Working and succeeding in major markets is nothing new to Dan Michaels. His early years (all 15 of them) were spent in Chicago at WMET-FM, WLUP and WCKG. His subsequent programming duties would see him crisscross the country between Houston (KZFX), Philadelphia (WMGK), Denver (KQMT) and Washington, DC (WBIG) before he would eventually land in Pittsburgh. With his roots now planted, he’s on a mission to take Q92.9 to new heights.
By Mark LaSpina
Dan Michaels
Dan Michaels began his career in Chicago, spending 15 years in the Windy City. He started out answering phones and running American Top 40 at WMET-FM. The station would evolve to AOR and Michaels was given his first on-air shot. After that he spent three years jocking at WLUP (The Loop), and segued to WCKG where he moved to Director of Marketing and Promotion, and eventually PD at a time when CKG first beat the Loop. He programmed Classic Rock KZFX/Houston as it beat KLOL for the first time. Next up, Michaels programmed WAFX/Virginia Beach, before moving to Philadelphia to shift WMGK from all 70’s to Classic Hits, shepherding it to a Top 5 ranking 25-54 in both Men and Women. He helped launch KQMT (The Mountain)/Denver, overseeing its development and directed the branding. He moved on to WBIG/Washington, DC transitioning it from the Oldies brand to Classic Hits. He now proudly holds the title of Brand Manager and PD at WLTJ (Q92.9) and life is good.
What were some of the initial changes that were made when the station re-imaged as Q92.9?
WLTJ suffered from confusion between it and WSHH. Both were battling for the AC audience. We moved the station away from WSHH musically, aggressively branded it with signature promotions and features and emphasized the unique, local aspect of the station. Pittsburgh is one of America’s great cities. The people who live here know that. The people who have moved, long to return and the people who visit are blown away that they were so unaware of its greatness.
How much latitude did Steel City Media allow you to have with regard to programming and air talent?
I work closely with Gregg Frischling who runs the radio properties. The station is locally operated, so we have an informal, ongoing, daily dialogue about the station and opportunities. The goal was to break free of the same, standard rut the station had fallen into and Gregg has been open to all sorts of changes, from musical direction and on-air presentation, to online efforts, to promotion and marketing. Gregg is passionate about radio and he can do any job at the station. He has great ideas that are well thought out and innovative. He has limited commercials on the station to 10 minutes an hour all day. He is a champion of rate integrity. It is a wonderful collaboration that is unlike any of I have experienced previously. I am given great latitude and having Gregg as a resource is key.
You’re fortunate to have two market vets to anchor The Q Morning Show with John Cline & Kerri Griffith. How important was that in the re-imaging of the station?
John Cline is the best known morning personality in the market and enjoyed a long run at number one at B94. He returned to radio specifically to work at Q92.9 and it is kind of a “love of the game” thing with him. He has a clear understanding of what it takes to create a great morning show. He also has a clever marketing mind that makes him a tremendous asset with other aspects of the station. He chose Kerri Griffith as his partner so they benefit by not having been shoved together randomly. Kerri’s heritage in the market is also strong and she brings great enthusiasm to the show. By teaming up they have the experience and talent to stand apart from other shows. Their growth especially, in the last few months, has them poised to own the market.
What is the make up of the competitive radio mix in the Pittsburgh market?
Clear Channel and CBS are big players in the market. When CBS dumped CHR B94 to replace it with The Fan (KDKA), KISS(WKST) clearly benefited from the elimination of its key competitor. Star (WZPT) has evolved into a hybrid of what it was and their work to transition former B94 listeners to Star continues. WSHH continues as the AC designed to reach the upper ends of the demo.
Our sister station, WRRK (BOB FM), is probably the most successful BOB station in the country. John Robertson programs it brilliantly with a great, hand-crafted mix of music. The writing and production lift it above other stations and it has consistently performed near the top of every demo, especially since PPM became currency.
When WAMO, the only Urban outlet went off the air last year, we brought Tracey Lee on board at Q92.9. She was the PD and afternoon personality on the AM and together we created Q in the City featuring the best of Soul and R&B which has grown into a success both growing in ratings and revenue. It airs Sunday-Friday from 9pm until midnight and 24/7 on our HD-2 signal.
WDSY the Country station in town has done well recently. Rocker WDVE continues in its iconic way, branding even more important than the music it plays. Oh and they have the Steelers, which never hurts.
As a PD in today’s radio world, what do you see as the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?
It’s the ability to craft a vision for a brand, share it with the team and collaboratively execute. The team here is not as big as most teams in the past, but everyone on the air is born or raised in Pittsburgh. It is great to have a larger pallet to create beyond just the air. Developing our website, Qburgh.com, to reflect the station’s position of locally owned, operated and as a real resource has been a fun challenge. Staying ahead of the curve on innovative and effective ways to touch our audience and develop the emotional bond between us is essential. Having an enthusiastic staff who knows what it feels like to win is a huge bonus. Zak Szabo does afternoons for us and is another well known, loved local personality who is relentless in his pursuit of greatness. Working with great people is incredibly rewarding.
What are the pros and cons of PPM?
The obvious benefit is that we now have a measurement of actual listening, not recall, so it’s no longer voting for your favorite station. While some things have changed in on-air approach, it is still essential to brand the station strongly and connect with the listener. While average listening times are pretty equal across the board, the instances of tune in become even more important, bringing people back that day and in subsequent days of the week. With weeklies, you get information a lot more often, but it is still important not to make knee jerk reactions based on one week. Vacations, flu season and holidays can all have a significant impact on individual weeks.
Stations are doing more with less nowadays. What are the keys to keeping everyone focused?
Sharing the vision and goal, staying connected with the team, making sure that you choose people who realize the job is much larger than the airshift and who have a passion for connecting. We are in the content business and regardless of how that content is delivered we must create and develop entertainment that makes an emotional connection with our listeners. To achieve that, everyone must be on board, obsessed and inspired to contribute to the goal.
Another great thing is the window of the air studio looks out on the city from twenty-one floors up. Heinz Field is right there and you can see home plate at PNC Park. That keeps us focused on what’s going on right in front of us. You can’t duplicate that voicetracking from another market.
Staying connected with your audience is so important. How do you utilize social networking services?
Our listeners are on Facebook more than we can ever hope for them to be on our website. Facebook serves a different function than Qburgh.com. We have a strong Facebook presence and utilize it for marketing beyond our pages. Qburgh on Twitter allows us to reach out and connect with our listeners often.
On Facebook and Twitter we provide content that is focused on the listeners which is not necessarily about the station, rather about their interests and needs. Some aspects of Facebook work strategically for us and Twitter provides more tactical opportunities. They are also just the tip of the iceberg in online opportunities.
Any thoughts on how to strengthen the radio/label relationship?
Having a relationship is the first step. Finding the time to listen to the music that crosses your desk may be more difficult than in the past, but how can you not expose yourself to the possibilities? Communication is important so that your interactions can fit into an increasingly busier programming day. Respect grows from having good relationships and being consistent in your dealings.
Who has been your biggest influence in the business?
John Gehron has consistently provided an example by his actions and guidance. We share the belief that when you coach, help and motivate others in the field, whether they are your employees or not, you are enriching the industry and providing a better future for everyone.
As we get closer to the holidays, what does the station have planned?
Next month we premiere our first benefit concert with the Pittsburgh affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Breast cancer has touched all of us closely in one way or another and the idea that there has been a reduction in the deaths through research and education encourages us to continue the fight. Money raised for this is spent primarily in Pittsburgh.
We work closely each year with Toys for Tots gathering donations for children around Pittsburgh with broadcasts around the area.
We also present an annual radiothon to benefit Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh. It has a real impact on the everyday lives of children with disabilities around Pittsburgh. It is an incredible, local charity that shares our commitment to providing for Pittsburghers.
[eQB Content by Mark LaSpina]
