Rich Davis, PD, KDWB & Cities97/Minneapolis

When Rich Davis first worked at KDWB some 13 years ago, he had always hoped to return. After a successful 11 year run in Nashville as PD of WRVW and the OM of the Clear Channel cluster, Rich returned to the Twin Cities in January 2012. He’s in his second tour of duty with the heritage CHR but this time he’s sitting in the PD seat

By Mark LaSpina

It was a homecoming for Rich Davis when he returned to Minneapolis and CHR KDWB. His first tour of duty at the heritage CHR ran from 1997-1999 where he served as APD/MD. In that time he grew to love the city and hoped he would return one day. He left KDWB to program CHR WZEE/Madison and after almost two years there, the opportunity arose to go to Nashville to program CHR WRVW and he jumped at the chance. That move turned into a successful 11 year run programming as well as adding OM duties for the Clear Channel cluster in 2007. He returned to KDWB in January 2012, but this time around he sits comfortably in the programming chair while recently adding programming duties at heritage Triple A Cities97. He brings with him a respect for both station and city and with his leadership, passion and competitive spirit KDWB and Cities97 are in good hands now and in the future.

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Now that you’ve had some time to get reacquainted with KDWB and the Minneapolis area, how was the transition?
Hard to believe it’s been over a year and half already! The transition was as smooth as one could hope. Houses were sold and bought within days of each other, kids are doing well, my wife Mandi has made some friends, and we have another horse. In many ways it was the easiest transition from one market and job to another primarily because of my history here. In other ways it was by far the toughest. After a little over 11 years in Nashville, that was our home. Our lives, friends and places we loved and enjoyed were all there so packing it all up and leaving wasn’t easy. We still love Nashville and will end up back there someday, too. Let me take a minute to thank Mandi and the kids for moving back with me to the great white north and being ok with it!

Competitively speaking, what are the most significant changes in the radio market since your last stint there?  There has been a bunch of changes in between, format flips, ownership changes, remember I was gone for 13 years.  One thing hasn’t changed though and that’s the competitiveness of the market.

How about demographic and cultural changes in general in the Twin Cities area?
Minneapolis is known for its great architecture, clean streets and culture. It’s also been ranked as one of the best biking cities in the Country, in fact #2 by Bicycling Magazine. We have 92 miles of on street bikeways and 85 miles of off street bikeways. We’re also seeing the move toward mix use developments with retail, commercial and residential all in one.  There are some great places like here in St. Louis Park where our radio station is and the trend toward that is predicted to continue. On top of all that, the near suburbs like Plymouth where I live, are exploding as well as land is being gobbled up in favor of high end housing. It continues to be a great place to live and a great place to raise a family.

Take us through the thought process that eventually brought you back to the KDWB and how difficult it was to leave Nashville after eleven years?
It’s one of those things that Mandi and I had talked about over the years, that if there were ever an opportunity for me at KDWB we would consider coming back here. We knew it was a town we liked and one that would continue to be a great place to raise our family. When I first got the call that something might be opening up I was shocked and more than excited at the possibility. It’s a dream come true to be at the helm of such a heritage station like KDWB and to include these legendary calls on my resume again.

Given your Ops Manager responsibilities in Nashville, how did your experience as an OM allow you to grow more as a hands-on programmer?
One of the biggest things it did was help me to be a better multi-tasker and a better manager of people. Adding the responsibilities of four more stations allowed me the ability to prioritize my time to make sure the most important things were always getting done first; plus more time and interaction with all the additional people on those brands. Everyone is working toward the same goal and while the formats, personalities, demographics, talent and promotions might be different, it’s all very similar. People are at the heart of every successful station. While I might be the OM or PD, it’s the talent’s effort and passion that makes it happen.

After your successful run directing WRVW and the Clear Channel-Nashville cluster, what were some of the initial moves you made at KDWB?
I don’t want to speak too directly about some of the things I’ve tweaked behind the scenes here but if you’ve paid attention even a little to the station over that last 21 months or so you can notice some of the differences. KDWB has always been a very well run radio station and my goal was to continue and build upon that great tradition of excellence.

Your MD Lucas is a station vet. How did having him there ease your return?
Lucas was the first person I connected with. Even before I was back in the building we were doing music meetings over the phone. We had already built a nice rapport before I arrived here and it only got stronger once I was in the building. He might not want me to tell you this but for as wild as he is on the air and in the clubs he is just as responsible behind the scenes.  I never have to worry if he is handling any part of his gig or anything I’ve asked him to do. He is a true pro that brings over nine years of being here to the table.

Much like you had in Nashville with Woody & Jim, you inherit a killer morning show with Dave Ryan. What are the similarities of both shows?
Both are long tenured morning shows who have figured out how to continue to win in their respective markets. Being on the air in one place for 15 or 20 years is a huge accomplishment. They’ve all been able to grow and adapt their shows over time to remain relevant for their target demos. I’ve been lucky enough to work with and learn from both of those shows.

The music for Top 40 radio continues to flourish in an exceptional way. What are your thoughts on the current Top 40 music cycle regarding how long it lasts in its current state and where it could be heading?
I try not to get too caught up in where the cycle is or where it’s going since I can’t control it. What I do know is that right now there is a ton of music for Top 40. A bunch of great records and a solid amount of good records, too. The challenge is sifting through all of them making sure to pick the ones that are definitely going to rise to the top.

As a passionate music guy, you have a knack for finding up and coming artists a little ahead of the curve. Can you share your thoughts on a few things you’re feeling good about?
I’m digging John Newman, the next Lorde record, love this Cash Cash track with Bebe Rexha, too.

You recently added programming duties at Triple A Cities 97 (KTCZ). What are you most looking forward to with regards to programming Cities 97?
Cities is such a heritage brand that it’s an honor to get to program it. Plus, there is so much cool music for the format right now. I just love having a reason to play Ben Rector, The 1975, Bastille and others on a radio station.

It’s been said that Triple A doesn’t function like most radio formats. What differences have you encountered so far?
It’s a little different in that I think some people have the notion that a record should be on the station just because it’s Triple A or because the station has a long history with the artist. Those things are clearly important, but don’t necessarily mean getting a free pass to being an add.

Cities 97 has long been associated with many community charity events, especially the Basilica Block Party. What future events do you have coming up?
We are smack dab in the middle of Cities Sampler Season! This is our 25th year of doing it and when we sell out on the morning of 11/21 we’re slated to make over $1,200,000 for local Minnesota charities.

You have worked with some of radio’s finest programming minds throughout your career. Now, many of today’s younger PD’s and MD’s point to you as someone they respect. Do you enjoy being thought of as a role model of sorts in the programming community for up and coming programmers?
It’s honestly not something I think about but I’m honored if someone looks up to me in that way. I’m just a guy that’s been blessed to get to do what I love to do for a living. It is cool when someone I don’t know sends me a note about how they watch my station or have followed my career, or when someone who worked for me in the past graduates into the programming realm. I’m always happy to help them in whatever way I can as they continue on their personal radio journey.

How important is it to mentor young programming talent and is it something you take any keen interest in?
I’ve been lucky enough to get to do a fair amount of that over the last few years and I really do like it. I’m currently working with Katie Kruz in Madison at WZEE who has worked very hard and learned a lot so far this year. I’m also working with Sassy and Tommy at KZCH in Wichita. Up and coming programmers are our future, it’s really important to help them along in their process and to help build a bullpen for radio’s future.

Clear Channel has certainly been a leader in many respects with its aggressive nature along the digital front. How advantageous is it to work inside this company culture?
It’s very advantageous. I was lucky enough to be included in both the Music Summit and the Talent Summit this year. It’s awesome to be a part of a company that is so forward thinking on so many fronts and willing to make an investment in their talent for the future. The success the company has had with iHeart Radio is just staggering and I’m proud to be a part of it.

It’s no secret that you’re a big fan of ‘80s hair bands and while in Nashville you lived among many of them. Have you had any Rock star sightings yet in the Twin Cities?
Sadly I’m not even sure if any hair band guys live here, winters are probably too cold. Here is an interesting fact though, Richard Dean Anderson better known as TV’s MacGyver has a place here having grown up in Roseville. Not going to lie, I’ll probably go fan guy if I ever see MacGyver. No one could do more with a Swiss Army Knife and duct tape than he could! I do still keep up with my friend Mark Slaughter back in Nashville too, he’s a great guy.

[eQB Content By Mark LaSpina]