Matt Johnson arrived in Salt Lake City in February of this year and quickly learned that he was entering a very competitive radio landscape where he had to be at the top of his game. With a more than formidable Top 40 rival in town, and a slew of Hot AC and Alternative signals, it was time to draw on his past experiences learning under influences from Dom Theodore, Jerry Clifton, Jimmy Steele and Jason Kidd, and determine a strategic game plan in charting a new course for a station that already had a solid history behind it.
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson started his CHR programming career in 1997 at Syracuse University’s student run WJPZ (Z89). After working from 1999-2001 as Creative Services Director/AM show co-host at WWHT/Syracuse, he landed his first “real world” PD gig at (the now defunct) WDBT/Jackson, MS. In 2003-04 he programmed Clear Channel Pop station WDKF/Dayton, and then proceeded to Beasley’s WXKB/Ft. Meyers for a seven year tour of duty. In February of this year he found a new home at Simmons Media’s KUDD and is currently engaged in a tough battle with CC heritage CHR KZHT. MJ comments, “KZHT is a well programmed station. (PD) Jeff McCartney knows what he’s doing so we have quite a challenge on our hands.”
You arrived as PD in February of this year, what did you quickly learn about the SLC market and KUDD’s position among its competitors?
Well, the SLC market is very different from Southwest Florida where I’d spent the last seven years. One of the biggest differences was that in Southwest Florida over half of the 12+ population is over 65 years old. SLC is one of the youngest markets in the country! I was also surprised to find that the counter-culture in SLC is just as strong as the conservative element. It’s like the universe balances itself out.
With a very crowded Pop/Alt/Hot AC musical lane, KUDD’s challenges are many. CC’s KZHT is a powerful CHR with heritage, and they don’t make mistakes. Couple that with several very well done Hot ACs and you can begin to see the uphill battle for KUDD.
What were your initial thoughts regarding early strategy in evaluating and implementing any changes you felt were necessitated?
Honestly, the first job was getting people in the building on-board with the idea that KUDD could compete and win, despite the signal issues and other dominate brands in the market. There was a huge opportunity for growth. The gains we saw right away invigorated everyone, not only in the programming department, but from the sales department to everyone else inside the Simmons Salt Lake building.
We shifted the airstaff around, optimizing the personalities that were already there. One of the biggest things I wanted to instill early on is that even though we are in a PPM market, KUDD MUST have personality (or stationality) if we are going to cultivate that crucial connection with an audience. Having studied PPM from the outside (before taking this job), I felt it was easy for some stations to become slaves to the PPM laws and ignore opportunities to build/inject stationality. Yes, we’re programming to the method, but it’s still show business and that feeling of fun coming out of the speakers can go a long way towards building long-term value for your brand in the prospect’s mind.
How did you find the music tendencies of KUDD and are there any consistencies between the music mix you inherited and the mix you are now programming?
Considering KUDD’s Hot AC roots and the consistent success of Pop/Alt music in SLC, the music was very different from most mainstream Top 40s on the panel today. Former Brand Manager Brian Michel had built a station that broke a ton of records and was very important to some record labels in stepping out on certain types of records. We’ve definitely taken the station a few more clicks mainstream and the results have been positive. While being sensitive to the station’s roots, KUDD is no longer allowing KZHT to run away with all of the best Top 40 music available.
How has the station been trending since you tightened up the music and rotations?
I’m proud to say that the numbers have consistently ticked upward over the past five months and we feel good about what the future holds for KUDD. Combine this with a new morning show (Lexi & Banks with the Mix Morning Fix) and we’re experiencing a momentum build that is a fun ride for the entire team.
What variables influence you the most when evaluating new music to add?
I can tell you that this station is not taking as many chances musically as it has in the past. We’ve got our eyes and ears out in the market, “feeling the vibe” (as Jerry Clifton would say) and making sure we are reflecting the tastes of SLC. It is still more gut/ears than anything.
Are there any like-formatted stations that may influence you given a record’s progress one way or the other?
When I see a record working at WNCI or WRVW I take some notice, but by no means do I feel that because they are all over it, we have to be playing it. There are examples of records that are working at those two stations, and many other Top 40’s as well, but don’t work here, even after I’ve given the song a fair shot. I use those stations as loose guide posts, but as I continue to learn the market and I continue to go along, I’m constantly finding nuances and about listeners’ tastes and trends. There’s such a vast variety of Pop music at our disposal these days the key is knowing your listeners and making the proper choices.
How much research goes into assessing music on the air and what factors influence you the most regarding the progress of songs you’re playing?
I can’t give all our secrets away, but I can say that we use a mix of street research, sales and M-Score. We also have other methods I could tell you about, but then I’d have to kill you. It helps to have other strong brands/programmers in the building. KUUU (Rhythmic U92) and KXRK (Alternative X96) are strong stations within the market and it certainly helps to be able to identify what is working for them.
Given all the successful Rhythmic crossovers to Pop, how much music sharing do you do with your sister Rhythmic U92?
U92 (KUUU) has its own musical lane as the only Rhythm station in an otherwise over-radioed market. We share the songs that make sense and we’re still fine tuning what records the stations should and shouldn’t share.
How do you best maximize your relationship with U92?
There’s a great synergy in the building between myself and (KUUU Brand Manager) Kevin Cruise. While each station maintains its own brand/position, we’ve been on the lookout for opportunities to utilize the stations together to create a positive outcome for listeners and clients. We have some exciting things on the horizon that I’m not able to divulge just yet!
Which genre of music struggles the most to connect with your audience?
The demographics of the market and the history of KUDD make harder Rhythm music a difficult fit for us. However, with U92 in the building, it’s not exactly an area we are looking to conquer either. It makes sense to let them own that kind of stuff and not to force it up KUDD’s playlist.
How would classify the KUDD brand and what do you feel the brand stands for first and foremost in the marketplace?
Having taken the station in a more mainstream direction, establishing our brand as “All The Hits” has been an important step in resetting expectations for KUDD. Some of the cost-cutting measures taken by our competitors have opened up some opportunities for us to establish KUDD beyond the music, and as a locally owned and operated radio station. We’re currently working to build these features into the brand.
What are you doing in general in an attempt to strengthen the brand in the market?
Fred Jacobs talks about the emotional connection that people want out of radio. You can cultivate this on the air, whether you are downtown in the metro you are broadcasting to, or 1000 miles away in a studio. I feel radio stations that have the ability to take this even further, should. Not only are we striving to build a brand for KUDD on the air, but off the air as well, whether it’s making this emotional connection via the Internet or on the streets face-to-face with people. The idea of “doing good for your neighbor” and having fun while doing it is something KUDD can do for the SLC marketplace that many of our competitors either can’t accomplish (with the resources they have) or don’t know how to do.
Given the competitive nature of SLC, how battle-tested were you coming into the market?
Oh I’ve been in battle after battle. WWHT vs. WNTQ in Syracuse, WDKF vs. the now defunct WGTZ in Dayton. Even in my last market, there were two mainstream Top 40s. It’s become the norm for many markets, but it’s always been the norm for me. I’ve cut my teeth as a programmer in situations where you have to find any little advantage you can and exploit it for your cause. I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from current WXKB AM show host, Big Mama. That guy knows how to put together a show better than anyone I’ve ever met. We’re applying a bunch of his techniques where they make sense here with our new AM show and seeing positive results.
What are the biggest changes you’ve experienced today in your role as a PD versus your early days as a programmer?
Pre-2000 the landscape was very different. Radio was a one-to-many medium. In 2012, the audience expects to have the ability to have real dialogue with you. If you put up walls or aren’t willing to interact with an audience on their terms, they don’t whine about it, they are GONE.
What have been the most dramatic changes you’ve seen in the radio industry over the past ten years?
If you do your homework and read a lot, you see this debate about local versus best content available. Why can’t the best content available BE local? I certainly understand why huge radio companies with great infrastructure would be invested in utilizing this to their financial advantage, and I don’t fault them. However, it is on their competitors to provide programming options just as compelling in order to compete with or exceed what the behemoths are doing. As the industry continues to pare down, many think that the “best content available” will win in any market. I feel radio is still best when it is programmed as a local medium.
With measurement metrics being so precisely monitored these days is it more important than ever to be fully in tune with your listener’s lifestyle and entertainment habits?
Regardless of methodology, if you aren’t programming to your listener’s lifestyle and in line with their entertainment expectations you probably won’t be finding success. As Dave Foxx would say, you find the emotional intersections with your audience by being with them and seeing what moves their needle. You’ve got to have that desire to continue visiting these intersections to be successful.
Are we allowing the latest measurement systems to dictate too much what our content should be and the pacing, or is it making for better radio?
I think it’s important to take a long view and remember the volatile nature of Arbitron. Programming to the methodology to win the ratings game is obviously important, however, that’s the minimum. For real longevity of a brand, putting out a product that emotionally resonates with listeners will ultimately bring more success to clients and makes a good station into a great station.
What have been the most significant changes in the way PPM has instructed you to program?
Ultimately diary was about making the product mentally sticky. PPM’s a different game, but I’m finding the basic programming tenets I’ve always believed in and stuck to do apply. Create immediate, tangible benefits for your audience every time someone on the station opens a mic. Play the hits. Serve your listeners. All these things still equal success in a PPM world.
You’ve worked for a large radio group and smaller ones. With the amount of content and tools the larger groups are supplying their stations from a corporate level, do you feel somewhat disadvantaged working for a smaller private outfit?
I do not feel disadvantaged at all. There’s no doubt that Clear Channel (my experience with a “large radio group”) offers a great opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds in the business. Beyond that though, the advantages are limited in my opinion. Shared research is nice, but information from the market you are programming to will always trump outside research. Group contesting can sound huge on the air, but who is to stop a smaller operator from getting a huge prize/trip and maximizing it on the air? From an imaging standpoint, if I get a prize on the same level and run just as many on-air promos, who wins the position in the prospect’s mind?
What are the advantages of working at a smaller company?
The ability to cut through red tape is easier in a smaller company. As a programmer, I can walk down the hall to (Simmons President) Craig Hansen or (VP of Programming) Alan Hague if I have an issue with something. That helps cut through any internal red tape. When working on projects with large local entities (big clients, school districts, government entities, etc) they tend to have better relationships with companies that are based in their backyards. When the primary players have known each other for years, it’s easier to get things done!
Who have been significant influences on you throughout your career and what did you learn from each of them that have stuck with you?
Jason Kidd showed me how to be a leader as the Program Director, not only on the programming side but the sales side as well. He also showed me how to be the biggest cheerleader and coach at the same time. From Dom Theodore I learned about music and rotations and the importance of playing the hits and nothing but the hits, and I also learned how to win. Jerry Clifton taught me how to “feel the vibe” and to know when to take chances and how to think for yourself as a programmer. Jerry would always say, “What’s the best thing we can do?” It sounds simple, but it’s always the right question to ask. Jimmy Steele influenced me on imaging and how to use it correctly in different dayparts to really full out a station and create a picture of the station in the listener’s mind. Jimmy was my Brand Manager when I was working in Dayton and I learned a lot just by looking over his shoulder as he programmed WNCI. I learned so much from all of these guys and feel very fortunate that I had the opportunities to do so throughout my career.
[eQB Content By Fred Deane]
