Brett Andrews, PD, KSLZ & KBWZ/St. Louis

Brett Andrews is one of the industry’s young bright new programming minds. He lives, eats and breathes radio! It’s that passion and dedication that has served him well throughout his career, and now in St. Louis as Program Director of Z107-7 & Wild 104-9. Both stations are on a mission to remain the #1 choice for Hit Music in the Gateway to the West! 

By Bob Burke

Brett Andrews’ radio career began at Entercom CHR WXSS (KISS FM) in Milwaukee where under Brian Kelly he started as a weekend jock while still attending college at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Following graduation, Andrews did tours of duty at KFRX/Lincoln and KZCH/Wichita before moving to KVEG/Las Vegas to host Afternoon Drive. Andrews would eventually move back to Milwaukee and return to KISS FM for three years to host nights.
In 2010, Tommy Austin brought Brett out to Portland, OR first as APD and later as Program Director at Clear Channel CHR KKRZ (Z100) and Rhythmic CHR KXJM (Wild 107-5). In February 2013, Brett would end up transferring to St. Louis to oversee programming at CC sister CHR KSLZ (Z107-7) and Rhythmic CHR KBWX (Wild 104-9). Brett Andrews defines a new breed of programming minds that will no doubt help shape the sound and future of radio for the next generation. In the meantime, Andrews and his team are focused on the mission at hand, ensuring that Z107-7 remains “St. Louis’ #1 Hit Music Station” and Wild 104-9 “The Lou’s Party Station!”

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At what point did you realize radio was going to be your career of choice?
I know this sounds cliché, but it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. My parents bought me a karaoke machine when I was 8 or 9 and I used it as a make-shift studio because it had two tape decks and a mic.

You’ve worked your way up at every level in the radio business. How important was that in your development, being in the trenches at those stations and learning on the front lines?
It was not just important, it was vital. I came up in a very traditional radio way. I started as an intern for the night show at Kiss in Milwaukee (which I later hosted for three years) and got that call that so many of us received in the early parts of our careers: “Brett, the overnight guy called in sick. You’re up!” Weekend overnights lead to weekend afternoons which led to filling in prime shifts. Those early shifts at Kiss were brutal…but necessary. I spent time as interim Program Director, Music Director, and APD in smaller markets like Wichita and Lincoln, but then got what I like to call my “Grad School” of programming when Tommy Austin brought me on at Z100 in Portland, OR as APD/Afternoons. The two year crash course in programming that Tommy gave me (and still gives me from Chicago) set me up to take over as PD when he left. I’ve learned a ton from everyone I’ve worked with and worked for, from Brian Kelly at Entercom, to Lyman James, Tommy Austin and Steve Stewart at Clear Channel.

What’s the biggest challenge nowadays in overseeing programming of multiple stations?
Honestly, time management is key. As we all are, I’m juggling a ton of programming and on-air responsibilities. This is going to sound simplistic, but my “tasks” app on my iPad is the only thing that prevents me from being in my office until midnight every night. I plot out each day…the night before, so I know exactly what I need to get accomplished each day. With regards to the two stations I program, since they are both a form of Pop (a mainstream and a rhythmic), my task is to make sure they complement each other and protect each other, while maintaining individual identities in the market.

Every one is managing more with less these days. How important is it to have a support staff in place that understands the objectives and goals for the stations?
It’s the whole ballgame. I’m blessed to have a small, but very passionate and talented staff. My APD/Music Director Jordan is my analytical half. He’s the smartest social media strategist I’ve ever met, and years of program director experience within Clear Channel which makes him irreplaceable. My Production Director/Night host Big Mike is the longest standing employee at Z1077, starting as an intern weeks after the station signed more than 16 years ago. He’s spent his entire career at Z and our biggest asset to help understand the city and the audience. On Wild, market vet Taylor J is so smooth on and off air and has the passion for Rhythmic music that keeps us relevant and credible. Kruz, based out of CC/Baltimore does nights on Wild and is one of the most talented young air talents in the entire country. My ops manager Steve Stewart has set me up with the guidance and confidence to continue to be successful for years to come. Our promotions and weekend staff are all passionate and dedicated people that are the heart and soul of our operation.

You’re a pretty passionate guy when it comes to music. What’s your read on the Pop and Rhythm formats and where they are headed musically?
I’ve been a Pop music fan my entire life and spent my entire career in this format, so I’ve seen the highs and lows of the Pop music cycle…but it is just that, a cycle. We go through times when there is more great music than categories on a station. We’ve also been faced with the opposite. The format shifts with the tastes of the masses, as long as the formats move with the people, the station will succeed. Whether its boy bands, Pop/Rock, EDM, Hip Hop, whatever people are passionate about at that particular moment in time, a great Pop station complies and becomes the outlet.

What’s been the key for you in terms of balancing research with gut when it comes to making music decisions for both stations?
I’ve been blessed to have tons of tools, but I’ve also been at stations where all I had was my gut and my ears. It’s important to use those tools, look at charts and MScores, call out, etc…but as a Program Director, you should know your station and your audience better than anyone else, so you need to trust that knowledge and make sure a song fits the sound and “personality” of the radio station.

Are record labels doing a better job of partnering and branding with radio stations who understand that a productive relationship can ultimately reap mutual benefits in achieving goals?
I think the relationships between radio and labels are as strong as they’ve been in years. Everyone on both ends realize that it’s absolutely a symbiotic relationship and we rely on each other equally. Through the years, I’ve had a chance to work with some of the most passionate and motivated record label people who I consider great friends.

How important have artists’ visits or station lounge performances become in helping to develop new artists?
It’s huge for me as a PD to meet up-and-coming artists. I love to see the passion and hear the back stories of these guys. I’ve had a chance to see artists grow from their first promo tours in a van to selling out stadiums. It’s always fun to see how an individual reacts to fame and success (some better than others). I’ve been able to develop relationships with artists through the years, some send me rough cuts of new songs, which really helps me program.

Clear Channels has always been a leader on the technology front. How important is it to have platforms such as iHeartRadio to expand and expose your brands?
Over that past few years technology and people hearing music through those emerging technologies have continued to change. I’m so happy to a part of a company that not only understands that, but truly embraces it as part of its business model. A brand new version of iHeartRadio was just pushed out this week and it continues to impress me. If I could have listened to 102.7 KIIS FM in LA andZ100 in New York on my phone when I was a kid…well, I would have gotten even worse grades than I did!

Any advice for up and coming talent who want to venture into the radio programming or management side of the business?
As with anything in this business, find someone you really respect and latch on. I’ve been able to learn programming from some of the best…and I’ve been a pest.

Having worked for other radio companies what’s it really like working for a big picture company like Clear Channel?
The reach and resources of this company is tremendous. That fact that I can call Cat Collins in San Francisco or John Ivey in LA or Dylan Sprague in Boston to bounce ideas off makes my job so much easier. Despite all the technologies, this company is truly built on the talented people in these clusters.

What’s the one issue that radio needs to address so it remains the go-to media of choice?
Simply put. If radio continues to grow and change with the needs of its audience, it’s going to remain a powerful presence in our culture.

[eQB Content By Bob Burke]