Jantzen Ray, who we've checked in with before at his outpost of DeepEllumOnAir.com, is watching as his alumni radio show, The Jagger Mafia, is being put back together to return to KDGE. He hasn't taken it personally that he's not a part of their current lineup, but it was still one more reason it seems to be a good time to check back in with him about the present. He's also got more shows on DEOA than ever, and he's building a benefit show to get Keyboard Bob a new keyboard. One that actually works.
When I look at your station now, I see growth...and i see pluses and minuses, as far shows go.
We have some AMAZING new shows! It's so exciting to see such an eclectic variety. We have "The gamer/nerd show department on lock now! On Sundays is "Fangirls: Dames of the Round Table" which is DFW's first all girl "nerd show" followed by "Freaks and Geeks Live", which is our other gamer/nerd show that has some big stuff in store! Believe it or not we now have a show called "Texas Ranch 'N Rodeo", and a few new comedy/talk shows. We have shows 7 days a week!
And some shows have gone, and I will miss.
Shows come and go. Thats the nature of the beast. I look at it like a tree. Some of the shows are like leaves that wither up and fall away while others are branches that will be here till the end. I dont get down about losing any show cause for every show we have lost 3 more replace it. Some of the people doing this are only doing this as a hobby, while the rest of us understand this is our job. As blessed and great full as we are to be able to do it, its still our job.
The Jagger Mafia is coming back to KDGE....well, some of it, anyway. How do you feel about that? Is it tough for you?
I couldn't be more thrilled for Jagger, he is back where he belongs!! Jagger is my mentor. I'm the biggest Jagger Mafia fan and will ALWAYS be a part of it. It's not only tattooed on my back but in my soul!
Were you approached at all about this reconvening?
No. Terrestrial radio is all about politics and I don't miss that but I need Clearchannel to know now that they need to just go ahead and get me back on with the team. I could help give terrestrial radio what the people are truly craving! Corporate radio should either embrace me or fear me because what I represent is the future and radio will never be the same. I think I could still work with Jagger and continue doing DEOA. in fact it would really go hand in hand because we share the same listeners and DEOA plays the best local and indie music you can find which is something corporate radio MUST embrace in order to stay legitimate.
How goes the frustrating process of generating revenue for a cutting edge business model? Are you finding it easy to sell ad space?
That's THE question, my friend. It is very frustrating. I'm not a salesman. I'm a radio guy. I create. It takes another kind of person to sell and that's who we are always on the lookout for. My advice or anyone starting an internet station would be to not give up. Its like Field of Dreams. "If you build it, they will come". They came and are here.
So, a benefit for a new keyboard for Bob. I wasnt sure that his keyboard had ever worked! He carries it around in such varying weather elements, i figured it only as a prop of symbolism. What do you have in mind for this event?
Bob plays the keyboard and is quite good too! How can we NOT get that man a working keyboard? Giving back to the community is ultimately what we are here for and its important to not forget about the guys like Bob who make our community the amazing place it is! People are always doing events for big charities and that's great, but let's not forget about the little guy who needs help too. So far we have some of my favorite local acts that have volunteered like Uneasy Pilgrim and Loyal Sally plus Deborah Driscoll with ArtLoveMagic who is an absolute gem in our local music community!
Speaking of....talk local music to me. What do you hear and who do you love?
I sincerely cant get enough of our local music scene. It's so rich! Acts like Loose Temper, A.Dd+, Ugly Lion, and Bum Lucky. I can go on and on. I did a "Going Deep: The Local Show" with a Hispanic band that BLEW MY MIND! The ORBINAUTAS! Holy smoke these guys are AMAZING! I listen to their music a lot and I don't even speak spanish! I'm really excited about what 2014 has in store for us! We have some big stuff planned that will absolutely help us change the face of online radio. We have fiber optic high speed internet in the works that will help us change the game! We are pioneering online radio and constantly trying to figure out ways to take it to the next level.
See also: -The 100 Best Texas Songs: The Complete List -The Ten Most Badass Band Names in DFW -The Best Bands in DFW: 2012 Edition -Photo Essay: The Tattoos of Dallas' Nightlife Scene
