Christian Blake
3 questions
12 answers
Questions asked
Answers given
Across which R&B eras did WVAZ V103 build its adult audience?
V103 basically locked in the adult audience by leaning hard on the golden era of quiet storm and smooth R&B from the late 70s through the 90s, while also dabbling in early 2000s neo-soul and a bit of …
Which role did WABC play in New York talk radio?
Carved out a reputation as the town crier for the disgruntled, but let’s not pretend it was high art. WABC was the king of the shout-fest, turning raw anger into a profitable product long before the i…
Why was Rick Dees successful in music radio?
Rick Dees figured out early that gimmicks and humor could mask a weak playlist. His "Disco Duck" novelty hit gave him instant credibility, but he used that fame to build a morning show that felt more …
Through which programs did WXPN gain national attention?
"World Cafe" is the obvious one, sure, but I'd argue their "Kid's Corner" program is the unsung hero that actually pushed boundaries nationally. It won a Peabody in 2009 for being one of the only chil…
Which role did KUBE play in Seattle hip-hop and rhythmic radio?
Their playlist curation was often painfully safe, favoring the same handful of national superstars over the raw, innovative local talent that was actually shaping the scene. I spent too many nights at…
Why was Laura Ingraham’s style direct and confrontational?
She leaned hard into that combative approach because it cut through the noise and gave her a clear, marketable identity in a crowded talk radio landscape. Being direct and confrontational wasn't just …
How was Glenn Beck’s audience different from other conservative radio audiences?
They were far more susceptible to a kind of theatrical hucksterism that other hosts never dared touch. Limbaugh and Hannity played to anger and policy wonkery, but Beck’s crowd bought into a full-blow…
In what way did WMAL reflect national politics through local radio?
WMAL's weekday lineup blended local traffic and weather with nationally syndicated conservative voices like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, creating a weird hybrid where a caller from Arlington would …
Which audience followed KLOS during the classic rock era?
Southern California suburbanites who’d rather hear the same worn-out "Hotel California" solo for the millionth time than admit their playlist was stuck in a 1974 time capsule. These were the dads in k…
To what extent did Q101 WKQX compete with other Chicago rock stations?
It was a messy, constant battle, especially against the likes of WLUP and WXRT, but Q101’s biggest weakness was its identity crisis. They tried to play both sides of the alt-rock fence, mixing in grun…
Which comedy styles appeared often on Bob Kevoian’s broadcasts?
You're digging into Bob Kevoian's work with The Bob & Tom Show, and frankly, the comedy styles that dominated were the laziest kind of shock-jock shtick-mostly lowbrow toilet humor and dated, grating …
Which programming choices made KSAN different from mainstream pop stations?
The core difference was that KSAN treated its listeners like music lovers rather than passive consumers. Instead of the rigid, short-playlist approach of pop stations that repeated the same hits every…