Mark Adams, PD KIOI/KYLD KKRZ, iHeartMedia CHR Brand Coordinator
January 14. 2022
by Fred Deane & Bob Burke
Mark Adams
Mark Adams is celebrating 30+ years in radio and has distinguished himself at every stop along the way. From Phoenix to Fresno, Portland to Houston and now in San Francisco, he’s been a strategic thinker who has amassed a wealth of knowledge in every aspect of the business and applies it in winning ways.
Mark’s been a key part of national programming teams at some of the top radio groups over the years including Saga, Bonneville, CBS Radio, and iHeartMedia. He’s also been a fixture in the Bay Area since 2014, overseeing the programming at iHeartMedia heritage CHR KYLD (WiLD 94.9) and Hot AC KIOI (Star 100.3).
Mark has excelled at the managerial level driven by sharp vision and a deep understanding of the goals he sets for himself, his stations, and his staffs.
It didn’t take long for iHeartMedia to apply his skillset at a macro level to company-wide roles and responsibilities, serving as CHR Brand Coordinator as well as cluster oversight in multiple markets.
Mark’s perspectives and insights on our business are always of keen interest to his colleagues and associates on both sides of the radio/label equation.
Looking back, how did we do as an industry in recovering from the challenges of the past two years?
On the whole I think we’ve done a great job. Over the past 20 months, “unprecedented” was flung about with great abandon, but it’s an accurate summation of the situation. We have faced ongoing challenges across every aspect of our operations that no one could have foreseen, and we have both adapted to and found new ways to succeed.
Ironically, the positive inflection point for me was when things were just about at their worst. Back in Q1 and Q2 of 2020 when it felt like everything was in freefall, as I’m sure we all vividly recall in many ways it really was, our local stations’ connections with and importance to our listenership was never stronger. Throughout the revenue and ratings challenges of that period, stations were making a measurable positive difference with our listeners. That opinion wasn’t simply observational.
They were proactively telling us that by interacting with our personalities on-air and through increased engagement with our personalities and station brands on social media.
As their lives were disrupted, I think the value they placed upon having some semblance of stability from a favorite personality and a favorite station only increased. Our talent provided companionship and entertainment. We utilized our brands to provide necessary information by engaging our listeners in relevant ways such as: sharing positive stories of every kind, highlighting local heroes and frontline responders, and marshaling the power of our stations to spotlight local businesses.
I know a lot of these kinds of efforts were being duplicated by stations around the country. It really seemed to me that the overall level of philanthropic endeavors of every kind gained new prominence during that trying year. All of these things helped underscore the continued relevance and power of radio.
So even in the midst of the unimaginable, when our day-to-day operations were incredibly trying, there were actually a lot of things to feel good about. While it looks like none of this is going to definitively end anytime in the foreseeable future, all indications are listeners and advertisers are continuing to adapt. This past year represented a good recovery, and I think we have reasons to feel optimistic about the future.
What’s your read on the strength of the medium for 2022?
When asked to forecast the state of CHR there’s a well-worn axiom I’ve found myself repeating on more than one occasion: change is the only constant in life. While there’s also some validity to the idea of the past becoming predictive, as 2021 ably demonstrated, there’s a limit to what degree you can or should allow precedent to shape your expectations. Our listeners continue to evolve in both how and what manner they interact with our brands. What our listeners expect and value from their radio brands has also continued to evolve. Our business continues to change to meet those new expectations, and we’ve seen the ongoing changes with our partners on the label and management side of the industry as well.
While all of this makes for an extraordinarily complex and fast-moving business and competitive environment, in a lot of ways I’m just as optimistic about the future of our business as I’ve always been.
If I took only one thing away from the last couple of years, it was the demonstrative power and value of a local radio station’s connection to its listeners and community. We matter. We made a difference. As I touched on a moment ago, during times of incredible disruption and uncertainty we provided companionship and entertainment. As long as we continue to strive to meet our listeners ever-evolving expectations and are unafraid to adapt and try new things, I see no reason why we can’t build upon last year’s recovery and have an even more successful 2022.
How about a forecast for the CHR format relative to the music trend going forward?
Reflecting on my aforementioned big picture observations and opinions and applying them more directly to the state of the format, I think we have every reason to feel there’s evidence of optimism.
By almost any metric or measurement, Pop music remains wildly loved by vast numbers of listeners. Artists as diverse as Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, Bad Bunny, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, BTS, and Justin Bieber all had enormous years that were driven by the power of radio. Olivia is a great example of how a hit song can, sometimes very quickly, come from almost anywhere. Great stations can and should be nimble.
Speaking for a moment specifically about iHeartMedia and our CHR team, I think we’ve become ever more adept at identifying the right songs early and then at the right time utilizing the collective power of our platform to drive them home. As for any local brand, that listener connection that comes from curating the right songs, both new and familiar, in concert with great personalities has never been more important.
Locally speaking, with KYLD we’ve always tried to be highly conscious of the differences that make the Bay area unique and seek out the kinds of songs we believe will work for the Wild brand. At times, that means taking a leadership role well before a song has broken nationally. At other times, it means just giving something a real shot based upon the sound of the song and our knowledge of the station and market. While the biggest hit songs are the biggest hit songs, it’s curating those points of local competitive differentiation that help us stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Metrics and data in general are have been effective tools when it comes to music decisions. What has been the impact of metrics on programming in general?
I think it’s best to think of all of it as simply data. Often the more information we have available for analysis, the higher the likelihood we’ll arrive at the best outcome. Having said that, I also think it’s critical we identify how to weight those disparate data points, have an understanding about the very real differences in listener and consumer behavior accompanying each of them, and how best to apply that information to our own decision making process.
I suppose the downside to the sheer volume of information available is guarding against information bias or erroneously putting too much weight behind one or more factors at the expense of those that are more directly applicable to our needs as radio programmers. It’s all complex and fast moving, and the goalposts will continue to shift, but in keeping with the theme of change it’s all to be expected. As frustratingly contradictory as it can be at times, I love all of the additional information and tools.
How has data altered the perception of music discovery?
We know that listeners value that brand proposition. I believe a part of the key in winning the battle is to better understand what listeners actually want. It’s not about an endless barrage of new music, it’s about embracing the right new music.
In a time when their lives have never been more disrupted and when there have never been more entertainment choices available, you can’t overstate the importance of effective curation. The average consumer doesn’t have the time or patience to wade through a metaphorical tsunami of adequacy. They’re just looking for the best of the best.
Radio listeners are looking for their favorite stations and personalities to highlight the new music that actually matters. They like to be told about new songs they should be aware of or excited about. They want to hear about new music from their favorite artists and they want our personalities to share the discovery process with them. We (radio) do that better than anyone.
As radio continues to operate in this “new age” of fierce competition for its audience, how best can the medium remain a top choice and a highly competitive player?
It’s in part a combination of some of the elements we’ve already touched about. We all know that any station’s music position is the base upon which everything else is built. As a truly mass appeal medium with tremendous reach, we have the ability to curate the right combination of the current hits that people want to hear, combined with popular hits of previous years including recurrent and gold titles that can drive passion and excite nostalgia, and the very best of what’s new.
Accompanying that music presentation, we’ll need to continue to support our best on-air personalities while also seeking to foster the next generation of talent. Great personalities offering companionship and entertainment in their own authentic ways both on-air and online are creating key points of competitive differentiation that are not duplicable. When that’s accompanying a strong brand position, one possessing all of those positive elements and attributes we know are associated with owning and winning a position, at the very least, you’re set up to succeed.
In some regards, none of that is new. In other ways, it’s an entirely different paradigm. I don’t really think about our stations as just competing with other radio stations. Candidly, that’s aiming at too low of a bar. We’re in competition with all other media and entertainment options. That’s far more daunting, but I think it’s also just the objective reality of listener behavior. Our stations will need to fulfill a specific set of listener expectations that are continuing to evolve; as is how they interact with our personalities and brands.
We’re not just in the radio business, we’re in the audio business. That applies across our broadcast stations, social platforms, podcasting, and more. Having our brands accessible to our listenership in as many ways as possible and in the ways our listeners are asking for, will continue to be paramount. In short, we’ll need to continue to innovate to ensure we’re leaning into and highlighting our own strengths and positives.
Programmers are doing more with less these days. What lessons of resourcefulness and commitment can be derived from budget and staff reductions?
It’s really all a part of an ever-evolving and adaptive philosophy I believe will continue to be key in the months and years ahead. The continuing proliferation of digital technology and high-speed internet had already changed the way we live and work, and those changes have been in motion for years. The emergence of a global pandemic in early 2020 simply accelerated that dynamic. We have personalities in local studios and others working remotely, and technology has improved to the point where the differences in quality or execution are basically nonexistent. We have sellers and sales management staffers working in some combination of in-office and remotely; and those changes are designed to improve both their efficiencies and in many cases the quality of life. There’s been a similar reorganization across the departments including programming and promotions. We now employ shared systems for many aspects of commercial production, engineering and digital operations that are all designed to improve our results.
A lot of what we do each day and the goals we’re all trying to achieve are similar, but the ways in which we’re going about them continue to evolve. That’s ultimately reflective of the wants and needs of our listeners and advertisers. Change is rarely comfortable, but it’s a necessary component to any competitive medium. Change can be frightening, but it can also be viewed as representing new opportunities. That’s how I try to approach most situations. I don’t want to come across as overtly Pollyanna or dismissive about the real challenges these changes have created for many, but I sincerely believe in the power of our medium and I’m excited about the future.
We’ve seen future radio stars emerge from WiLD and move on to high-profile positions. Mentorship seems to be something you enjoy. How do you perceive the future of our industry regarding attracting and maintaining future programmers and personalities?
Thank you for asking that question. It gives me an opportunity to brag about some of our most recent breakout stars.
Earlier this year Crystal Rosas graduated from nights at Wild to co-afternoons at WHTZ New York. She’s a bay area talent and Wild was her first radio job. She delivers consistently great on-air work, engaging social content, and is voraciously proactive with endorsements and sales. It really was our loss, but I’m extremely happy for her as well as the programming team at Z100. Most recently, Gabby Diaz in PMD re-located to southern California to become the new midday talent at KIIS Los Angeles. Fortunately for Wild, though she’s now based in LA, she’s actually doing both middays at KIIS and PMD for Wild live each weekday. As was the case with Crystal, Wild was also Gabby’s first full time on-air job. It was her long-term goal to return to her hometown of LA, and through her incredible hustle and consistently terrific on-air and online work, she was able to make that happen. Gabby’s full blown next. I’m very happy for her as well as the LA team.
Teaching and mentorship are two aspects of my position I’ve always gotten a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction from. Has it gotten more difficult cultivating new talent in the past several years? Inarguably, yes. That’s due to a myriad of factors you could likely devote an entire column to, but the bottom line is, it’s imperative we all take the time to look for younger people hoping to break into the business.
I don’t know that there’s any one best way to go about it, but here are a few things I try to regularly do. I network with other programmers. You never know where a new talent may come from; sometimes it’s just about getting someone with potential into the right developmental position. I also ask our existing talent to double as scouts. As our best personalities continue to grow their social platforms, that can create a conduit for listeners intrigued by that talent or the radio station to reach out about potential employment. Oftentimes there are no better ambassadors for radio than our own talent.
What kind of motivation (and advice) can you impart to up-and-coming programmers and personalities?
Speaking to talent, the opportunities for truly engaging personalities that can consistently create compelling content on-air and online are perhaps better today than they’ve ever been. There’s not a programmer I work with that isn’t always looking out for the next great personality. Today’s best talent, both those already winning in a competitive situation or still on the come up, have a high bar to clear but the need for those personalities has never been higher. Similarly, programmers who can demonstrate a strong grasp of both the analytical and the creative, and are not entirely bound by convention and seek to innovate, are of equal importance to the future of our industry. I really welcome the question “why,” and I get some of the most interesting ones from some of my youngest and least experienced employees. Completely unfettered by precedent or hidebound to the idea that there’s only one way of handling something, they can at times offer all kinds of valuable insights.
Are there any specific words of wisdom that you’ve shared with members of your programming team along the way?
Yes, here’s something I’ve shared with almost everyone that’s ever worked for me at one point or another. “If you hear something you think sounds like an error or dumb, say something. Invariably, it’s one of two things. One, it’s not a mistake or something silly but rather something I just need to do a better job of explaining the method or rationale behind. Or two, it is a mistake or problem. And you’ve done us a great service in sharing the observation. Thank you. Now let’s solve the problem!” In either case, we have a positive outcome. I enjoy that kind of collaboration and think there’s real value in seeking out new or different opinions.
Are we in a “new normal” at this point, a shadow of its former self and one that continues to distance itself from the pre-COVID “normal” era?
I believe much of last year has already been indicative of that “new normal.” We’re already living and operating in it. To highlight one obvious example, we’re all having more meetings virtually than in person, and I believe that’s here to stay.
Earlier I covered in some detail all of the ways our day-to-day operations have changed over the past year, and I’m certain that will be a continuing evolution as well. Though in many ways 2021 was primarily a recovery year, by summer of last year and heading into the fall, I think you could feel the increasing levels of confidence from everyone.
Listenership continued to rebound, advertising continued to recover, and everyone in every walk of life has been gaining better footing in navigating this changed landscape. The changes and restrictions regarding live events and public gatherings of every sort are also likely to be in place for the foreseeable future, but both businesses and patrons are finding ways to make it work.
Perhaps that’s the main takeaway as we look ahead. We’re all motivated to find or create solutions. If there’s a parallel cautionary note to offer, it might be this: things will never be the same as they were in 2019 and striving to recreate those conditions will only create barriers to future success.
