A little under a year ago, and already APD/MD of Los Angeles CHR behemoth, KIIS, Julie Pilat took on the chore of additionally programming an upstart Alternative station KYSR (98.7) in a market awash in heritage brands, political challenges, and over ten million people – all vitally connected to the heartbeat of the entertainment capital of the world. A daunting task to say the least, but one not without its fruits and pleasures.
Julie Pilat
A little under a year ago, and already APD/MD of Los Angeles CHR behemoth, KIIS, Julie Pilat took on the chore of additionally programming an upstart Alternative station KYSR (98.7) in a market awash in heritage brands, political challenges, and over ten million people – all vitally connected to the heartbeat of the entertainment capital of the world. A daunting task to say the least, but one not without its fruits and pleasures. We recently caught up with Julie about 98.7’s evolution in the fight for Southern California’s Alternative listeners, its cast of characters, their marketing philosophy and programming new rock in a PPM world.
eQB presents excerpts from the November FMQB magazine
Modern Rock Up Close with KYSR (98.7)/Los Angeles PD Julie Pilat
“I’ve pretty much always done rhythm and rock simultaneously which is why I also love programming pop. I grew up in Seattle and started answering phones at KUBE when I was very young. There was an amazing college radio station down the street from my house (KGRG) and I took a summer “radio” class and got an airshift. This was in ‘92 and the station was simulcast on two other colleges signals so, back then, it covered Seattle – Olympia. We were in the thick of everything happening with “grunge” at that moment. From Nirvana doing benefit shows for the station to me, with a hammer, having to help build a wall for the Mudhoney pit. I got my Alternative education there. It really shaped who I was as a music person.”
“It’s the entertainment capitol of the world. There’s a ton of cultural diversity and a wide range of people from tastemakers to “regular people” who work “regular jobs” and digest music at a different speed. It’s an exciting time for Alternative music. Not only is there a tremendous legacy of bands that remain on top (Pearl Jam, Weezer, Green Day) but the format’s audience has a ravenous appetite for discovering new talent. There are too many bands, artists, concerts, and music in this town for just one playlist.”
“Alternative Music shifted in the ‘90s after Limp Bizkit. The lines between Active and Alternative blurred and the charts became incredibly fragmented. I like to think of our sound as New Alternative – bands like The Killers, Coldplay, and Death Cab are our core.”
“A lot of rock stations have “old skool” DJs who are always “annoyed” and try to sound “cooler than” their audience. We like embracing pop culture. We are in a good mood. We’re music fans. Pearl Jam’s Ten came out 18 years ago. People who were front row then have grown up, may have kids, but also iPods and Facebook pages. They are still current.”
“Alternative Radio has a bad habit of abandoning their superstars and hit records by assuming they’re too pop, or not credible, once they become mainstream. Women tend to listen to the lyrics in songs and don’t burn as fast on titles as men. Playing a record 15 times a week, for six weeks, it’s impossible to make it familiar with your mass cume. I think being part of pop culture is following your gut and sticking with music until it is familiar and you can get an accurate gauge with research.”
“To me “alternative” music always has meant being open and embracing left of center. I think the option to choose makes the format sound fresher.”
“There’s a ton of history with talent and concerts at other stations in the market. We’ve worked hard to implement more new media strategy to connect with our audience directly. Most of our contests are text-based. In 2009, the majority of our listeners don’t have the patience to… forget dial… know a phone #. And also one busy signal and they will give up. With texting at times we get 100,000 people hitting us to see No Doubt. Online and social networking are key. You can deliver a message over the air as many times as you want but people want info the way THEY want it. If someone is “listening” to the radio while talking on their cell they may not hear your message. If they glance at their Facebook several times a day on their cell phone and see details there, reading it while standing in line at the grocery store, they’re likely to remember it when they jump in the car and choose a station.”
**QB content by Mike Bacon**
Q&A – Chris “The Ego” Firmage – APD/MD – KFMA/Tucson
KFMA/Tucson has spent over a decade as a staple of the Modern Rock format, with a number of high-profile alumni getting their start out in the Arizona desert. Chris “The Ego” Firmage holds APD/MD duties and afternoons nowadays at KFMA. He chatted with FMQB recently about the Tucson market; the station’s successful, annual Fall Ball & KFMA Day festivals and having “the dumbest name in radio.”
