Keith Hastings is the Director of Brand and Content For Hubbard Broadcasting’s 97.1/96.9 The Drive, Chicago.
Hastings landed the top spot on Barrett Media’s Top 20 Classic Rock Program Directors.
“It was kind of a surprise to me. Given the market size and everything, I figured I’d be on there. I was like, wow, okay, I’ll take it. I was happy to see the morning show and Bob Stroud do so well. Because without those guys, I don’t exist.”
The Drive is made up of market veterans, with Sherman and Tingle leading the way in the morning drive.
“These guys do a very good job of keeping their finger on the pulse of the market, extremely local, very funny. And just are a great piece of the radio station. They are ready, willing, and able to do pretty much what’s ever asked of them. They’re very often the first people in the building and the last people to leave. They’re the hardest working show that you’re going to see. Really dedicated to their craft and to their quest for great ratings and making us number one.”
Hastings joined the station three years ago, and I asked how he approached a station made up of market veterans, one that was already successful and didn’t need a rebuild.
“I would argue that it’s always a rebuilding project. Because with legacy radio stations and a Classic Rock format, you’re always challenged with the ability to keep the format and the brand relevant to an audience that advertisers seek.”
“It’s no secret that Classic Rock has those challenges. And so I really just looked at it from day one as how am I going to do that with this fantastic brand? While still being very respectful of the brand and very respectful of the brand’s place in the market and the brand’s place in the hearts of the upper demos.”
Hastings said that the station’s listeners have no problem making their voices known if he does something they don’t like.
“This is a radio station with very rabid P1s. They very much feel a stake of ownership in the brand. And I’m very lucky to have that. If you make any adjustments that ruffle their feathers, they are right there to let you know. And that’s a great thing. It also pressures a programmer to know when to make the right judgment calls to continue to develop the radio station so that it’s relevant in another year, three years, five years, or 10 years. It’s always a moving target.”
Part of keeping Classic Rock relevant is introducing and including 90s titles. Making them sonically fit can be tricky.
“That was one of the big things that I just embraced coming in here, having worked in all rock formats, alternative, mainstream, active and classic. Then, talking to the audience and figuring out what songs work and what songs work together.”
“Then, think through it carefully, surround it with the right imagery, and have the courage and strength to move forward with it. Because, especially with a legacy brand with a lot of upper-end P1s, they’ll let you know when they don’t like something. Like I said before, not all of them like it. But in this day and age, it’s foolish for a Classic Rock station that wants to exist in a meaningful way in the next decade to ignore 90s music.”
Classic Rock is still a format where regionality can come into play, with great midwestern bands like Styx, Cheap Trick, and REO Speedwagon holding a special place in the listener’s heart.
“Most of my programming career has been in the Midwest. And so I didn’t have to do a lot of homework coming in here. Plus, it’s just the market of Chicago. There are certain bands and certain acts that you can play the label from and people will love it.”
“It goes deeper for the Drive brand because we’ve got legacy air staff members who were here when the stuff was brand new. They can tell you what the turntable hits are and about the stuff that may have been top ten elsewhere but didn’t necessarily catch on here. Those aren’t things you can pick up necessarily in a research project. So, it’s very valuable.”
Regarding AI, Hastings says they are moving carefully.
“We’re being cautious and careful and taking steps probably slower than some would think we are. And yet, it’s so just pervasive in the world that to ignore it really doesn’t make sense. We find where we can apply it internally from an operational standpoint, and it saves us time but does not degrade the product in any way, shape, or form. We’re on board with that.”
I asked what he sees as the skill set needed to be a great Program Director.
“It’s almost cliche to say that the job has changed so much, but it really has. And you still have to have all of those basics. But you also have to really have a sense of wonder and a sense of curiosity to be able to look at things completely differently.”
“I’m working with some podcasters within our company. And I very much take the attitude that I can learn as much from them as they can learn from me. I take the attitude that I don’t know what I don’t know sometimes because I’m always learning.”
“I’m always growing. I’m always looking to the future and looking towards growth. I think that’s such a huge part of being a programmer right now. But I also don’t and have never believed that you can do those things while ignoring the basics. You still have to know where to play the hits. You still have to know how to build a clock.”
And for Hastings, knowing the personality of your staff plays a big part in it.
“Knowing your team and knowing your players and knowing that each person on your staff reacts differently and requires different care and handling. I think management of creative and driven people, knowing how to do that with a sometimes soft touch and sometimes hard touch. You have to develop that over the course of your career, especially when you’re first starting out, because usually in these situations, and I know this was the case for me, I didn’t become a programmer because I was a great manager. I became a programmer because, at age 24, I was the guy who was never late, showed up on time, and worked hard. So, a lot of the learning is on the fly.”
Not surprisingly, landing at The Drive is a dream come true for Hastings.
“I’ve had such a wonderful, amazing career. It’s really an honor to have wound up here. It’s a dream come true. It’s where I want to be. I’m doing what I want to do. I’m doing it for a wonderful company in Hubbard.”
“I cannot say enough good things about Hubbard Broadcasting, both on a corporate staff level and a local level. If I did not have them and a really wonderful team, most of whom were here when I walked into the building, then you’re not talking to me today because I’m not on this list.”
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
