It gave me a chance to work in some places where I had not been before and a chance to improve some of those situations.
9) How do you feel about Arbitron's PPM eventually replacing the diary?
Once all the "bugs" are worked out, I think it will be a more accurate measurement of actual listening. However, they still have some work to do on it.
10) As you look back over your career ... any regrets? Missed opportunities?
I'm sorry my name is not Howard Stern. Actually, I wish I had been a little smarter in my early days, but it all work out the way it is supposed to.
Bonus Questions
What would people who think they know Jim Kennedy be surprised to know about you?
I listen to a lot of Talk radio ... especially Sports/Talk. It keeps me company on my long commute every day.
Describe your favorite meal?
Steak, sushi and lobster. (Maybe not all at once, though)
What's your favorite reading material?
I am in the process of reading my wife's Doctoral thesis -- all 350 pages of it! I read the LA Times and Pittsburgh Post Gazette every day. I also read Golf Magazine and Golf Digest every month. But the first thing I read every day is The Bible.
How important is consistent marketing to a station's overall success?
Hugely! It's what builds your cume.
Two words: "label politics." What's the best way to deal with it?
Be honest!
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