When you think of the largest cities in America, Portland doesn’t typically enter the conversation. But if you work in the sports radio industry, you can’t help but recognize and appreciate the role it’s played in the development of some of the best talent our business has to offer.
The most famous example that I’m sure you’ve heard of is Colin Cowherd but many other tremendous talents have also called Portland home while en route to having success in other larger markets.
For example, John Lund at 95.7 The Game, Gavin Dawson at 105.3 The Fan, Ian Furness at KJR, Scott Masteller (PD) at ESPN Radio, Allan Davis (PD) at WGR and Dennis Glasgow (PD) at 99.9 The Fan are just a few who have spent time honing their craft in “rip city”.
Fast forward to today and the city is still called home by some very talented sports radio folks including John Canzano, Jeff Austin, Isaac Ropp & Jason Sucanek and while the city itself may have a small town feel, the passion for sports remains huge.
All you had to do this past year was turn on your television and watch one Trail Blazers or Ducks game and you could instantly see and feel the energy and excitement. Here’s a video clip which will give you a good idea of how loud Portland Trail Blazers fans can be and why visiting teams call the Rose Garden one of the loudest arenas in the entire NBA.
Well for this weeks personality profile I thought I’d shed some light on someone who has spent the past 20+ years calling Portland home and truly understands the pulse of the Portland sports scene. That individual is Chad Doing.
When you listen to Chad host a talk show, you can’t help but like him. He comes across as a genuine guy who truly loves sports but more importantly, you can sense that he loves to connect with his audience. At times you may even think he’s too generous or appreciative but that type of charm is what makes people root for him.
Chad is a high energy guy who sounds like he has the best job in the world and if you follow him on Twitter, you’ll see him constantly interacting and re-tweeting his fans. That type of relationship building means a lot to him and based on the responses I’ve seen, his audience appreciates that he’s accessible to them outside of his on-air program.
During the times I’ve caught his show I’ve also noticed that he’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, have some fun by having a laugh or two at his own expense (or his partners) and he’s willing to put his real life experiences on the air. As a matter of fact he closes his show with the line “Be a Blessing” which has special meaning to him as a result of some of the things he’s gone thru and overcome on a personal level. What I respect about that is that it makes him authentic with his audience. That’s a trait most listeners appreciate.
I recently had a chance to chat with Chad about the sports radio format, the twists and turns he’s gone through during his career and what he looks to accomplish when presenting his show to the audience and I found him to be very humble and a guy who really loves the process of creating sports talk radio.
Q: Growing up, who were some of the sports radio personalities you listened to?
A: I was first introduced to Sports Radio in 1994 here in Portland. I listened to local guys, Greg Robinson, Mike Parker, the current voice of the OSU Beavers, and Former Blazer, Kermit Washington. But my favorite to start was Bob Kemp. He was a national host for One on One sports. I was captivated by his information, intelligence, and dry-sense of humor. I still stream his show, he is a current host on the FAN 1060 in Phoenix.
Q: What was it about Jim Rome’s show that made you want to participate in his show?
A: When I first heard his show years ago, I loved his energy! He encouraged listener participation and challenged callers to add something to the program. I really enjoyed the creativity that many of the callers brought from around the nation, and wanted to take part. Looking back now, I really had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to have fun and hopefully give someone something to smile about.
Q: After calling in and gaining some local notoriety from it, how did that help you get your foot in the door to doing sports radio?
A: The exposure gave me a name people remembered locally which helped, and the participation on his show gave me a platform to show my creative side. I guess some of those moments during my calls were memorable. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but people still ask me about the calls and mention details that they remember.
Q: Since venturing into this industry, who have been some of the bigger influences to help you develop as a talent? How have they helped your career?
A: The biggest influence on my career without a doubt is one of your current hosts, John Lund. I worked with him in Portland at the Game for over a year. John was always gracious with his time. He had no ego, and was always willing to assist me with anything. I am still young in the business, but John has been around the country as a host and a programmer. John encouraged me to be myself, he taught he how to better prep for a show, and I admired how he always conducted himself with professionalism while having a lot of fun doing his job. I owe a lot to him.
John Phillips, who was part of a group that got sports radio started in Portland back in the early 90’s gave me my first shot in radio at KVAN in Vancouver, Washington covering high school sports. John was like a father to me. The best advice he gave me was just to have fun and be myself. He was a great host, but also did a great job of selling local sports to the community.
Q: What has been the most rewarding/difficult moment of your broadcasting career?
A: There have been many rewarding moments, but the one that stands out was my week-long trip to cover the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona when Oregon played Auburn. John Lund and I spent a week together in a hotel room working and covering the game and all things surrounding it. We had a small team that worked side by side for hours to provide content on-air, on-line, and in person at different events with people from Oregon. For the Duck fans who weren’t in Arizona, they were able to live vicariously through all of the content we provided them and that brought great satisfaction. I remember being exhausted at the end of the week, but the satisfaction of a job well done was intoxicating. I realized on that trip that you are only as good as the people around you, and we had some great people working on that trip.
The biggest challenge came when our station moved from the FM dial back to the AM dial. This change was not received well by the listeners. With time and a grassroots effort, we were able to spread the word of where people could find us, but anytime you make a major change like that it’s going to be difficult.
Q: When it comes to creating the content layout of your show, who’s involved in the process? How much time is spent on it before you hit the airwaves?
A: We have a small staff, so usually the content layout comes from me and the assistance of my producer. The time involved always seems to be the biggest challenge. My show is four-hours, so I don’t like to spend less than six-hours preparing for the program. That varies day to day based on how my interviews I am going to tape before the show and how many are going to be live. Depending on the topic, I will involve as many people in my building as I can. I love the creativity that comes from different minds in the business.
Q: How much time do you spend on the air discussing local stories vs. national stories in Portland? What’s the reasoning behind your approach?
A: The Alpha Group in Portland has always been committed to live and local radio, so the majority of time on the show is spent focusing on local topics. The Trailblazers are number one in this market and always will be. After the Blazers, the NFL is crucial especially with the emergence of the Seattle Seahawks. The North West is big on College Football with both the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. Portland is an interesting town. People who are from this area really love all things local. They love their food, they love their resources, and they love the teams that belong to them. This really works well when it comes to live and local talk. Of course there are those days when a national story will trump any local story, but those days are few in Portland.
Q: What determines for you whether or not something is an A+ topic or a quick mention inside of the show?
A: The wow-factor. If there is a topic we believe will provide that “wow moment” for the listener, we definitely want to run with it. The biggest struggle I find day to day is learning how to determine what story is that A+ story. Sometimes it’s obvious and jumps out at me and some days it does not.
Q: You’ve utilized Lance Zierlein out of Houston as a character on your show, how did that start? What type of response have those segments created?
A: I will never forget it. Back in 2010, I got a call from Travis Rodgers and he told me that he knew a guy who was the most talented person he had ever met in radio. Travis said the guy was going to leave me a voicemail, and that if I wanted him on the show, to call him and let him know. Well, that voicemail was from SEC Guy, one of Lance’s many Characters. SEC Guy was an instant hit in Portland. Aside from the rivalry that was building between the SEC and the PAC 10 at the time, Portland and the deep south are on opposite ends of the spectrum. That provided for great comedy!
After SEC Guy, Lance introduced me to Bernie the Wolf, Tony the Hatchet Man, Jerry Sloan on a Mobile, and Phillip Rivers on a Mobile. His characters are so real, and his whit is unmatched. He has a magic where people have to listen because they don’t know what is going to happen, and they can’t wait to hear what he is going to say next. The best part about my interaction with Lance and his characters, none of it is scripted. He never knows what I’m going to ask, and his responses are always spontaneous. I think Lance and I click because we understand one another. I was born in Tulsa, and lived a number of years in Oklahoma. I understand that region very well, so I feel like I can relate and understand where he is coming from. Lance is the most talented person I have ever come across in the business!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxef8MJuzew
Q: As an on-air talent, do you enjoy interviewing big name guests on your show or do you prefer to stay away from them? Why?
A: I enjoy interviewing big-named guests, but I have learned that there are a lot of people with a great story who can make compelling radio.
Q: You’ve worked in a team show environment and now as a solo host, which do you prefer and why? What makes each situation different from a preparation standpoint?
A: I enjoy a solo-show because I can follow my vision, but the challenge I face day to day is creating content for four-hours. I am just one-mind, and on those days when my mind isn’t popping with creativity, I wish I had other guys to bounce ideas off of. I really enjoy having a team for developing topics, coming up with the right questions, and all the different views and opinions that each individual brings to the table. I find the biggest challenge in hosting a team show comes from developing that feel for your guys. Knowing when to get the right person involved, knowing when to move on from a topic, or when to stay. That feel for the show and your team is something that just takes time to develop. I would say that when you have a team to share in your successes with, it always seems to be more rewarding than something you accomplish alone.
Q: You’re extremely active on Twitter, often re-tweeting responses from your fans – why do you believe that approach is important?
A: I think talk radio is very personal from the standpoint that people invite you into their home, car, or business on a daily basis, so if they take time to reach out to me I want to make sure I take the time to respond. I want the listeners to know that I appreciate their support, and that without them, I would be nothing. Twitter and other forms of social media is a great avenue for me to connect with people and create relationships with them. In my mind, Talk Radio is really just a matter of creating relationships. I really do enjoy the opportunity to meet people who support my show and the station.
Q: How often do you review the pros and cons of your show and who’s involved in that feedback process?
A: I have done some work with a consultant we have with our radio group, but I wish I had more time with him. He has been very helpful. When one on one focus isn’t available, I have a few guys with years of experience I spend time with discussing the show and listening to their feedback. I have always taken the approach that there are a lot of brilliant people in the business I can learn from, so I am always willing to listen. I crave feedback and coaching and always desire more.
Q: If I asked a Portland Sports Radio listener to describe you using 3 key words, what would they say?
A: Genuine, Passionate, Energetic
Q: Going forward, what goals do you hope to accomplish as a sports radio personality?
A: My goal is to take one day at a time, be coachable, and have fun each and everyday doing what I love. My biggest desire is to the best personality I can be with the talents I have been blessed with.
Chad Doing can be heard weekday afternoons from 3p-7p on 750 The Game in Portland. You can also follow him on Twitter @ChadInPortland
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
