The Josh Innes Show - Applying For Radio Gigs

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

A damn near perfect job has opened up in Houston. The Eagle, a classic rock station in Houston, needs a morning show host. I've got the job posting and I'm going to read to you the details of what they are looking for. You tell me if you think I'm a fit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, friends! What's going on? It is Monday, close to 11 o'clock. It's going to snow in St. Louis here in the next day. It snowed over the weekend a little bit, not a lot. You're probably getting sick of hearing my snow updates. You're like, please stop giving updates about snow. Deal with it. I know there are people who live in places that it snows a lot. There are people that live in places that it never snows. And they say, oh, I'd love to see snow.

Of course you'd love to see snow, because you don't have to live in it. It snows in your town, and it's there for a day, and then it's gone. We may get four, five, six inches of snow tomorrow, and at that point, I may just end it. So if you never hear the podcast again after Tuesday, just know that it probably snowed six or seven inches,

and I have departed this earth. just know that it probably snowed six or seven inches and I have departed this earth. Just know that. I love you guys, but I can't handle the snow. That's why I'm trying to get the fuck out of here. We've talked about it. So this radio station, The Eagle in Houston, which is a classic rock station, it's 106, nine and 107, five. Um, they're both big sticks, but the, the location of the transmitter, the, the, the sticks are in weird places. So it's a dual signal, but it's, it's pretty powerful radio station, but it's classic rock station in Houston. And, uh, they do pretty well. They fired their morning show that had been there forever. It's called Dean and Raj.

I never thought it was particularly good. I didn't listen to a ton of it, but it was the typical kind of shit you'd think you'd hear on a classic rock morning show. Classic rock morning shows have a typical sound about them and it's just like two kind of older-ish white dudes and here's some prank phone calls. It's basic shit that you hear on classic rock

and that's what I tried to change when I was doing mornings in Nashville and perhaps that is why I did so well in Nashville but um I think that that's kind of a new sound and a new thing it's not like a new innovation it's just stop sounding fucking old there's idea. You're already in a format where the music is old. Don't sound old on the radio. Right. And that's kind of like my approach to doing classic rock. And, um, you know, as we've talked about, like talking is my passion. My passion is not playing music, but if the playing the music is the way to get to talking, then I'm here for it. But like, that's my problem with classic rock radio. That's the problem with the radio station I worked for in St. Louis. Everything was old. The music was old. The listeners were old. The references were old.

It was all remember when bullshit. And I believe that you need to move forward. You tell people to get ratings. Here's how radio works. The target demographic for most radio stations is persons between the ages of 25 and 54. Now, in certain formats, they change the target a little bit. For instance, in sports radio in a lot of cities, the target is men 25, 54. In every city, they want to dominate men 25, 54, but a lot of people are bonused in persons 25, 54. So like when I was doing sports, now, when I did sports at 610 in Houston, I was bonused on men 25, 54. My bonus wasn't very big.

Like if we had a decent number, I would get like $1,000 or something. It wasn't like a gigantic bonus. Now, I had enormous bonuses when I was at 790. The contract I had was bonkers. I didn't deserve the bonuses I got, but it was in my contract like I was getting like 15 20 000 ratings bonuses for a show that was you know number one among

sports stations but was also you know like 20th in the market so I was stealing that and Jilly told me when I was making that she was like listen they're going to fire you at some point because you make way too much money and I'm like oh, oh, no, I won't do that. And then, of course, they fired me because jelly nose. But, like, basically, persons 2554 is the target demographic you're going for. So when I had the job here in St. Louis, it was like, you need to get the persons 2554 audience. We need those people. Yet they didn't do anything to try to assure that we could get the person's

2554 audience. And therein lied the rub. Therein lied the problem was that basically we were running a radio station that was designed for 75 year old people. And they were telling me dip shit Josh to try to bring in younger people, which there, there were stretches. We did like our numbers for men, 18 to 34 persons 18 to 34, they're very big. We had 18 to 49 numbers that were pretty good, but we couldn't get the persons 25, 54, and apparently they're getting their fucking dicks knocked off right now, and I don't fucking feel bad for them. So look, your ratings stink, and it is what it is.

But all that said, I would like to get this job in Houston because I want to be back in Houston. I got buddies of mine who are in the business community there, have businesses and have cash, are telling me, dude, if you get back here, we'll invest in the podcast and we'll blow this fucking thing up. I've got the people in line. I've got the idea. I want the podcast to grow and be huge. It's just a matter of whether or not I can get back to Houston. And at this point, I'm not going to move back there without an actual job. So I'm not going to move back and say, hey, we're just going to give the podcast a full on go. I need to have a couple extra bucks coming my way to pay the bills. And then we'll go

from there and blow up the podcast that way. So I have applied for that job. They officially posted the job. I have reenlisted the services of my agent to try to help me get this job. I want the gig. I think I'd have to work with Outlaw Dave who's been in the market forever. I don't care. I'll work with anybody.

I don't care. I just want to get back to Texas. I want to get to Houston. Want to get a place out in the fucking burbs. Get my smoker rolling and do a fucking great podcast and do a great morning show. That's what I want to get to Houston, want to get a place out in the fucking burbs, get my smoker rolling, and do a fucking great podcast and do a great morning show. That's what I want to fucking do. And if it means I have to work with someone I don't know, that's how it's always been.

Unless it was Jim and Jilly, I didn't know the people I was doing a show with when I started doing it with them. And all of those shows were pretty fucking successful. So I don't care who I have to work with. I don't care who I have to work for. I just want to get my ass back to Texas. That is the goal. That is the dream. I want to live in Texas. I'm tired of this fucking snow. I was talking to a buddy of mine. He's like, well, you know, it's cold in Houston today. Oh, fuck off. It's like 10 degrees here in St. Louis and it's going to snow five inches tomorrow. I'm sorry that it's 25, 30, 35 degrees in Houston and you're struggling today. I want to get back there. That is the ambition. That is the goal.

And this job opening, I have applied for it. The second I saw it, you want to talk about a psycho? I applied for the job. I kept going to the website waiting because I knew the job was eventually going to be posted. At like midnight on Friday, I saw that it was posted. I'm like, fuck it. Let's go. I want the gig. And if you read the qualifications, hold on, let me play a few commercials,

and then I'll read you this job posting. Like, it's funny when you read job postings, and you're like, well, that's exactly me. Then how could I not get the job? But let's play a couple commercials, and we'll continue. All right, if you're ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs you got to check out pick six from draft kings when it comes to basketball payouts draft kings pick six posterizes the competition including prize picks it's a very simple concept hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on pick six plus even more cash if you outscore the

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Let's see. Radio One, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to waste your time there. All right. KGLK is seeking an energetic, check, charismatic, I mean, I'm oozing charisma, and highly engaging morning talk show co-host to join our Houston team. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic personality who can connect with our diverse audience, drive conversation, and deliver compelling content that resonates across multiple platforms. The ideal candidate will bring passion, I've got that, humor, I've got that tenfold, and authenticity. Well, I'm a pretty authentic guy, aren't I? While balancing entertainment, news, and community engagement.

Here are the essential responsibilities to be the morning talk show co-host at this radio station. Deliver an engaging high-energy morning show with a natural ability to entertain, inform, and interact with listeners in a compelling and authentic manner. Well, I think I've done that for about 20-something years. Collaborate with producers and co-hosts to develop and execute well-structured, dynamic daily show rundowns that include trending topics. Listen, I don't really do show rundowns. I've never been a show rundown guy. I have a legal pad. I write down a couple of things that I think are interesting.

I turn on the mic and I say, let's fucking go. Because if you're overproduced and overprepped, it'll sound overprepped. That's just something I've always hated. And that's something that people I've worked with have hated about me, which I guess is sort of a downfall. If some people don't like that I was kind of, they would say not prepared. I just prepare in my brain. I don't know how to put it out on paper and say blank, blank, and blank. It's in my head. It goes to the microphone. It comes out of my mouth into the microphone and we go. But these are all things that sound like me, right? Utilize industry

standard software like Adobe Audition. Pro tools are similar to edit, enhance, show segments. Well, I can do that. Operate professional radio broadcasting equipment, including digital control boards, microphones, phone systems, and remote broadcast technology like Comrex, Vox Pro, Wide Orbit, NextGen are similar. Done all that. I've run the board the last two plays as I've been, so I think I can handle that. I just love these breakdowns. Seamlessly deliver live segments while managing ad libs. Like, ad lib? The whole fucking thing's an ad lib.

Who comes into this and like, hey, here's the script. Pre-recorded promos and sponsorship integrations to maintain a professional and polished on-air presence. Well, you could argue I'm not very polished, but that's deliberate. That's on purpose. If I wanted to sound super polished and sound like slick radio dish jockey guy, I very well could, but it doesn't interest me. Develop and execute a content strategy across multiple platforms, including posting real-time show highlights. And that's the other thing that these classic rock stations do horribly, terribly, is they're not active in what they do on social media. Everything is just a promotion like,

hey, listen at 2 o'clock to win the Paul McCartney tribute band tickets. And you're like, no, be active. We were active on the radio station social media here at Casey. We were posting videos. Now it's kind of back to whatever the fuck it is they're doing there. But we were doing some stuff and it was cool. And this is just common sense. Engaging with listeners on social media like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook X, and producing

additional digital content like podcasts and blog posts. Engage with listeners via phone calls, texts, and social media. I'll tell you who doesn't engage with people on text or phone calls, classic rock radio stations. They don't give a fuck. That's what I'm trying to help you do. You're asking for people to do common radio shit that is never heard on classic rock because classic rock is nothing but old fucking people and it's time to move it forward. That's why we were doing so well like they should ask like how is our radio station in nashville doing so well with a dude who's in his i guess is jonathan now in his late 30s early 40s guess he's in his early 40s a program director that's a top 40 program director

has a top rated classic rock station how oh i don't know we're doing bits like rubbing your fucking clam for Pearl Jam tickets and shit. Shit that's ear candy. People hear and they go, holy shit, this is kind of cool. Engaging on social media. That's what gets it. How could I not explain this to these people? I'm reading this breakdown of the requirements for this job and I'm like, hello, I'll be there tomorrow and we'll kill, we'll slay. Represent the station at promotional events, live, remote broadcast, client engagements, and community functions. That's easy.

Work with the sales team to develop creative and engaging branded content. Can do that. Adhere to FCC regulations. Well, I think I've done that for the most part. I've never gotten a fine. So there. You might find me offensive, but there's never been like a million dollar FCC fine or anything. So there's that.

Let's see. Ability to work effectively with co-hosts, producers, station leadership, and sales team to ensure successful execution. I can do that. I just love shit like this. Ability to handle live unscripted moments smoothly and respond to breaking news or unexpected situations with professionalism. Well, I'm a talk show host, so I've been able to do that. Minimum of three

plus years on air hosting experience, preferably in a morning or drive time slot. Well, I mean, look, if that's the main experience you need. Strong understanding of Houston's local culture, news, music, and entertainment landscape is highly preferred. Like, how I'm not already there-ish is baffling. Like, this is what frustrates me about radio, right? Is I am the perfect guy to do this. I fit all of the fucking criteria. And the money's not even an issue.

I just want to get my ass back there. I got a podcast that's going to be big. I'm already making money on this podcast and real talk. I'm putting in 15% effort. I'm laying in my underwear, talking shit into a microphone, into a laptop. You want to tell me that my ass could like, like couldn't kill with the podcast there. I just need a job, get a little benefits. I could, but I don't want to make it sound like I wouldn't focus on a morning show because I would. I want to go to Houston and I want to fucking win. That is my town. Those are my people. That is my city. That is the culture. That is everything I love is there. And I have a message to send because I want to go to that station and compete against the, the, the, the I hearts that fired me or the odysseys that, that

won't, uh, that, that have their little shows in place and aren't interested in me. I want to kick their ass. You would think that's what matters. Here's what matters. Dude who, oh, by the way, has been successful in this format, a dude who's been successful in multiple formats, a dude that was syndicated into three different cities doing classic rock. Again, not a huge accomplishment in this day and age, but still, I was on in Detroit, I was on in Memphis, I was on in Nashville simultaneously. A guy who got a job at what was one of the biggest classic rock stations on the planet, turns out it's a fucking graveyard, but I went there. Guy who knows Houston, lived in Houston for a decade, worked on three Houston fucking radio stations, had rating success there, is a

known name in the market, has clients already telling me they will come spend money with me. How the fuck am I not the guy for that job? And then, oh, by the way, knows the market. Oh, by the way, has three plus years of experience in morning or afternoon drive. I've got it all. I don't have to sell you guys. We're best buds. So I don't have to sell you on it. best buds so I don't have to sell you on it I'm just letting you know what this grind is like and I know I sound I'm not angry I'm just because there's nothing happened yet it's not like I haven't gotten the job I will be angry if I don't get the job because it makes too much fucking sense I'm available know know the market, know the format, have success in the format.

All of this shit lines up. All of it. It makes too much sense. But what I've learned about radio is a lot of times the shit that makes the most sense isn't the shit people do. It makes sense to take the classic rock format and move it into the early 2000s and occasionally play a little Nickelback, play a little Creed, play more Bush, play shit like that.

But they ain't doing it. It's like, no, we're going to double down on Van Halen. Cool, Van Halen fucks. They're good. But it makes too much sense for these radio companies, and, well, we ought to do music tests for that. Like, hey, play a little bit more aggressive music, play a little bit more aggressive music. Play a little bit of shit into the early 2000s.

Nothing wrong with a little buck cherry that pops up in there. Nothing wrong with that. But of course, no, we can't do that. Then you wonder why you can't get a more current audience. You wonder why you can't move forward. You wonder why those person's 2554 numbers aren't there. You wonder why, wow, our six plus always looks good. Yeah, because your

audience is like 60 plus. All of your ratings, all of your listenership is coming from old fucking people. And there's nothing wrong with old people. You need old people too. And what I've learned is a lot of old people are fucking good time. They call radio stations, they say weird shit, they have no filter. I dig them. But if you want to be current and active and modern and make money that way and have people don't, you know, people look at classic rock radio stations like graveyards. They look at them like old folks homes. They, and then the programmers treat the audience like they're already fucking dead. That is my biggest criticism is they just treat the audience like it's a bunch of Bartles and James motherfuckers sitting around whittling wood with you, buddy. Sitting around waiting to die.

And then they wonder, well, why is there no numbers? Why are we not getting the numbers? Because you treat the audience like they're already dead. Everything is classic this, classic that. Come to our classic car show. Come to our car show. Fuck that. Get current.

I know you're not going to be playing current music. That's fine. The music is still the music. The vibe is what you need. Stop, you wonder why, you know, people talk about radio and will it survive? Get current. Try new things. Be different.

But people double down on what hasn't worked because it's safe, I guess. So all that to say, I'm the guy for that job. And if anybody not named me gets that job, it is the wrong hire. There are certain things that I read and I go, that's me. Like even when I've applied for like talk radio jobs, right? Like political talk. I know I could do it, but I guarantee you

there's a bunch of other people that are more passionate about it. They might not be as good as me like on a radio basis, but they probably know the shit more than I do and care to yell about Trump and politics more than I do. So they would make more sense. Like there are plenty of jobs that I look at and go, yeah, that person probably makes more sense or like the location. You know what I'm saying? Like I'll see a job in some city and I'm like, yeah, I mean, I could do that job. And if they offered me the job, I'd do it.

I'd give it a shot. But in the big picture, it doesn't make sense. Like there are other people better for said job. There aren't better people for this job. I have the resume. I have the track record. I have the success. I have everything you've asked for in this thing.

In this posting, I have all of it. And I'll bring you money. And I'll fix whatever you consider to be your ills. So if I don't get that job, that is negligence at that point. Just from a radio standpoint. What are you going to do? Bring in some slappy? Like, what are you going to do? I know the market. Anyway, but I can be very honest about stuff too. Again, I'll see jobs in some places and no, I could do it, but I don't think I'd be the perfect guy for it. I'd take it, but I don't think I'd be perfect for it. There are a lot of talk radio jobs, political talk radio jobs that I'll look at and go, look, I can manage and I can find a way around it and I can kind of smoke and mirrors it and make you think I know this. I'd probably have to over prep for that because I don't know

it as well, but I'd make it happen. But then I know, oh, there's 20 other dudes who'd be much better. Not as good as me. God, I sound like a total narcissist. Not as good as me, but they do that better than I would and they'd enjoy more. And they'd have a passion for it that I do not possess this. I can do. I have a passion for Houston. I have a passion for radio. I have a passion for being on in the morning. I have a passion for wanting to go in there and beat the shit out of I heart. I would love nothing more than to fucking beat them and have them coming back to me saying, we need to hire you like Like that, that's what I want. And then I want to tell them to go fuck themselves. I want to live that life. I want them to look at the podcast that we're going to build there and go, holy shit,

this is a giant. I want that to happen, but I need to get back there. Anyway, we will continue.