Stella Schwartz
If you really like what you do, would you do it for free? Tough question these days, but in 1991 that’s what Stella Schwartz found herself doing at KOST. An interview for college credit turned into a five-year “unofficial” internship. While this was happening, she tried her hand behind the mic at Country KMET, but quickly realized how tough that was. Behind the scenes was where she felt more comfortable. After getting noticed “sneaking into the building”, she was named morning show assistant and subsequently morning show producer. In 1999 she was elevated to APD and added MD stripes in 2003 before landing in the PD chair. Now she’s doing what she loves to do and she’s getting paid for it.
KOST recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. What special things did you do to recognize the station’s history?
On the website, we put up old station pictures and for that whole week we brought back the old station jingles. All year long we did giveaways celebrating the 25th anniversary. The actual night of our 25th anniversary (November 15), we closed down Disneyland and celebrated with 8,000 listeners. We closed the park from 9:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m. It was really nice. The night before I had a dinner with all the on-air talent and all of management, and passed out crystal awards with 25thAnniversary congratulating them on doing such a fine job on the station. It was great! The next day we flipped to Christmas, so I was able to get rooms for all the talent at the Disneyland resorts so they could watch the flip of Christmas. Disneyland also flipped to Christmas that morning, so KOST and Disney flipped at the same time. We have a very close relationship with Disney. I consider us part of a Disney-esque station. I like to be known as a family station, and I believe in a lot of stuff that Disney does.
Who have been your mentors?
Jim Ryan for sure. One other person that noticed me from day one and told me never to give up on my dream is Cox-Houston OM Johnny Chiang. He was the APD then, before he became PD. He’s a believer in me. I remember the first day when he promoted me to Assistant Morning Show Producer, he said, “Hey, you have what it takes, don’t be scared.” He always took me step-by-step, and I’m still close to him now.
Talk about working with Clear Channel-LA VP/Programming Michael Martin. What have you learned under his direction?
I’ve learned to go with my gut. He’s so great to work with. We’ve had several meetings where I tell him I believe we should do it this way, and he’s replied: “You know what, follow your gut; let’s do it.” He’s behind me on it, and I appreciate him backing me up. He believes in me and lets me do what I need to do.
What are some of the new challenges you face today as a programmer?
Radio has changed throughout the years. There’s definitely more of the on-line aspect. There’s the competition from the iPod and satellite. The bottom line is: When I think our women get in the car, or are at home in the kitchen, and there’s a radio on and they want to know if Johnny needs to wear a sweater to school, they turn on the radio and KOST has everything. We have the weather, the traffic, the music they like, things like that.
Radio has changed, but it’s like time has changed. You change as you go, but I always like to consider KOST 103 as home. I have a great example: A lady moved away about ten years ago because her husband had a job offer in Philadelphia. She was sad to leave her friends, and over the years lost contact with them. She moved back a few months ago, tried to call her friends and a lot of numbers were disconnected. She was disappointed and felt really lonely because her husband went back to work and she was home thinking: Well, I’m back in the area I grew up in and I don’t know anyone. She decided to play with the radio; turned on her favorite station from ten years ago, heard KOST, heard the same jocks on the air, similar music, some have changed and things like that. She said: Wow! I’m home! That, to me, was a huge compliment because I consider KOST home. I can tweak this station with some music and things like that, but there’s a certain sound to KOST where I want everyone to always think, “This is home!” Make sure you’re on KOST; you’re on KOST 103.
Stella with Lionel Richie
What key elements influence you most when considering new music for KOST?
It’s all about the sound of the station. There are a lot ofdifferent artists now. When I was introduced to Josh Groban years ago, I thought this is never going to be an AC artist. I don’t know how an AC audience is going to take this. I even told the record label, and they said: Come with us to one of his concerts, just please come once. I went, and I looked…women everywhere screaming. I put on his song the next day and we had excellent feedback. It’s things like that where I feel I have to take a risk, because I think, ooh, this might not sound like KOST 103, but look where Josh is at now. Another artist with a similar story is Michael Buble.
There are some artists I take a risk on because it might not sound like the normal KOST, but it becomes part of AC and women like it. For instance, I’m surprised I’m playing a lot of the American Idol songs. If you look the American Idol numbers, and then see the audience, it’s moms, kids and families watching it. Why wouldn’t I play American Idol? So I hit both sides of the audience; the adults and the kids.
What is the formula for a successful radio/record relationship?
Communication. I always try to reach out to them. I have a really busy schedule, so it’s really bad sometimes, but just having a relationship with them helps tremendously. It’s when you have a relationship where you can call them and say, hey, I need so-and-so to come into the station and do this for our 25th anniversary. If you know them and you have a relationship with them, it makes it easier to work with them. Artists nowadays have so many people they work with between the record label and management. If you have that relationship with the label, they can get through all the management, get through to the artist, and you have what you wished for.
In your time as PD, has the image of the station changed?
I have to say no. The music has definitely changed a little bit, we’re more upbeat. I want to say “more contemporary.” We’ve slowed down on the Carpenters and Carole King’s and a few of those. I still sprinkle them in, but it’s a new era, the Kelly Clarkson’s, and we’ve added more Country. In the AC world now they want more Country music. Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill (she’s huge for us), Lee Ann Womack. We’re playing all that Country where as years ago, if you’d asked me, I don’t think we would have been playing it.
What do you see as the biggest issue in the AC format?
In all AC formats, when I get together with the industry in general and with a lot of AC programmers, I find it funny that it’s men because we’re programming to a women’s station. Sometimes I’m called to conferences to talk about what women want in the AC world, and men out there are kind of blown away because they don’t realize. For instance, on Saturday afternoons my music is different than Wednesday afternoons, because Saturday afternoons I’m in a different mood. So I want this type of song. I program the way like and have my pattern.
With station promotions I ask what do I want? I love purses, so let’s do a Purse Party. I love to get my nails done; let’s give away KOST nail polish. So when I’m talking to men out there, I’m like, okay, they’re married, great, because you need to get into your wife’s head. A lot of them are single. I just find it funny that there are not a lot of women programming AC radio when the demo is women. If you’re aiming for a women demo, it’s not bad to have women programmers out there. Don’t be afraid.
Stella with Phil Collins
What must AC radio do to stay vital?
Know the boundaries and when not to cross the line. You have to know the sound of your station. On the AC chart there are some songs that I don’t see fit for our radio stations, but in other markets it’s perfect. I believe that’s because of the competition out there. I always get in the car and I play what I call “the punch button game.” I’ll punch in and I’ll guess what station I’m listening to. I’m not driving so I can close my eyes, and I hope that every time I turn on KOST, I know I’m listening to KOST. If it’s a louder song, I might think I’m listening to two other stations in Los Angeles because there’s a lot of competition. I believe that it’s really important to stay in the boundaries of the sound of the radio station.
What can AC radio do to continue to super serve its audience?
Artist-wise, just finding those new artists and not having them be afraid of the AC world. There’s one artist in particular that I remember liking the song, and the label was pitching a Hot AC station. I said, oh my gosh! Let me hear it! Let me hear it! They replied, no, the artist doesn’t want to be on the AC chart right now. He doesn’t want to be known as an AC artist. He wants to be known as a Hot AC/CHR artist. I was like, wow! You mean to tell me that he doesn’t want airplay. I was shocked.
Artists ask me all the time, what do you want from me? Because it’s so popular, I ask for Christmas songs because I have a major problem at Christmas time because there are twenty-four versions “Oh Holy Night,” there are thirty versions “The Christmas Song.” There are so many versions of the same song, that when I get an original I’m excited and I spin it a lot because it’s hard to program twenty-five of the same songs with all different artists. That’s one of my challenges when it comes to programming, it’s definitely Christmas. Christmas is huge. I started it in 2001. I remember being in a meeting with a bunch of managers and they said, no, it will not be successful, especially in L.A. because of the hot weather. People will not like it; you’re taking a risk. I said, let’s do it. I believe in it. And I’m glad I followed my heart on that.
What have been some of the more successful Web-based promotions you’ve done?
Anytime we tie ourselves in with Disney it’s just huge! Disney and KOST go hand-in-hand. Giving away park tickets to the private event where you can’t buy the ticket. That’s the biggest thing. We did have a huge success with our Purse Party. We gave away name brand purses, and people just loved that. All-in-all, I’d have to say Disneyland, and working with Disney people is always a guaranteed winner.
In today’s world, is programming between the songs still one of the most important precepts?
Reminding our audience who they’re listening to is always important. It’s all about the music, especially with the PPM world coming soon. I don’t want clutter. So, going in and out, I’d rather a jock back-sell some of the music and go in and out with spots so then we can play that extra song. That’s what our audience wants; they want to hear the music.
What are your thoughts on the PPM?
I’m very excited for it. Back in my high school days I was a huge fan of KOST 103. I was in a group of people and they asked me, what’s your favorite radio station? I hesitated because I thought, oh my gosh, KOST 103 is something that my parents like. At the time I thought only older people would like it, so I said another station. They even invited me to a dance where this station was playing. I had a headache afterwards because the music was so loud, and I didn’t like it and it wasn’t my style of music. I thought to myself, wow, if that was me months from now and I’m holding a People Meter, they would know exactly what station I like.
A lot of times people will write down something and, heck, I don’t even remember what I ate for dinner last night, so how would I know what I listened to from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.? I hope and think that KOST will be successful in the PPM world.
How important is it to love what you do?
I’m very lucky because I don’t consider this work. I don’t consider this a job. The people I work with, the staff I work with, is family. I’m very lucky because I know there are so many people that consider this more than an eight-hour a day job. It’s twenty-four hours. I’m really lucky I love it that much. Today I came into work at six in the morning, and I’ll probably leave at eight o’clock tonight. I don’t mind. I’m really lucky that it’s a family environment and I not only love the station, I love what I do and I love the people.
** QB Content by Mark LaSpina **
