From 1995 to 2023, the music and radio industries turned to All Access for the latest news, music and artist information and current music charts. Information was available for each format, with an All Access rep for each.
Every week, the format representative would reach out to a program director or music director and feature them with their “Ten Questions” segment. While searching for something on a hard drive this week, I stumbled on two sets of “10 Questions” that I did.
Kelly Fletcher was my All Access contact. I loved our weekly calls about music. She knew I was a Rat Pack fan and I remember when she first introduced me to Michael Buble’s music. She has moved on to bigger and better things outside of the wacky world of radio, and I am glad that I still connected with her through social media.
What is contained in these sets of questions are things that I have probably written about in a previous blog or two. It is fun to re-read the answers and share them again with you.
10 Questions with Keith Allen – From All Access
November 12, 2007
Please outline your radio career so far:
WKSG, 1988-91, WMXD 1991, WKZC 1991, WHND 1991-1994, WWWW 1994-1998, WFBE 1998-2002, WKCQ 2002-2003, WCEN 2003-2007, WFBE (again) 2007-Present
1. What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
While I was still in high school, I had a job at a boat marina. I worked in the Parts Department and was usually bored out of my mind. I always had the radio on WKSG, Kiss-FM in Detroit, which was a combo Classic Rock/Oldies station at the time. I used to listen to Jim McKenzie, who always seemed to be flawless and friendly. I remember thinking, “I could do that”, so I made a call to the station. I was told to go to a broadcast school or come in to intern. I chose the latter. I would come in overnight and work with the news guy and overnight guy until it was time to head off to school. After I graduated, they ended up letting the overnight guy go and I ended up with the gig. Not bad for a guy with NO on air experience, huh?
Paul Christy, who sadly just passed away this year, was the PD at the time and he had heard my voice on a reel in the prod room and asked his partner, “Who the hell is that?” When he found out it was me, he began to use me on the morning show as “Casual Keith Allen” and eventually on the overnight show. Paul was the guy who took a big chance on me, and I’ll always remember him for that.
2. What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize “this is it”?
I always had quite a record collection and my friends would ask me to put songs on tape for them and for the hell of it one day, I grabbed a cheap Radio Shack mixer and microphone and began to intro the songs on the tapes. Before I knew it, those tapes were being copied for other people and I had a little “side” business. I’m not sure that there was a “defining moment,” but that is where my path in life started towards a career in radio.
3. Describe your weekly music meeting … a) what is the process when you listen to new music? b) approximately how important by percentage is gut, research, sales, video play, and chart position when determining the status of a record?
I listen to everything that hits the desk. When I worked at the Moose in Saginaw, I had a 45-50 minute drive every day, which allowed me time with each song. I don’t have that now, but I still make time to listen to everything just in case there is a diamond in the rough on the stack. Yes, there is a lot of crap that is shipped to stations everyday, but how will you know what is crap and what is great if you never listen to something? It bugs me that people don’t spend time with the music – after all, it’s what we do!
I think of all the things mentioned in the question the things I base my music decisions on are: Gut & sales.
Research just isn’t all that accurate anymore. It can be swayed one way or the other depending on the people polled. Most of the time it is just a small sample, so how can you really put all your faith in it? Video play and radio play, in my opinion, are two different things. Chart position has gotten to the point where it doesn’t matter much either. Sure, I look at it and it can be a tool for me, but it is just that – a tool. It is just one of the things that can help. We’ve had some really bad records that have gone to the top that just weren’t good records.
Sales are a good indication – people bought the hell out of the Taylor Swift album and yet people were concerned about adding some of her songs. Isn’t it a good indication that if people are buying the record that they like the music??
My gut has failed me often, but I use that most. Think about it, when we ask our listeners for what they are passionate about – aren’t we asking for their “gut” opinion? When I am on the fence on something, I will grab some folks from the office and play it for them to see what the reactions are. I’ll take their gut and my gut and go from there.
4. Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?
Past: Richard D. from WHND. This guy was a blast! His show was full of bad puns, silly stories, silly features and fun! His laugh was contagious and he was a wealth of knowledge.
Present: Tim & Jeff from Kiss 107 in Cincy. I’ve known these guys since they were interns and they are exactly what this business needs! They are funny, they are local, and they are EVERYWHERE! They are also fun to sit and write stuff with. Some of my favorite bits are ones that we’ve written together.
5. What was the biggest gaffe you’ve made on air? (dead air, forget a mic was still on, etc.)
While doing mornings on Honey Radio in Detroit, my partner and I decided that I should do a character LIVE instead of recording it. We had mapped out the bit, knew exactly where it was going to go and felt that we could do it. The character was based on a real listener, and I had never done it live before. Once the break started and I began the character voice, my partner began to chuckle and that was it. We both were overcome with that uncontrollable laughter. I was laughing so hard I was crying and could not see the cart machines, so I hit the first button on the board I could find. It fired a cart with a gunshot sound effect, which sounded so out of context we laughed even harder. We finally were able to get into commercials and off air we laughed through the entire break. My partner insisted we try again out of spots and before the weather, so we came out of the last spot and began to try again. We got further, but again, once I did the voice, I lost it.
6. Most of us have known or even worked for a “colorful” owner/GM/air talent. Care to share a story? (The names can be changed to protect the innocent).
Define “Colorful”? Paul Christy was a hoot to work for!
Before voice tracking, Paul would lay voice tracks down on reel-to-reel tape for his Saturday show. He recorded it after his show on Friday. Before heading to the studio he would grab a bagel or something and would eat while he “tracked”. So the listeners got to hear him chomping on that same bagel throughout a four-hour show!
Another quick Paul story – and it could have easily been an answer to the biggest gaffe question. On Friday night/Saturday morning, I’d do the overnight show from 1-6am, then I ran Paul on tape from 6-10a inserting live weather and such. One night I was dead tired and fell asleep around 7:05am – at 7:25, I woke up in a panic. There was no automation at that time, so there was 20 minutes of dead air. I grabbed the first cart I could find (“You’ve Got Your Troubles” by the Fortunes) and got us back on the air. Paul called on the hotline about 7:30. I remember thinking that I was going to get fired, etc.
“How ya doing?” he asked (while munching on food, as usual). I told him what happened, expecting the worst, but he laughed, called me a name and began to tell me stories of when he had fallen asleep in Chicago and so on. He was that kind of guy.
7. In today’s world of multi-tasking and wearing many hats, how do you find time to show prep and what sources do you use?
It is just like finding time to listen to music – you just do it. You schedule a certain block of time for it and make it happen. I use a couple services that are really thorough. New Radio Star is a great source for bit sharing and every day they put out a very good “recap” of events and such. I also use the “True Country” prep, which has some comedy bits, and parody songs available.
8. What is the best advice you would give to young programmers/air talent?
I once heard Jay Trachman call radio a “mistress”. It really is. You really have to have an “affair” with the business and still find time to take care of your personal life. In order to have a career in this business, you have to have a life outside of it. Do what it takes to make that a reality. Be unique. Be yourself. Be a winner.
9. As you look back over your career … any regrets? Missed opportunities?
I remember working the Downtown Hoedown at W4 Country. We were in the shuttle that was going back to the station and Tim (of Tim and Jeff, mentioned above) said, “There’s those Dixie Chicks.” They were walking outside and he ran out to grab a picture with them. I love traditional country, so naturally I thought they were good. However, at the time, I felt that because of their sound, I didn’t think they’d ever make it. So I sat on the shuttle. I kind of wish I had met them that day.
10. What is the biggest change that you’d like to see happen in the business?
I wish we’d see more talent development. Many stations are syndicated, voice tracked or automated during the evenings and overnights. This is where so many people got their start in the business. These “entry level” positions are non-existent today and sadly, we’re not seeing much in the way of talent coming up through the ranks. It seems that we’ve even stopped using part timers for weekend shifts. Full time talent is voice tracking weekend shifts and “live” weekends are a thing of the past. I was voice tracked on a Saginaw station, but was actually in Detroit (couple hours away) when Reagan died. Here was a big news story and I was in a place where I could do nothing about it. To the listener I sounded clueless or like I just didn’t care.
I would love to see stations utilize part timers and groom the next generation of talent to keep our business entertaining, strong, and alive!
Bonus Questions
1. Name the artist/act (living or dead) you’d love to meet and why?
Dean Martin – the “King of Cool.” Here is a guy who made everything look so easy. He did everything, records, movies, and TV. I’d love to be out shooting 18 holes with him on a golf course and just talking about music, our Italian heritage, what Frank Sinatra was like, and how he makes it look so effortless.
2. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Unlike most kids, I never thought about being an astronaut or fireman. I remember when I was young wanting to be a chef, but that was short lived. It really came down to two careers: Radio or Teaching. I wanted to go to school to become a band director or elementary teacher because I had some teachers who really made a difference in my life growing up. I also had the radio thing rolling around in the back of my head.
When I found out I needed to go to college for four years, to get a teaching degree and could do radio with little or no schooling, I made the choice that any broke teenager would make – and here I am!
3. You just won the lotto and you have your boss on the line. What’s the first thing that you would say?
“How much for the station?”
10 Questions with Keith Allen – From All Access
August 18, 2008
Please outline your radio career so far:
WFBE-FM 2007-Present
WCEN-FM 2003-2007
WKCQ-FM 2002-2003
WFBE-FM 1998-2002
WWWW-FM 1994-1998
WHND-AM 1991-1994
WKZC-FM 1991
WMXD-FM1991
WKSG-FM 1988-1991
1A. What made you decide on a career in radio?
I guess I took after my mother in that I talk a lot. I also had a habit of making people laugh in school. I was bored as hell working at my first job and I got into the biz quite on accident while I interned at WKSG.
1B. If you had not gone into radio, what would you be doing for a living today?
Around the time I got into radio, I was thinking about teaching band or elementary education. So that, or stand up comedy maybe.
2. You live in an area that most people don’t think of as a hotbed of Country listeners. Tell us about Country music in the Flint area and what makes programming there different from other areas of the U.S.
Flint has always been a blue-collar town – a big automotive town – so we have a lot of third shift listeners. The city consists of local workers, but more workers head south for their job. Flint is unique because you can hear stations from Lansing (to our west), Detroit (to our south), and Saginaw (to our north), while in the market. This doesn’t really play a huge factor in the Arbs (Arbitron – a ratings system that was used back in the day), but some of the stations will show up occasionally. I don’t think you can really consider any of them “competition.” Each of the other stations has it own distinct “stationality”. With Michigan’s economy being in the crapper, we understand the need to be upbeat, positive and fun. It can be helpful if another station breaks a record and listeners start to ask for it, which gives us an inkling as to what is getting buzz in the region. We may not be a country “hotbed,” but we’ve certainly got some hard-core cities in the area that love country!
3. Do you think that being a native of Michigan helps you when it comes to relating to your listeners and choosing music?
Absolutely. We have all been told over and over that LOCAL WINS. We need to be able to relate to the area and not just what is happening with traffic. We need to know the “regional lingo”. We have a mall here called Genesee Valley Center – people call it “the Valley.” Imaging, promos and jock speak should all reflect a local feel. I think we’d be stupid not to play a Josh Gracin song, for example, because he is from Michigan. It is a way to bring a little hometown pride to the on air performance. Naturally, though, music choices should be decided by combining a variety of aspects: research, listener reaction, can people relate to it, will it lead to a emotional connection, how the programmer feels about it and the programmer’s GUT (my favorite aspect).
4. Anyone that has known you for more than five minutes knows that you are a huge Rat Pack fan, mainly Dean Martin. First, how did your love of that music come about? Second, why Dean Martin – most people usually go for Sinatra?
Both of my grandfather’s listened to big band music and standards. I heard that a lot when visiting them. My dad played all kinds of music for me growing up, too. I knew who Frank and Dean were, but really did not get into their music until my early 20s. I had heard some of their songs, but discovered the movies, Dean’s TV show, and their extensive library of other songs around 1994. I began trying to find all things “Rat Pack” at used record stores and video stores. The more I listened and watched, the more I gravitated toward Dean. Frank was the Boss. Sammy was the stooge. Dean was the regular guy. He made every thing he did seem so easy. Vocally, Frank has a unique style. He can sing the same song three times and each time it is different. His phrasing is so different from many vocalists. Dean’s voice is warm, inviting, and smooth. It is real. It isn’t as pronounced as Frank’s – listen to how Frank pronounces his “t’s” and “s’s” precisely. Dean’s vocals were loose and fun. In my opinion, Dean was the better singer. Both, however could sing hurtin’ songs, and almost bring you to tears because you can feel their pain: Listen for yourself to Frank sing “One For My Baby” and Dean sing “Come Back to Sorrento” – have a tissue ready.
5. Name three songs that had a profound effect on your life and tell us about them.
“September Song” – Willie Nelson. I recall summers up at my grandfather’s trailer. When they first bought it, they had no TV, just a radio with a cassette deck. He owned two cassettes – one of them was Willie Nelson’s Stardust. Every time this song came on, he’d say how much he loved this song. It is probably a coincidence, but he died in September of 1981. I grew to love that album and each time that song comes on, I still think of him, and how much I wish I’d had more time with him. (Which ties into the next song.)
“If I Had Only Known” – Reba McEntire. I understand that this song is about a love that has ended, but a friend of mine told me to listen to this and think about my grandfather (who had just passed away) while I listened. If we could know the future, how differently we’d treat the time we have with others. “If I had only known” is something we hear all too often in life.
“Untitled Hymn” – Chris Rice & “I Can Only Imagine” – Mercy Me. Both just beautiful songs with a message that brings happiness and comfort to me every time I hear them.
6. In high school you played the tuba, trombone and trumpet right? Do you still play? Any other hidden talents that we should know about?
Yes, I played all three, but trumpet primarily. I still drag out the horn, but since I am so out of practice, I can only play in short spurts before I feel like my lips are going to fall off. I have a folder of music that we played when I was in school and will try to hit the high notes I used to be able to hit, but it usually just makes dogs in the neighborhood howl along. Hidden talents: I play a mean game of pinochle and do a very bad Regis Philbin impression (who doesn’t). Most of my other talent is hidden and I can’t find it.
7. You have two wonderful boys (this is from 2008, so I only had the two boys at the time), what do you all do as a family for fun? What do you do if you happen to have the afternoon to yourself?
The boys and I like to wrestle and mess up the house while doing that. Of course, we love a good BBQ or big Italian dinner! I rarely get an afternoon to myself, but when I do, I usually sit down and watch old TV shows on DVD that others don’t want to watch with me, ha ha! I prefer old stuff like “Perry Mason,” “The Untouchables” and “Sanford & Son.” If it is not TV – I’m reading or napping!
8. There’s a lot of new music out there right now. What do you hear that really excites you?
Emily West from Capitol is the next big star! I’ve heard the advance and there is not one bad song on there – the whole thing is on my iPod. She was a blast to hang around with and is an amazing talent. Lady Antebellum is another group that I love! Great voices in this group. I love the new Jewel CD. Lots of people have a problem with her being played on country radio, but I think it is an awesome sound for on air. Great story telling and good music. Carter’s Chord have some distinct and one of a kind harmonies. These three little gals deserve a shot on the air – There is so much substance to their stuff.
9. If we were visiting Flint for one day and you were our tour guide, where would you take us?
First, I’d show you down town because it’s the most historic. It has beautiful older buildings (a lot of which can be seen in Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell.) We’d take a drive on the old brick roads, and then we’d head off to Hurley hospital to get our gunshot wounds treated (LOL). Maybe a drive through Flint isn’t a good idea. Lots of good places to eat though, Halo-burger (hometown tradition – olive burgers!), Sorrento’s (Italian), and Red Wood Lodge (where they brew their own beer), so come hungry!
10. Having been in radio for a while, I am sure you have had a few of those “wow, I have the coolest job ever” moments. Tell us about one of those that really sticks out in your memory.
I had an extra backstage pass for Reba one summer, because the friend meeting me at the show was running extremely late. Not wanting to waste it, I walked around the amphitheatre and looked for someone decked out in Reba gear. The meet and greet was just minutes away and I saw a gal in a Reba shirt. I asked her if she was a big fan and I was told that she brought her dad to the show because it was his birthday and he adored her! I asked her how fast she could get him to me and asked if he’d want to meet her. Her eyes lit up and she ran off to get him. He arrived just as they were calling folks down. He kept asking if I was joking around with him. He had never met anyone before, let alone someone he “adored, so he was nervous.” When she walked out, he was shaking. I introduced him as a birthday boy, and she treated him like a king! She took extra time with him, kissed him and hugged him, and wished him Happy Birthday. She took the rose he bought her and treated it like it was the last flower on earth. He had tears in his eyes as he left and he thanked me for the best birthday present ever. It is moments like that when I know I have the coolest job ever!
Bonus Questions
1. If I remember correctly, you have quite a fondness for Charles Nelson Reilly, what’s that about?
I’m not sure how these rumors get started, but I’m sure Joby Phillips at WCEN has something to do with it! I believe I said Alec Baldwin does a VERY funny CNR impression, and that was probably twisted and turned around to make it out that I like him. He was a snappy dresser! Charles and Nipsey Russell made the Match Game!
2. If you could only listen to one album ever again, what would it be?
Come on, Kelly, do you REALLY think I can answer this??!!
3. What are your five favorite movies of all time?
The Godfather – A work of art. Brando and Pacino are magnificent! From the moment the haunting trumpet plays, you are hooked. The opening scene, with the funeral director speaking to the Don is so well shot. As the camera pulls back and you see Brando for the first time – it’s magic!
Airplane! – A smorgasbord of great actors and non-stop laughs. I read an article once where Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges discussed the movie after seeing the script. They knew that it would either kill their career or be a huge success. They both took the gamble and won.
The Blues Brothers – The soundtrack is one of my favorites! This was the first movie my parents ever let me watch where the dialogue contained the “F” word. The plot is simple, the destruction of property is unreal, and the singer guest stars are plenty!
White Heat – James Cagney hadn’t played a gangster for years, but returned to that role in this movie. The finale with him up on top of an oil take is simply perfect! My favorite scene is when he gives a “little air” to a guy in the trunk of a car.
Caddyshack – Two words: Rodney Dangerfield!
2026 –
In that last set of answers, I had to smile. Kelly and I had probably talked about all of that silliness prior to her asking the questions. The fact that these wound up being published for all to see, reminds me of our great friendship.
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a question and answer blog – maybe I should do that again?
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 