As we reported yesterday, Cumulus’ KQRS in Minnesota is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of rocker KQRS. Today we take a closer look under the hood, at the nuts and bolts of what it takes to create a radio brand that stands the test of time, remains a stable force in the ratings and withstands the quirkiness of the listener. Scott Jameson is the current PD at KQRS. We picked his brain on how and why KQRS is still the king.
Scott Jameson: First and foremost, it’s an honor. I’ve been fortunate to manage similar heritage stations — WFBQ/Indianapolis and KYYS/Kansas City. While it’s great to have a legacy brand, you can’t rest on past accomplishments. In certain situations, you can leverage your equity to your advantage, but it requires time, energy, and focus to keep a legendary station “legendary.”
Scott Jameson: Essentially, trust. I learned long ago working with Tom Griswold at WFBQ and the Bob & Tom Show that it wasn’t important to me to have “pride of authorship.” I didn’t need to have my idea or agenda used on the show. Some PDs have to have “ownership” of talent, I never have. I found being a resource, providing an idea or concept to smart people then walking away proved to be a better way to develop a supportive relationship with talent. Don’t get me wrong, the PD is still accountable and responsible, but when they know you have their back, things get done. For a few years I ran the Atlanta Falcons Radio Network for CBS, working with Sports Talk talent also helped me understand managing top-tier talent.
Scott Jameson: Taking intelligent risks, understanding habits of your P1s and finding clever ways to repackage Classic Rock. Every week I host a call with 34 of our Cumulus Classic Rock stations, one of our frequent discussion topics is how to keep gold-based stations interesting. Creative writing, unique repurposing of titles and artists, and providing experiences rather than contests.
Radio Ink: How do you keep listeners coming back in an era where that’s pretty tough for rock stations?
Scott Jameson: It’s a predictable answer but true, interesting content trumps everything else. Any station can “out Aerosmith” us or play fewer commercials, but providing context to the music with short-attention-span storytelling from air talent who connect emotionally is the best way to encourage tune-in. Having a library of good testing rock songs is not enough anymore; consumers have many choices, many largely commercial-free. We need to encourage and mentor our Program Directors to be inventive when it comes to the overall presentation of these legacy artists. Tell me something I don’t know, take me behind the music, surprise me.
Radio Ink: Why has KQRS lasted so long?
Scott Jameson: A big reason for our ongoing longevity and success is how our day begins. Tom Barnard began hosting the KQ Morning Show in 1986 and just celebrated his 32nd year in April. Generations have grown-up with his brash, genuine, and unfiltered approach. He remains the patriarch of KQRS. Most of Tom’s advertisers are personal friends and he has an insane work ethic. Program Director Dave Hamilton developed the architecture and created the successful KQ spirit beginning in the mid ’80s. I believe my staff today has retained elements of KQ’s history and simultaneously kept Classic Rock and talk relevant in the Twin Cities.
Scott Jameson: In my travels as a consultant I would sometimes hear stations where I couldn’t tell what market I was in. That’s quite dangerous today with all the options available to rock music partisans seeking a radio station. Being deeply connected to your local market is more critical than ever. KQRS is pro cops, firefighters, first responders, and military, and not afraid to tackle tough topics. On Veterans Day each year we present “KQ’s Military Takeover,” where every hour is hosted by a different local military vet or active duty serviceman or woman. A good deal of our imaging mentions cities, towns, and neighborhoods by name.
Radio Ink: How important are the live and local personalities to the station?
Scott Jameson: You could argue it means everything. We have an amazing group of seasoned talent on KQRS beginning with Tom Barnard. We were able to add Minnesotan Michele Tafoya from NBC Sports Sunday Night Football to the KQ Morning Show. Wally Walker has been on KQ for 39 years, afternoon drive talent Ray Erik 27, and midday jock Lisa Miller 24 years. Stations can share our music but they can’t share our talent; and our air personalities are nonduplicated assets we protect and cherish. Even with all that tenure they still offer to help whenever and wherever they can.
