What's My Demo?

Back from a fun dinner with friends at the trusty Outback Steakhouse (love that pumpernickel bread!). I was checking e-mail and was puzzled by this question:

Why do I only hear female callers playing your contests on KTI? Do I have no chance because I am not a demo female?

That's some media savvy writing - DEMO FEMALE?

When we ask for caller # 15, we actually go through the process of taking 15 calls. If you've ever been close, you might have heard us say "you're caller 12 - try again!"

To the conspiracy theorists - and media savvy writers: Any radio station that does not go through the calls is crazy. If you took the first call or two, it would be the same people. The professional contest players easily get through - because they are playing hard. By taking 15 calls we make it more fair and spread the swag around.

As for the demo female - Might it be because that's who is listening? Most of our listeners are females in their 20's, 30's and 40's. If they get through the most -I think it's self explanatory.

Plus, we know for a fact that is not true. We have already had male callers on RANDOM REINDEER and I remember giving away several plasma TV's to non demo females.

Makes me wonder - Am I a DEMO - MALE at Outback?

Back from the Front Range

Just back from my yearly trek across I-80 to Colorado for Thanksgiving.

Have you ever stopped to read the history signs in most of the Iowa rest-stops on I-80? Most of the region's of both Iowa and Nebraska are rich in pioneer history and the people who sacrificed a whole lot to move America west. The thought of loading up the family truckster and heading out on a 1200 mile trip with younger children can seem pretty intimidating. But after reading about the early pioneers, I am truly thankful for the I-system, mini-vans and portable DVD players.

BTW, my kids watched The Incredibles 3 times. They brought 7 movies, but only watched three of them. Just like on the radio - the hits rule!

It Really Feels Good

If you talk to anyone who loves being in the radio biz - they will tell you how good it feels to be involved in a charity drive of any kind. Back in October, we collected baby supplies for needy young moms in SE Wisconsin.

Today we have been at Southridge all day collecting money to buy Thanksgiving Dinners for needy families next week. You don't have to spend much time in the booth to be touched by people and their giving. Above are Gene Mueller and Dan Kyle talking to Aurora Family Service which will be busy next Thursday - feeding thousands of Wisconsinites in need.

The Mash

Hey mom & dad ... have you heard of the MASH? Not the show about Hawkeye & Hot-Lips: This is something your kids probably dig. One of the cool new things people do on You-Tube is to take two similar songs and mash them together. This is nothing new with songs (mega-mixes?). But video mashing is becoming quite an art-form.

Here is cool mash of Madonna's Music and Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW2YUyeK5FI

Air Jordan - NOT

Nobody knows how to sum up a situation like our own Gene Mueller. This morning they were talking about K-FEDEX and his claim of having a home video of he and Brit doing the nasty. Gene has long warned about the danger of taping one's self in that most intimate moment, but this morning he warned of more than just potential extortion:

It's like shooting baskets in your driveway. You think you're Michael Jordon until you see yourself on video tape.

Nothing To Lose

There's nothing like a song with a catchy hook. We've got a new song on KTI that is generating lots of buzz - but the title is hard to catch.

It's Nothing To Lose by Matt Kearney and it's got one of those hooks you can't get out of your head.

You can hear it on-demand at: http://www.matkearney.com/ It reminds me of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree from earlier this year - and all the calls we got for the "Whoo-Hoo" song.

What is leading the charge for all of these "hooky" songs? TV. Matt's song was featured on Grey's Anatomy - so you know the hook, but not the title/artist. ABC also launched Streetcorner Symphony (Rob Thomas) and Suddenly I See (K.T. Tunstall).

I'm trying to see some good in TV - during the month OJ gets a prime-time two part special.

Barking Dogs Not Allowed ...

Great line from a listener on the phone: "C'mon - how many real Christmas hits are there?" She was calling to ask me why there are so many crappy Christmas songs that get played on the radio. For the record - not on KTI.

To answer her question, I figure there are somewhere between 25 and 40 true Christmas hits. That's why we have never flipped to all Christmas Music at KTI. There are just not enough true Christmas Hits - for a hit music station to justify making the flip. If we went all XMAS, you would have heard every song I dare play in 90 minutes.

When I travel around this time of year and hear some of the all Christmas stations - I shudder. I can't take Clay Aiken's rendition of White Christmas? No - I want to hear Bing Crosby. How about Jimmy Eat World's "Last Christmas?" My kids get a kick out of the barking dogs - ONCE.

Forget about it. I wanna hear the hits. So this year I'm trying something new at KTI. I have been working on a Holiday Hits channel that only plays the biggest selling Christmas singles combined with the highest charting songs. If you're really "jones-ing" for Clay or Jimmy Eat World - you know where you can find them. But if you're sitting at the office or at home and want to hear the holiday hits - you've got to try KTI's Holiday Hits ON-DEMAND. It will be an Internet radio station that you can access directly from WKTI.COM. I'm hoping to have all of the corny greetings done today and have the station on the air by Saturday.

If you don't like it - we can bring back Clay Aiken. He's cheaper than the Barking Dogs!

Gluttons Are Us?

Now ... from my bag of listener e-mail:

To the WKTI Manager,

I have listened with disgust everyday while you give away plasma TV's. There are people starving in the world and that money could be better spent feeding them. That is the problem with America - we are a nation of gluttons.

I wonder if Howie Mandell gets letters like this?

How Would You Like Those?

Petty cash doesn't grow on trees. Somebody in the office has to take the check, go to the bank and cash it. When it comes to a listener promotion or something that requires cash: many times that is me.

Teller: Is this a payroll check?

Me: Well, it's petty cash.

Teller: Do you know your account number?

Me: No: But I have my mortgage and two car payments with you (small talk sucks).

Teller (some how now 5db louder): Okay: one thousand dollars. How would you like that?

Me: How about quietly!

I don't know about you: but if I'm leaving the teller window with a grand in 20's - I don't want it broadcast to everyone in the bank (or supermarket - if I am forced to use one of those counter/branches).

Lips says I should just pass them a note. Yea - that always works well in a bank.

The BIG show

Does the morning show do anything? Of course they do: they host a talk-show for 3-4 hours every day at the crack of dawn. They are 100% responsible for putting together a kick-ass show and that is what they do.

Let's think of them as our offense in a football game:

Reitman is the QB of the show. Like Brett Farve, he calls the shots leads the offense (discussion) and generally steers the show.

Mueller is our star receiver. Toss him the ball (a subject or thought) and he will score a Touchdown (make you laugh). Gene is also our news director and handles our public affairs.

Amy Taylor is our star running back. Give her the ball (an idea or thought) and she will charge forward across the goal-line (develop the topic with her fast wit) to score a TD.

Gino is our star center. He keeps them all lined-up and makes sure the ball is snapped on target. Gino is our executive producer and our idea guy.

I guess that makes me the head-coach on the side-line wearing the head-phones and talking to the guys upstairs.

Did you know the NFL picks out the head-coaches clothes for each game?

Meet The Parents ...

So what is a program director (from this point forward referred to as the PD)? He/She is the one responsible for everything that goes over the air. The personalities (from this point refereed to as the jock's or j's), the music, the commercials, the promotions: if it goes over the air: I am responsible for it.

Fortunately I have a very talented staff that does all of the heavy lifting.

Dan Kyle (who you may know from the 10-2 shift) manages all of our production (commercials).

Lips Labelle from 2-7pm fame manages our weekend programming (Casey Kasum, Retro Pop Reunion, Backtrax USA, etc).

Lisa Letterman manages both our marketing and promotions department (and is a GREAT fill-in on-air). Lisa has an awesome staff under her - the KTI street team that makes us look good out in the community managed by John Weyer. If you're an INSIDER, you know Stephanie Armson who works under Lisa - who is our KTI INSIDERS liaison.

These guys make me look good - they are the best in the biz.

The Man Behind The Curtain - Is Me

Hello -

My name is Bob Walker and I am the program director at 94.5 WKTI in Milwaukee. Why am I blogging? Due to the large volume of e-mail we get asking questions - it has been suggested to me that people might actually be interested in what goes on behind the scenes. I don't know. But I guess we'll find out.