Twenty one years ago, an aspiring comedian in Los Angeles got his first taste of the radio business. He hasn’t looked back since. Dave Tepper caught the bug listening to Howard Stern, and over the years worked as an on-air performer before choosing to move behind the scenes and explore a career as a programmer. His travels have taken him from L.A. to Austin, Houston, Omaha and Denver, and during this 35+ minute chat, he shares his career story as well as his thoughts on managing talent and building winning brands.
SUBJECTS COVERED WITH DAVE:
- Who he first listened to that made him interested in radio
- The horror story of moving from California to Texas
- Being thrown into the sports radio fire in Austin
- Landing a job in Houston and learning programming
- Adjusting from working for Cumulus to Gow Media
- Developing the right identity for ESPN 97.5
- Why he chose to move from Houston to Omaha
- How he handles watching a former station make changes
- The letter grade he’d give Altitude 92.5 for its last year of progress
- Why brands generate strong TSL and how to increase cume
- Sports radio programmers he has a high opinion of
- Quick Hits: Hardest part of running a sports radio station, Difference between a good and great GM, The quality that matters most in on-air talent, one programming move he wishes he could have back.
FROM THE GUEST:
Dave’s Twitter handle: @DaveJTepper
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
