It’s hard to not think of Cat Thomas and KLUC when talking about radio in Sin City. It hasn’t been by luck that Cat has remained a fixture at the CBS Radio-owned Rhythmic CHR in Las Vegas. It’s his understanding of market changes, pop culture and his commitment to deliver great radio that drives both ratings and revenue that is key. And this time of year is also special for Cat and KLUC, who continue to be market l, eaders both on and off the air, raising both awareness and money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which fights Childhood Cancer.
Cat Thomas
By Bob Burke
When you think of Las Vegas radio nowadays, you can’t help but think of the name…Cat Thomas! Cat has become as much a fixture in Sin City as the Mirage casino. He’s been a part of the market’s leading Rhythmic CHR powerhouse, CBS Radio’s KLUC (98.5), for more than 20 years. From air talent to programmer, Radio has been his life. He understands the importance of creating compelling content driven radio that makes a difference in people’s lives. And it’s around this time of year Thomas feels the need to give back even more. His involvement with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer is personal and he’s passionate about its cause. For a guy whose first professional radio gig was as a station mascot “Chuck The Duck,” Cat has done pretty good for himself. He’s taken on all competitors and remains a market leader. It’s why Cat Thomas is considered one of the industry’s most respected programming minds today.
Las Vegas has become more than just a resort town. What’s been the most significant shift in the market?
The growth of the Hispanic market. We now have more and more 2nd & 3rd generation Hispanics that have really helped propel the market. Also the influx of youth in the market. Compared to many other markets, younger people here have more disposable income.
As a heritage station and one of the market’s top players, what’s been the key to KLUC sustaining its success year after year?
Fun. Sometimes we forget that the simple things are still the best things. Look anywhere in the U.S. People gravitate to fun. We also haven’t been afraid to adapt. When I got here to do nights, the first song I played on the air was Poison “Ain’t Nothing But A Good Time.” Since then we have played Dre, 2 Pac, Nirvana, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Nelly, Maroon 5, Rihanna, etc. We have been successful by not allowing ourselves to be backed into a corner that doesn’t allow us to play the biggest hits. We’ve come close a few times, but we’ve always been able to position the station to ride the wave of music that is most relevant to our continued success.
KLUC has always been able to balance itself and adapt to music trends within pop culture. How tough has it been to navigate through all the cyclical changes and genres of music?
Not hard at all. The ones who have failed operated out of fear. Fear of what they might lose, fear of how people will perceive them, fear that they may make a bad decision. I really don’t see it that way. I know I’m going to make some bad decisions along the way. We have a saying here at KLUC, “The difference between successful people and failures is that successful people recognize their mistake and fix them quicker.” There have been times that we have had to force ourselves out of our comfort zone but if you pay attention to your audience, understand who they are and give them what they want, you tend to do well.
How important is it to have an open perspective when it comes to weighing research data versus gut when making music decisions for KLUC?
This still is an art, especially in the early stages of a record. You have to understand there are growing pains during the first 4 to 5 weeks of a song. What we look for is forward momentum. Also each song is different. There are songs that are fast reaction records and go up, go down and go away all together. Then there are songs that are passive, they research slow, take time to grow and then never go away. Part of the touch is to recognize which records are which. You can also get a sense of the passion levels on records as you play them with MScore. Ultimately if MScores are not good, and those are the listeners with PPM meters telling you the song is not good. Then at the end of the day, that is the most important piece of research we have since it’s our report card!
Digital platforms have become vital for stations. How is KLUC utilizing those platforms to promote and extend its brand?
Absolutely! Understanding the digital assets and how to use them is vital. Too many programmers rely on social media to be the content container for digital assets. That is a bad long term strategy. Eventually you end up giving away your assets and they stop becoming branded to your station. We need to understand that these are great tools to use to drive people to our sites. Posting a video on YouTube that stops at the vital spot and sends listener to our sites to see the whole thing and utilizing video and pictures on our sites to help fortify the pieces of our on-air bits is awesome! Basically the digital realm has become another place where we can touch our listeners one on one. Get their feedback to what we do immediately and make them a part of our stations. That makes what we do even more fun!
You have one the best teams in radio. How much does it help having experienced pros like Chet Buchanan who’s been through the radio wars anchoring the station in morning drive?
Much easier! Chet, Lauren and Spence all have programming experience. They get the concepts, philosophies and execution of programming that helps make all of us successful! It’s also nice to have a show that is knee deep in the community, is recognizable and revered by peers and listeners in the market. We refer to them as the 800 pound gorilla.
The station has always been active in the community but you have something special that you do annually that has become very close to your heart. Tell us about your involvement with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer.
Everyone has their story about a friend or family member’s bout with cancer. Mine is very personal. First, I lost my Mom to cancer when I was four. My sister died from cancer in June of 2011. When my wife, Amberly was pregnant with my son Robbie, her two best friends were also pregnant. All three babies came in a 12-week period of time. The three of them had a baby shower together back in Ohio. I have a great picture of Amberly with her friends Monica and Aimee all standing sideways in a row to show off their bellies for the camera. They were all at the end and BIG! Monica’s daughter Shannon came first, then Robbie and 5 weeks later Aimee had Jackson. After a couple months of life, Jackson was diagnosed with Leukemia. He really didn’t leave the hospital. He lived until just after his second birthday then his body gave up. When I look at that picture before the babies were born and think of it as a roulette wheel. It could have happened to us and our Robbie. So I got involved with raising money for St. Baldrick’s. They are the biggest childhood cancer research organization in America. The reason I love this organization so much is 82% of the funds goes to research to find a cure, 16% goes to fund raising and only 2% goes to administration. That is one of the highest returns to cause of any charity organization in America. Since St. Baldrick’s Foundation was founded the 10 year survival rate for children with cancers has gone from around 20% to over 65%! I have so much more, but there you go!
Cat sporting his colorful hair before St. Baldrick’s
event on March 2nd.
In the five years that you’ve been involved with this great event it seems to become bigger every year.
Chet Buchanan comes out and hosts the event and our entire staff shows up and supports our CBS BALD MAFIA Team! Chet actually met his wife at St. Baldrick’s 3 years ago when Chuck Fieldwas hitting on her. Chet called it a rescue and I guess he was right! Lauren, Spence, JB, Moug,Juicy, Jon Que, Jerry McKenna and the whole crew show up! A lot of people give me accolades but the reality is it’s only hair and there are a lot of us out there. It’s really a team effort. Chris Brown, one of our Traffic managers has his hair in pony tails, cornrows, headbands and other crazy styles during the last few weeks. Personally, I think coloring myself to look like an Easter egg then shaving it off is fun and attention getting. As we say, it’s not the people who shave their heads that are important…it’s the people who don’t…cause they have the money and make the donations. Many of the events are held at Pub’s across America. I guess a few pints takes the sting of being bald away! It’s really cool to see people have fun and celebrate life while really tackling something horrific that many have to deal with every day. From cheers and toasts to crying and sharing the pain of others but it’s a very worthwhile roller coaster ride of emotions.
You’ve been in the game a long time. What’s the best advice you can offer others on becoming successful in radio today?
Don’t over think things and don’t operate out of fear. Nothing is a 100% guarantee. A wise man once told me, don’t be mediocre. If you are in the middle, try something to be great or fail miserably. If you fail, change it and make it great because you now know WHAT NOT TO DO! If you succeed…you’re a genius. I’ve always said the difference between successful people and failure is successful people admit their mistakes quicker and fix them. Failure is staying on the same path that isn’t working. We all know in our gut if something is good or bad, right or wrong. Even if we believe in our decisions and then see that the path is wrong…just change it. Make it better, make a difference. One other thing…never under estimate the fingerprint you will leave on your listeners. They want to be a part of something great, so don’t be afraid to touch their lives.
After years of people proclaiming terrestrial radio’s death. What’s your outlook on where the medium is headed? And, what can radio do to help its own growth?
I sounded so profound before…now I’m going to say something weird. People are busy. They are interested in things that matter to them and their lives. At times, their apathy is our advantage. We can go out, touch them locally and daily like no one else. With that being said, I never under estimate the need of the audience to want something simple and consistent. Radio is like a comfortable sweatshirt. The audience likes the ability to hit a button, hear great music and great content that is familiar and comfortable. Great stations are family members and friends to our listeners. No one can take that away. We have never seen jukebox programming beat great personalities and brands. Our success lies in our risk taking to try new things and our ability to weave ourselves into our listener’s lives. If all you do is play music nonstop…terrestrial radio will die. You have to give them more. If you go out, try to be great, you may not always be, but your odds go up exponentially just by trying. We have the people and the platform. It’s really up to us if we are going to be successful.
For more information on how you can help support Cat’s cause, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, click here
[eQB Content By Bob Burke]
