KHKS (Kiss 106.1) Dallas has been a bellwether for Top 40 radio. Driven by the Kidd Kraddick morning show, Kiss was the first success story in CHR’s mid-’90s comeback. It was one of the first stations to recover from an early-’00s doldrums, a few years ahead of Top 40’s PPM explosion. In 2013, it survived Kraddick’s death and remained a market powerhouse as the show continued with its remaining members.
Under PD Patrick Davis, SVP of programming for iHR Dallas, Kiss was also a station that could be counted on at least one or two times a year to go off the menu for songs not being promoted to CHR radio, a rarity in most formats now. Davis was part of sweeping cutbacks at iHeartMedia this week, along with numerous veteran PDs, managers, and air talent. We talked to him about his tenure at a legendary radio station.
Sean Ross: You’d been a program director before, but you came to the station first as PD of the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show in 2002, before becoming PD in 2004. What was that like?
Patrick Davis: It was the perfect route for me, because I was blessed to learn from Kidd and [iHR’s] Brian Bridgman and Todd Shannon. Kidd allowed me to truly be involved with the show to provide insight but learn what not only Kidd but [then-team members] Al Mack and Kellie Rasberry go through mentally to prepare. Brian and Todd didn’t have to but included me in meetings and made me feel comfortable, which is always a great learning environment.
One final note on that is that I made it clear from day 1 that I was PD of the entire station and that every daypart, break, and personality mattered.
Ross: How was Kiss doing when you became PD? It was one of the first success stories in CHR’s rebound in 1994-95, but how was it doing a year later?
Davis: Honestly, it wasn’t great or I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity. The first trend – remember those – that came out right as I took the job, Kiss was 12th, and there were some questions about the format’s viability. In fairness, it was a tough time for CHR because the available product was not very pop-friendly. Kiss was experiencing its first slump. I don’t keep many memorabilia, but when the station went from worst to first again, Kidd gave me a plaque [showing the ratings trend over three years].
Ross: What are some of the things that made the difference between the No. 12 station and the No. 1 radio station?
Davis: I was blessed to have Kidd Kraddick [and his team] in the morning, who believed in me and I in them. I was looking for [people with the] talent and drive to be the best, and found it in JJ Kincaid, Billy the Kidd, Jeff Miles, Fernando, Jackson Blue, Atom Smasher, Gina Lee Fuentes, Candice Lopez, Toby Knapp, Raven, and Priscilla, who is a success story all by herself. They wanted to not just be good but accomplish something truly unique. All I had to do was lead them. I pushed them hard, and they all responded better than I could have hoped for. And it continues now with Celina Martinez and Colt.
Ross: Tell me about shepherding the morning team through the loss of Kidd Kraddick. I’ve seen a few times how a death is the most devastating thing can happen to a station.
Davis: That was personally devastating, because that show and Kidd in particular changed the course of my life. Everyone needs a break at some point to get a chance to show what they can do, and [Kraddick and the show] gave me that. The first issue was fighting off temptation by some to [replace them and go to syndication]. That was a bad brand message in my opinion: Kidd passed away and we fired his talented friends. I actually remember someone screaming at me, “We’re not paying for sidekicks!” And I yelled back, “Then you haven’t heard the show!!!” Cooler heads prevailed, and KKMS has been our anchor since.
Then there was the messaging: We treated it like a death in the family. Billy the Kidd, Cruz, and Toby did a terrific job of being vulnerable and real. There were no formatics at that moment. It was about raw emotion. Play callers. Share. No production. Kellie’s break the following Monday may have been the most-listened-to moment in DFW radio history. It was filled with emotion, honesty and vulnerability.
Finally, we adhered to “reduce the invitation for change.” We changed nothing on the station, so that it didn’t give people a chance to reevaluate their choice. Dennis Clark came in to help with the show, and he is not only a great coach but has the perfect personality for this situation. George Laughlin at Yea Networks was the steady hand in their building holding things together. After that the show evolved into what that cast does best. Be real.
I remember asking my wife why I was the one having to plan a weeklong tribute when I was hurting so much. She said, “Because you care for him like no one.” That week: I have never been prouder of what a staff did than those people.
It’s cliché now and done [by stations] for other reasons, but we had a girl, Laura, who was dying of cystic fibrosis, and her wish was to call attention to the disease so that her little brother wouldn’t have to face the pain she did. We changed the name of the station to Laura FM for a day and solicited donations and gave information on how to help.
New jingles were cut. All-new sweepers were made. Commercials were recut. Jock execution was perfect. Cousin Deke and Priscilla combed through the log and made sure it was all uniform. I felt like we made a difference. Later, right before Laura passed away, our staff went to see her in the hospital. It wasn’t a show – they cared. [But beyond] that, I was proud of every moment I was the PD of Kiss-FM.
Ross: How hard is it to still do those things in today’s radio? We read a lot about the changing role of the PD. To what extent should the role of the PD be different, and what should be protected? How hard is it to still focus on the product?
Davis: There are fewer resources, to be sure, but to me radio is about emotion and evoking feelings in others. You don’t have to do those things, but I don’t know that you can truly be great if you’re not making a difference. As for role of the PD, it can become solely a manager unless you keep priorities in mind. Listeners want to love you – give them a reason. Talent want a leader – give them a reason to believe you’re [that] in a real genuine way. And corporate wants to know you have a plan – share with them.
Ross: How are you feeling about the state of Top 40 radio now?
Davis: Our target age when I started was a 24-year-old female. I would worry when ratings came back and it had inched up to 26. We would target 18-24 [knowing that] even the upper end comes to you to feel young. Now the average age of a CHR listener is 40-plus. The way out is original content. Under-30 can get music in a lot of places. They will give you repeat occasions vertically and horizontally for unique compelling content.
Variety in texture, tempo and genre make the format exciting. Rock, pop, dance, hip-hop, country – we’ve played them all. Our goal is always to fill the largest available hole. That said, we are still searching for a regular rhythm of new hits, and when we do get them it feels at times like a different slice of the same pie. But it’s improving … Oh, and I love Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
Ross: How are you feeling about the relationship with the labels now? From here, it sometimes looks like labels and radio are out of business.
Davis: This one makes me LOL, because I wasn’t always the best at label relations early in my career. I can only speak from what I see at iHeart. Labels and companies still work very closely together, just in a different way. Mark Adams, Dylan Sprague, Tom Poleman and Allisa Pollack do a tremendous job of working with labels to expose new music that’s right for our brands. The days of cattle call visits are over, but the cooperation isn’t.
Ross: What are your thoughts on what you’d like to do next and where?
Davis: For the first time in forever, I’m not sure what’s next and that’s OK with me. I feel I have a lot to offer when I find a match, and that comes with no regrets, no hard feelings and a lot that I’m proud of.
I was still programming KISS day to day and providing oversight for Mix, Star, Eagle, Lonestar and our AM, KFXR.
Davis can be reached here. A list of all those affected by the iHeart layoffs can be found here. Radioinsight is committed to helping those caught up in industry consolidation with its recently launched job board.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com