Get to know Jason Janc

Subject:

Comments:
: Jason Janc : PD/Middays : Station: KRXP : Market: Colorado Springs : Company: Bahakel Communications : Born: Chicago, IL 10/17/1970 : Raised: Arlington Heights (Northwest suburb of Chicago) : : All Access 10 Questions with ... Jason Janc : Oct 27, 2009 : BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: : Started in 1988 at college radio station KQAL in Winona, MN. Successfully demonstrated that I can "pot" down a Van Halen tune and then "pot" up The Cult. Worked for WZND (Illinois State University), WJBC (full-service AM in Bloomington, IL), WWCT in Peoria, IL (Thank you, Hirsch-Dog and Markley) and moved to Colorado Springs for a job with Bahakel Communications and KILO. Launched new Classic Hit station, KYZX with the same company. Switched call letters and formats nine years later to KRXP. : LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB: : I had a job at a phone center in college asking for donations for The Illinois Police Association. Not even sure such an organization really existed, and especially had my doubts after it was shut down for illegal operations. : FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED: : "Borrowed" a lot from my older brothers, but the first I actually bought might have been the Gene Simmons record when all four members of KISS released their solo albums. : FIRST CONCERT: : Def Leppard and Europe at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI...same venue Stevie Ray Vaughan played his final show. : FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME: : Led Zeppelin and Soulpaint (Aaron Zytle's bar band from the 90's...although I'm more of a fan of just the pictures of the band). : 1. How did you become interested in radio? : I grew up listening to some of the absolute best stations and jocks in Chicago. WLS, WLUP, WMET, WCKG, Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards, John Records Landecker, Steve Dahl, Gary Meier, Jonathon Brandmeier, Buzz Killman, Kevin Matthews, Bob Stroud, Bobby Skafish and the great Patti Haze. : 2. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid? : All four of the above stations. Some were "blown up" but the jocks always resurfaced somewhere in the market. It was as much about the personalities for me as it was the music. : 3. Why did the station recently shift to Alternative? : There was simply a void in the market for Alternative rock. We have the advantage of working with our sister station KILO, which has 31 years of history in Colorado Springs. We kind of pick up where they leave off. The KILO listeners are some of the most loyal I have ever seen. Some of those listeners who were rockin' with KILO since the beginning (and a lot of them still are) might have seen their taste in music adjust a bit. : We came along at a time when listeners were looking for an Alternative station, or at least looking for something new without even knowing exactly what it was they wanted. Plus, with AAA KBCO and Alternative KTCL being as big as they are and so close, they have introduced our market to some diverse bands over the years...and have kept them relevant. We are able to sprinkle a few of those titles into our playlist without them sounding out of place. : 4. How would you describe the music and imaging on the station? : We have the rock staples from the '90s and '00s --.bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers -- that three or four stations in the market could all be playing. But no one in Colorado Springs had surrounded those bands with a steady dose of 311, Weezer, Social Distortion, Blink 182, Paramore, The Killers and the Beastie Boys together on one station. : There's a nice mix between those artists and some great new bands that are making some serious noise. With this demo, the new rock is a refreshing addition to some of the more familiar titles. It gives the listener something to look forward to and feel like they're part of what is current with rock and pop culture. : Along with my APD Aaron Zytle, we have definitely fine-tuned our playlist from where we were in October. Having a record as big as "Only By The Night" from Kings of Leon, for example, and being the first (and at the time, the only) station playing them was a huge advantage. Something new that turns out to be that big gives you credibility and lends itself to taking a few chances. : With the imaging, we want to sound slick without having to use too many drops. The creativity comes in the message and the delivery. From the beginning we were leaning toward a female voice and got the best in Jennifer Vaughn. : 5. What makes the KRXP unique? : First and foremost, we're unique because of Bahakel Communications. We're a 70 year-old company who allows us the latitude to serve our listeners, our advertisers, and community involvement. Plus, there's still that commitment to its employees. We're live, with no syndicated dayparts. The personal relationship with the listener has been lost over the last few years. Having the luxury of talking with the listeners every day, especially with a new station, is a huge factor in building loyalty. We have numerous benchmarks in every daypart and wouldn't be able to execute them effectively if we weren't live. Reaching out to the market with our new rock feature "The Daily Special" allows us the opportunity to get instant, accurate feedback directly from the listener. And, they get a sense of truly being a part of what we do and what they want in their favorite radio station. : Plus, we have an incredibly creative promotions department and an outstanding sales staff that can help us get our ideas off the ground. (Yes, a compliment for the account executives!) I don't see how any promotion can truly be successful without that personal connection with the listener, both on the air and on the streets. : 6. What is your biggest challenge with the station? : I'm trying not to share too many titles with KILO. After 31 years, you have to respect what they have established. You're very cognizant of not doing anything that you think is going to erode their position. And at the same time, I have seen stations go title-for-title with them and fall considerably short and fade away. : 7. What part of your job do you like best? Least? : I like the fact that after 20+ years, it still doesn't feel like work. You'll always have the deadlines, responsibilities and obligations but it has never felt like work. A lot of that has to do with the people you work with and the company you work for. We're fortunate to work for a company like Bahakel Communications that maintains it's commitment to the community, its employees, and the importance of staying live and local. Plus, I'm still doing the one thing that I wanted to do since I was 10 years old. : Least? Has to be working with Aaron Zytle. : 8. What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you? : That every spring I still believe that this is the year for the Chicago Cubs. : 9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________? : Hearing that this is not the year for the Cubs. Really, I need to get my sports fix at some point each day -- scores, stories, and highlights. : 10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry? : I've always said that if you enjoy what you do, you never have to work a single day for the rest of your life. So I feel fortunate to be doing what I'm doing now, but if not radio, something sports-related where I can still wear jeans and a t-shirt to work. : Bonus Questions : What are your hobbies? : I like to golf, play softball, and any time I can get for a night out with my wife. But with a five-year old and a two-year old at home, it's hard to find the time.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

Enter verification code: