Mike O’Brian is Program Director and morning show co-host at Beasley’s Classic Hits KKLZ, Las Vegas.

O’Brian has spent 40 years in Las Vegas Radio, the past 30 in mornings at KKLZ. The station will celebrate 40 years as KKLZ next January 1.

I asked O’Brian about KKLZ’s continued success and the nationwide popularity of the Classic Hits format.

“Classic Hits is a vibrant format right now and has been for a while because it spans a pretty good spectrum when you talk about age, and I think it’s one station or one format that both males and females really can agree on. With KKLZ, I don’t think it’s any secret; we lean a bit more rock than maybe a Classic Hits station back east, which might be a bit more rhythmic.”

Presentation plays an essential part in the successful formula.

“We don’t want to be referred to as an Oldies station. With our music, our brand, with our presentation, not only of the music and the imaging but even with the jocks, we lean more toward a Top 40/Hot AC presentation, which gives KKLZ a more fun format to listen to. We don’t reference the years unless it’s a specialty program, the 80s at 8, American Top 40 that we still air on Sunday morning, the 80s version, or something along that line, the top three at seven each weeknight.”

I asked O’Brian if he agreed that the music was comfortable and took people to a time that might have been simpler and less divided.

“It sounds corny, but it makes you feel good. You know all the words to every song. And nine times out of 10, most people will say or think, man, I remember seeing these guys in concert. And I remember who I was with, what we were doing, how we got our tickets, that whole thing. And there’s something to be said for that if it’s done correctly and done well.” 

O’Brian says eople who grew up in Las Vegas tend to have a unique way of getting to know one another, and that plays right into KKLZ’s wheelhouse.

“In Vegas, the first thing you ask somebody is, where’d you go to High School? And it all reverts back to High School. What memories do you have from high school? What songs were you listening to, especially in that MTV decade of the eighties?”

“And everybody will tell you, ‘I went to Clark,’ ‘I went to Valley,’ and ‘I went to Bonanza.’ What year did you graduate?”

“Whether it be 81 through 89, they can tell you what songs they were listening to. They can tell you who they were dating, where they were going, what bonfires they went to on the edge of town. They were having fun. It just generates that memory bank, and it puts everybody in a good place.”

The station talent is the bond that orchestrates the whole thing.

“I’ll tell you, Jeff, when I took over, we set up a bunch of guidelines and sold it to the people that the station, the brand is the most important thing. If the brand wins, if the radio station wins, we all win.”

“It is not the case that when the morning shows on, we get to do everything differently. And then when the midday person comes on, they get to do their own show. And when afternoons is on, they get to do their whole shtick. Because what ends up happening is you have, between mornings, middays, afternoons, and nights, four different radio stations.”

“At KKLZ, we have this philosophy that the radio station is the star. The jocks are here just to compliment it in any way, shape, or form. We do not schedule music or imaging or anything else to that of the jocks, much more so the radio station. And the jocks are just the icing on the cake. And as we continue with this format, it’s proven to be a winning formula.”

O’Brian is one-half of the “Mike & Carla Show,” a team that brings together a radio guy and a standup comedian.

“She has opened up for some big people. Most recently, Kathleen Madigan at The Mirage. She has had her own special. She’s been on Conan. So, her career path was a comedian. So we’d have her on. And then we had a chance to hire somebody to join our morning show. And I thought she would be a great addition.”

“When we first got together, we talked about who’s doing what. What role am I, what role is she? And we planned everything out, what kind of show we wanted to do. And put all that out on the table; I’m not the brightest guy, but I know who’s the funny one.”

“We just have the same sense of humor. We have the same thought process. I think there’s a mutual respect. We know each other’s boundaries. And I think that’s very important, not only to us but to any morning show, to know who you’re working with, to know what’s allowed, to know how far you can go.”

On a more technical point, I asked O’Brian his thoughts on Nielsen’s New 3-minute qualifier.

“There are two ways to look at it. If we’re waiting for Nielsen to get it right, I don’t know how much longer we wait. I think for us we have to look at it from a different perspective because we’re the ones being chased. In other words, the other stations are trying to catch us.”

“We’re going to see how January shakes out. We’ll see how things pan out. And if we need to make an adjustment, we will. But I know Nielsen has been trying a few different things to make sure they’re as accurate as they can be. So we’ll see, like everybody else.

O’Brian credited his staff with the continued dominance of KKLZ.

“We have a great staff—Morty’s our producer. Wendy Rush, our midday girl, is also scheduling all the music. Larry Martino, after 24 years and 17 years of doing afternoons on KKLZ, retired. Imagine that the first new afternoon guy in all that time. Gino Knight is our afternoon guy. And in this day and age when you have to do this, Tate South is our night guy, and he’s also the production director.” 

“Everybody’s committed to making our radio station successful. And that’s the most important thing: everybody I just mentioned to you has this commitment, this level of excellence, to make sure our station sounds the best.”

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