Kramer started his career earlier this decade as a promotion assistant at Clear Channel/Denver, then got his first break on the air at KHTT/Tulsa doing overnights. In March of 2004 he crossed over to Urban KJMM where he did nights. In February’05 he made the move to KSME as midday jock, and was named MD one year later. APD stripes came in January ’07, and recently he shifted to afternoons. When it comes to dynamic music people in radio, Kramer rivals the best of them. As both a student and fan of music, any conversation with Kramer inspires the dialogue fueled by his energy, spirit and knowledge.
You are in a unique APD/MD position at KSME, where you have a majority voice in what new music your station plays. How did this come about?
Well I wouldn’t say that I have the majority voice in the decisions, but I think a lot of it came once I started to understand the fabric of the radio station and understanding why we chose certain songs over others. I have always been a Rhythmic listener, so being here at a station that doesn’t lean Rhythmic at all, I had some learning to do. Once I got that, it was easier to voice my opinion and be able to legitimately back it up.
Do you feel any added pressure with labels, knowing that the buck somewhat stops with you?
I don’t really feel any extra pressure at all. The reason for that is because I’m a straight shooter. I will let someone know exactly where we are with one of their songs. I’ll explain to them why we aren’t on a song or what we need to see in order to give it consideration. I just feel like there is no reason to lead someone on and tell them what they want to hear. Whether the answer is what they want to hear or not, they will at least respect the station and I a bit more in the end for not stringing them along.
Describe the working dynamic between you and PD Chris Kelly.
Effortless. The two of us think quite a bit alike, so when decisions need to be made, or things need to be done, we know we can rely on each other to get it done. We have great respect for each other and what we do, and I think that makes us unstoppable in the things we want to achieve. We feed off each other’s energy and drive, and I feel it makes us a great tandem.
What other areas of programming do you venture into?
I help out all the other stations in our cluster anyway I can. Beyond my duties at KISS, I do the in-studio hosting for the Colorado Eagles hockey games for our Classic Rock station. I’m the play-by-play voice for the high school football games we air on our Standards station, and anything else that needs to be done. I always feel that you can’t learn without doing, so I try to get my hands in pretty much everything I can.
What best describes KSME’s music position and what genres of music do you lead on?
We are a Top 40 with a Pop/Rock lean. We lead on songs that we have faith our listeners will get and understand. If we feel they can relate to it, we’ll jump on it and give a chance.
Can you give some examples of singles you took early shots on that wound up being big hits nationally?
The two songs that stand out in my mind are Rascal Flatts “What Hurts The Most” and Colbie Caillat “Bubbly”. We were the first Top 40 to spin the Rascal Flatts song and our spins helped pave the way for it to sneak into the CHR format. The Colbie track was actually something Chris Kelly heard on (Triple A) KBCO and recognized it was dead on with females, so we took a chance and it ended up going to #1.
Any recent examples of singles that surprised you in performance, where you thought initially they wouldn’t work?
The biggest surprise to me so far this year was Buckcherry “Sorry”. I thought that would be one of those middle of the pack songs that would barely cracked the top 20, but when that thing blazed all the way up the charts, I was stunned.
What are the major factors you look at when adding new music?
We base our decisions on charts, Rate The Music scores, what a few other stations are up to, and our gut feeling on certain songs, not particularly in that order.
What is the difference maker at any given time on singles that you’re close to?
It depends on the songs on our playlist at the time. If they are completely different sounding singles, then we take a look at what the playlist is lacking at the time and go with that. Now if they are similar sounding singles, it comes down to a number of things: name, charts, male or female artist, etc.
What is your tendency when you have an average brand name single going up against a fresh new artist with a hot sound?
I wouldn’t say we lean a certain way when it comes to something like that. If a new artist has a hot new song that is getting requests and tearing up the chart while the name brand is just slowly working its way in, then we’ll go with the song that is on most people’s minds at the time. Name brand isn’t going to stop us from adding a song that is blazing the airwaves.
What new music testing mechanisms to you use?
We have a New Music Battle that we do in the 9p.m. hour where we put two new songs up against each other and let the listeners decide which one stays on as the champ and which one “goes away”. Outside of that, we don’t do too much in the way of testing new music except getting an early read on some songs through Rate The Music.
How big of a role does your web site play in the overall programming philosophy of the station?
We use the web site as an extension of what the station is all about: fun, exciting, personable and always something going on. It plays a big role for us in this ever changing world of being interactive. So many people sit in front of their computers 10-12 hours a day now that we need to make sure we give them a way to remain a part of the station when they can’t be interacting with us on the phones or simply listening on their radio.
What unique listener experiences do you employ on the web?
We put up podcasts of interviews, we do our own podcasts to inform and entertain our listeners with things such as movie reviews, CD reviews, etc. We also are able to leave things hanging on the air to drive them to the website if they want the full story, or the conclusion of some scenario.
What separates an effective label promo rap from a mundane one in your eyes?
The biggest thing for me is to be personable. Don’t walk in or call and be nothing but business. I like to have a good relationship with my reps, to the point where I can just talk to them about things going on in my life, and vice versa, as opposed to what record they are currently pimping. This business is supposed to be fun and exciting for everyone involved, and when you aren’t able to laugh and joke with the person you are working with, then it’s time to get out.
Do you feel enough constructive synergy exists between the music labels and radio in general?
I think at times there is, but there are definitely times where radio and the labels will butt heads and not work with each other. Radio isn’t always right with their thoughts, and the label isn’t always right with theirs, but when we listen to each other, we have a tendency to work better together and supply the listeners with the best possible product on both ends of the spectrum.
What can both parties work on to allow for a more effective partnership?
In radio, we need to be open to giving new sounds more of a shot sometimes. We have a tendency to find a sound that is hot, then when something new comes along, we close our ears and say no thanks until that sound we found to be so hot dies. On the label side, they have to realize that not every single record they work is a hit. I know personally I get tired of hearing how such and such is gonna be a smash, then it stiffs and the next record they work is the next big thing. I know we all have a job to do, but honesty goes a long way.
** QB Content by Fred Deane **
