Many years ago, at the start of my career, I worked as night host and Promotions Director for a station. The Program Director was David Moore, currently the Operations Manager/Brand Content Director at Hubbard’s Phoenix cluster, where he oversees three stations, including Classic Rock KSLX and Alternative KDKB.
Being new in the business, managing multiple jobs, and living alone in a strange city, I sometimes felt overwhelmed. Moore would sit me down in his office. In his always gentle way, he would say, “Stern, get some perspective!” His words would snap me back to reality, and we would press on.
Across the width of his career, Ken Anthony has done just that. He has perspective. The roles he has held give him a unique viewpoint very few people in our business have. He spent more than a decade as the Rock Editor at All Access. He also ran his own consulting company. His on-air and programming experience dates back to playing actual vinyl. He has seen a lot in the industry.
The best part is, unlike so many people in the industry, he isn’t jaded. “My first love is still radio, actually being on the radio.”
Even while he was at All Access, Anthony couldn’t put his headphones down, doing weekends at KLOS in Los Angeles and KSAN in San Francisco. “I was able to get my radio fix and still get the broader worldview that came with All Access. It was best of both worlds,” he said.
That gave him a macro view of the industry, tempered with an understanding of what the people in the studio were experiencing.
Just months after All Access closed, Anthony was quickly picked up by Audacy as he joined Classic Rock KSEG 96.9 The Eagle in Sacramento as Assistant Brand Manager and afternoon drive host.
He likens it to being a former coach who had moved into the broadcast booth. “At the very end of the day, what’s still in their heart is to get back to coaching, back in the game instead of being on the outside,” said Anthony.
Returning to full-time work at a station, many skills came back quickly. The biggest difference was producing content six days a week instead of two.
“That’s a lot of content holes you have to fill.” While he doesn’t pretend to be a personality who transcends the station, he describes his approach as well-rounded. “I’m one of those guys that blend a little bit of pop culture, real life and music,” says Anthony.
That fits well with the Eagle’s overall position in the market. While sister station 98 Rock has always been very personality-forward, the Eagle, which recently celebrated 35 years on the air, has been more about the music.
“There’s nothing over the top in terms of our delivery. We’re just trying to be warm and friendly, and it works. It just blows me away when I see the numbers every week,” says Anthony.
Even after three and a half decades, Anthony says he isn’t worried about the future of Classic Rock like some people in the industry are.
“Classic Rock has its standard 35 to 64 year old audience, but you would not believe how many times I get listeners in their 20s or 30s who are just discovering this music. So, in a way, Classic Rock, because the music is so great, has the ability to grow a new audience,” he noted.
With his vast experience, Anthony’s perspective is not limited to Classic Rock. At All Access, he was also deeply involved in Active Rock. He sees challenges for the format, starting with the lack of a cohesive, impactful music movement.
“There was the British Invasion of the ‘sixties, AOR in the ‘seventies, hair bands in the ‘eighties and Grunge in the ‘90s, but there really hasn’t been a movement since 2000,” said Anthony.
He goes on to explain that a movement is more than just a band or a few songs.
“It’s something that people outside the movement become curious about and want to jump in and be part of. There was a lifestyle component to all those movements, and since 2000, I don’t know if there’s been one,” Anthony explained.
What’s tougher to discern is whether there will ever be another movement that propels Rock forward the way the British Invasion or Grunge did in their times. “There’s so much to consume today,” explains Anthony.
With so many sources for music, plus millions of podcasts and websites, he believes how people find and consume content may hinder another movement from forming.
His recipe for the future of Active Rock radio has two main ingredients. The first is maintaining passion for new music.
“You need to set a new song up like it’s the next great Beatles song. You have to show your excitement for it and then let the audience decide,” says Anthony.
The second part is compelling personalities. “I think if you rely just on the music, when there’s so much new stuff that doesn’t turn on mainstream people, that could get you in trouble.”
While the Eagle is an exception with a stronger music focus, he believes most Classic Rock stations rely on personality. This is even more true for Active Rock stations.
“You have to have either the killer morning show or the guy that’s been on the afternoon forever who moves the ratings needle when the music is not necessarily going to carry you,” he noted.
He believes the industry has a bright future. However, he worries about where the next generation of talent will come from. Many people have lost their jobs due to cutbacks.
“I have been very, very fortunate to have a long career in this business,” Anthony says, but he realizes not everyone has been so lucky and that it can be difficult for people. He explained, “What ends up happening is people lose their job and their identity at the same time.”
His advice is to try and separate the two. “Remember, you didn’t lose yourself, you just lost a job. Don’t beat yourself up. It happens.” Most importantly, he stresses, “You are not Ken Anthony from the Eagle. You’re Ken, whatever your real name is. You have to keep that perspective.”
Just like Moore used to tell me all those years ago.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
