XTRA (91X)/San Diego PD Capone came back home to sunny San Diego in the spring of 2007 for MD and afternoon duties. Late last year, he was promoted to Program Director at the influential Modern Rocker. FMQB caught up with Capone recently to discuss life in the 6-1-9, the state of the Modern Rock format and more.
Capone
Having spent time in Sacramento and Savannah, GA, as well as two years in chilly Albany, NY at WHRL, XTRA (91X)/San Diego PD Capone came back home to sunny San Diego in the spring of 2007 for MD and afternoon duties. Late last year, he was promoted to Program Director at the influential Modern Rocker. FMQB caught up with Capone recently to discuss life in the 6-1-9.
e-QB presents excerpts from the March FMQB magazine Modern Rock Up Close with XTRA (91X)/San Diego PD Capone
Fill in the rest of the world on your trip from cold northern New York to back home in sunny California…
After spending a particularly snowy Valentine’s Day/birthday trapped overnight in my office, I finally decided that I just wasn’t an East Coast guy. Fast forward only a few short months and I’m moving into a new place five blocks from the beach. I still keep a shrine to [former 91X PD] Phil Manning and [President/CEO of Finest City Broadcasting] Trip Reeb for making that happen.
You’ve been PD at 91X for about three months now…how has the ride in the ‘big chair’ been so far? What have been your biggest challenges?
Despite the obvious increase in workload and decrease in down time, it’s been nothing but an absolute blast. The biggest challenge facing 91X is the consistent inconsistency. This station has been around nearly 26 years, but has also experienced an identity crisis of epic proportions. Ownership changes, regime changes, corporate neglect, lack of focus – all of these things have left the people of San Diego confused and betrayed. But somehow we are still alive and kicking. It’s a testament to the power of this station in this town – what doesn’t kill 91X only makes it stronger.
What is 91X’s place in the San Diego market. How do you reflect the city’s musical tastes?91X subscribes to the long-forgotten “Philosophy Of Inclusion.” Basically we’re all having a great time playing music and living in America’s Finest City, and absolutely everyone is invited to the 91X party. There’s no agenda, no lessons in Advanced Musicology, no pandering to the Naked Skanks N’ Beer set. We are here to entertain, to play songs that San Diegans love, to relevantly inform, and to expose some great new music.
Do we play a lot of Linkin Park, Incubus and Red Hot Chili Peppers? You’re damn right we do. Because people like them. A LOT of people. But we also play local bands, unsigned bands, indie bands – it all comes down to what’s best for 91X and San Diego.
What’s your take on the state of the Modern Rock format here in 2009?
Oh, the temptation! Let’s face facts, we aren’t exactly all on the same page when it comes to what “Modern Rock” or “Alternative” or “Alternative Rock” is… Personally, I think assigning specific names to classify the music our target audience wants to hear does nothing to further what we’re all trying to do – not in this day & age. We want them to listen. To listen more. And more importantly, to continue making our radio brand a part of their busy, media saturated lives.
Locality is all radio has left to make us stand out from the rest – and locality doesn’t come from relying on a national chart to make your programming decisions. Incubus, Slightly Stoopid and Pennywise dominate in San Diego for the same reason Disturbed, Godsmack and Sevendust dominated when I was in Albany – they reflect the taste and lifestyle of the respective audiences. There are always consistencies from region to region…a lot of them, in fact. But you win by playing what the people in your market want to hear. And developing the new artists that your gut tells you they will want to hear more of in the future. And that’s going to vary from city to city.
New records from Green Day, Beastie Boys, AFI and My Chemical Romance…the return of Blink-182 and No Doubt…Kings Of Leon quickly taking over the world…this could be quite a year for all of us.
** QB Content by Joey Odorisio **
Also in the March Issue:
Q&A: Jason Ulanet, APD/MD/Midday Host, KRBZ/Kansas City
Having put in time at New Jersey Alternative landmarks WJSE and WHTG, Jason Ulanet’s irreverent (or reverent if you ask him) persona landed at Kansas City’s 96.5 The Buzz with healthy dose musicology and old school on-air principles in tow. Five years later, Ulanet is a station stalwart in middays and a big part of a K.C. radio brand that is strong and growing stronger. We caught up with him recently after his airshift and picked his brain about the station, the music, and the importance of connecting with your audience.
