DMS Cover Story: Jana Sutter, APD/MD, XL1067 Orlando

Jana Sutter, APD/MD, XL1067 Orlando

March 19, 2021

by Fred Deane

Jana Sutter
@Kathy Thomas Photography

Jana Sutter has experienced a rewarding 25-year career to date. In her early years, Jana made several pitstops at various stations that served her well as she was charting an aggressive course of acquiring as much knowledge and experience as possible at a meteoric pace from some of the best teachers in the business.
Whether it was G105/Raleigh, WSSX/Charleston, WNOK/Columbia, RADIO NOW/Indy, KSLZ/St. Louis, or MIX in Kansas City, Jana was ultimately destined for XL1067 in Orlando and that’s where she landed in 2004. It’s been her radio home ever since.
As you will learn at the end of this interview, Jana worked with a veritable who’s who of programmers, which helped define her future path leading to quite a successful career.

You’ve been a PD or APD/MD for two decades now. During that time, what have been the most noteworthy changes in the label/radio relationship?
In a person-to-person way, consolidation and technology have certainly reduced our numbers, but I do believe the relationships have become stronger. With streaming, downloading, and social media, there are many ways to get an artist’s music out, but radio airplay still moves the product in a significant way.

How has this extended pandemic period redefined the relationship?
Working through a global pandemic has certainly changed how we do things. After the initial shock of it wore off, and we all adjusted to life in general, working, schooling, and parenting at home 24/7, it was exciting to see how we all approached work with a fresh perspective. In collaborating with my label partners, we came up with creative ways to still support the station and the artists with merch drops, artist IG Lives, Zoom calls, etc., and in a way we were able to get closer to many artists than ever before.

Virtual has temporarily replaced in-person associating, but what have you missed the most from in-person experiences?
Many of us are working more than ever. Long gone are the days of hanging out with our label counterparts at a show. While I can look forward to the day when we have live music again, the reduction in force will make it difficult for reps to be present at most station and artist events. It’s in those organic moments that many of the best station/artist co-branding ideas are born.

As a Pop station, how important is the co-artist branding process to the station’s overall image?
It’s very important. I want my listeners to know if you want the biggest names in music, then you want XL1067. From artist voiced promos, to co-branded station/artist merch, to using our social media to co-brand with the biggest names in our format, it all goes to drive that point home.

Can you cite some of the more memorable artist promotions you’ve been involved with throughout your tenure at XL?
I’ve always loved putting together incredible shows! Whether it’s over 100,000 people at our annual Red Hot and Boom event, or something a bit more intimate.
One of my favorites was a small show with Fall Out Boy (at their peak) for only thirty people in a great little Rock bar. We hit the streets of Orlando with a camera crew and DNCE to quiz random music fans on the meaning of “Cake by The Ocean.” That was hysterical! We had Flo Rida take over a water park with us once, and the crew from Cobra Starship played for hours with our listeners at Dave & Busters. We had B.o.B jump in on a charity basketball game at a local high school. While none of this is happening right now, we’ve also had some fun connecting artists and fans virtually.
I always hope to create once in a lifetime memories for the listener and the artist.

How do you assess the reality that artists possess the freedom to post videos and songs (at will) on various social media platforms and message directly to fanbases, and at times forcing songs to surface in the metrics other than the current single?
While I love seeing artists take control of their content, I imagine it’s frustrating for the labels. So much effort is put into roll out campaigns, timing, accessibility, and imaging. Everything needs to line up for an impactful launch. A successful launch can lead to consistent growth, and ultimately a successful project. But then…boom, Taylor drops an album. Or poof, here is an unknown Bieber track that drops right in the middle of another song’s launch. facepalm! However, as a fan of the music and these artists, I get excited to see them step out. Ultimately any press and any content is a good thing.

Radio hits are determined by a confluence of consumer metrics and research. How do you balance the slower pace of callout to determine hits with the instant consumer reaction to artists and songs via social media platforms?
Life is compromise. In my 20+ years of reading charts, callout and audience reaction, everything has sped up. There are many “instant” indicators of the trajectory of a song like iTunes, streaming numbers, downloads, and shazams. In my mind, these must be balanced with your slower metrics of chart, audience growth and callout. A song can be instantly known “virally,” but callout is what usually pushes it over the top.

On XL you have incorporated a New at 2 feature into your shift where you interview an artist and present their new single. How helpful has this been in engaging the audience more with a “new-music” position, and how long can a song remain in that feature once it initially airs?
When this pandemic sent us all home, (XL PD) Brian Mack and I wondered how we could connect with our listeners. We knew listening habits changed immediately. Gone were the afternoon commutes, at work listening, etc., so we needed to connect through social media. We were all on our phones. That is where New at 2 was born.
We would engage the often-active fanbase of an up-and-coming artist and invite them into XL1067 via social media. So, not only were we giving our on-air real estate to a new artist/song, we were also inviting new listeners in through in-app listening. It’s a win-win for station, artist and label. I’ve discovered that there is a correlation to when an artist engages with me through IGLive and how the song performs in instant voting. Their fans absolutely show up to support the artist.
A song typically stays in New at 2 rotation until it is added to our playlist, or until the project is no longer being pursued by the label.

You’ve been an air-talent throughout your career and in just about every day-part. How has this experienced informed you as a mentor in nurturing other personalities along the way?
Mornings, middays, PM drive, nights, overnights…yep, done them all, and they each have their unique personality. Some are high energy, while other shows are more companionship. You truly must approach each shift in its own way.
One of my favorite things I get to do is help grow new talent. The excitement of your first show, getting comfortable with the technology, easing into your own personality, I have always enjoyed helping people start their radio journey. One major change from when I started my career versus today is voice-tracking. I had to be in studio from 12a-5a most nights. It was the perfect training ground. While there is more tracking than live shows these days, especially for training shifts, I always try and make sure they spend time in the studio, in real time, experiencing truly live radio. It’s still a rush and there is nothing else like it.

As a female, does it inspire you to observe your proteges establish their own careers as they blossom as personalities?
Absolutely! I have “radio babies” in all day-parts across many markets. They have grown into some amazing talents and people. It always makes me smile to know I had a small part in helping them launch their careers.

In a predominantly male-oriented business, have you felt a sisterhood among other females in attempting to advance their careers through your leadership?
Some of my closest friends are women I’ve met throughout my career. We have a unique perspective on what it’s like to come up through this industry through shared and similar experiences. But when it comes to leading other women into their roles in this music industry, I do sense a sisterhood not only in myself, but with other women in the industry. I see many of us mentoring the next generation of female broadcasters, label reps, and other related music industry careers. In recent years there have been some changes to improve the equality of the gender gap, but there is still much to be done. I am always happy to share my past and current experiences with any woman who may ask. I start every day with the same sentence… “Know Your Worth.”

Who have influenced you the most throughout your career and what have been the primary takeaways from these relationships?
I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my 25+ years in radio (and brief stint on the record label side.) I know I won’t be able to name all of the people who have helped shape me and my career, so I will just highlight a few.
I’m in my seventeenth year in Orlando. Being in a market that long is such a rarity and I’m so proud of it. This is due, in large part, to one woman, iHeartMedia Division President Linda Byrd. Not only does she surround herself with the best people, but the work environment is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. You are respected, valued, and expected to bring 100%! Linda has always made me feel as a human first, and an employee second. And no matter how many balls she has in the air, she still has this ability to quiet the noise and bring a fresh perspective to any situation. She inspires me to work on that every day.
Jon Zellner, current President of Programming Operations for iHeartMedia, and I first worked together twenty years ago at KMXV in Kansas City. Twenty years of friendship and mentoring has had a huge impact on my career. I not only had the opportunity to learn a great deal about programming from Jon, but to always have passion for the product, and to be true to myself on the air. Music is a very personal thing for people, and as an on-air host, honesty needs to come through to make that true connection.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great Program Directors. Jeff Kapugi, Jon Zellner, Michael Bryan, Tommy Chuck, Kip Taylor, Chris Edge, David Edgar, and currently Brian Mack. I learned different tools I use each day from the guys, and I’m proud to still call them friends and mentors. Some of my closest friendships are the ones I have made through working with radio and record labels. These heart strong and true friendships have carried me through many a day and I have this “industry like no other” to thank for it.