The Infinite Dial

Title: Reporter, anchor, and editor at KYW-AM, Philadelphia

Who is Ian? "Ian Bush is an anchor, reporter, and editor at KYW Newsradio. One of the youngest airstaffers in the station's history, Bush was promoted from the ranks of desk/production assistant in August 2005, at age 23. He also co-hosts the popular 'Tech Tips 101' podcast and designs graphics for KYW1060.com. Bush is a 2004 graduate of Villanova University. A proud Wildcat, he served as News Director at the campus radio station, WXVU-FM. Most recently, he won an Associated Press award for his radio documentary, 'Voices of Reading (Pa.),' the first for the station. He earned his master's degree from Villanova in May 2006 -- and had the distinction of being the first to graduate in the school's new master's program in communication. He got his start in radio anchoring local news as afternoon program host on WDIY-FM in Bethlehem, Pa., an NPR affiliate, while at Notre Dame High School (Green Pond) and as an undergraduate at Villanova. But the radio bug bit early: Bush recalls defying his parents' go-to-bed orders by sneaking an AM radio under his pillow. He tried to find something new to listen to every night, but quickly developed favorites, like Yankees baseball broadcasts, the late David Brudnoy, and CBS Radio's all-news stations. An only child, Bush attempted to amuse himself by broadcasting political news on a karaoke machine to the Lego town that took up most of the basement. In grade school and high school, he'd try to spice up afternoon PA announcements with time checks and weather updates -- 'I'm surprised the kids didn't beat me up,' Bush says. Bush is a decorated swimmer, and still enjoys paddling about in the pool when he's not trying to figure out which button to press in the studio."

What would your dream job be? "I've thought about a lot of things, from running catamaran trips off the coast of Curacao to a sovereign funds specialist splitting my time between Wall and Fleet Streets to working in the Foreign Service in sub-Saharan Africa while still, somehow, keeping cool in a suit and tie. I am quite seriously perched on the edge of my seat to see what Google might have up its sleeve to "revolutionize" radio like it did the web - and it would be a treat to be a part of that. But for now, working at one of the storied all-news stations in the country is the only job I'd pick."

Who has been your greatest influence? "My goal leaving college was to work on-air at a powerhouse all-newser like KYW by the time I reached age 30. To do so at 23 took a lot of luck, some right-place-at-the-right-time karma, and managers and co-workers who really supported me. Many of their names could fit in this space - not to mention the countless cross-country voices I got to hear as a child every night, sneaking my AM radio under the pillow (HOW will today's youth DEAL with the effect of IBOC on skywaves of 50kW clears?!). But I will say that I've been motivated by - and this isn't a cheap shot at getting a raise - our director of programming, Steve Butler. Not only does he know news, but he's also a brilliant programmer. He's managed to tweak the all-news clock to maintain a fast, yet steady pace and provide the appropriate staffing so that it's fresh and interesting when you tune in two, three, four...and more times each day. (And you should hear the promos he comes up with). I always hope that one day, if I ever get the management bug, I'll be able to accomplish for some station the sonic experience he's helped make KYW. It's the product that he and our staff have perfected that really makes me want to get out of bed - perhaps not in the morning, but at some point every day."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Yikes, with HD, satellite, and Internet radio - is there any unexplored frontier? In our Philadelphia ratings race, we're sometimes fighting for the 1-2 spot with WBEB-FM, the Jerry Lee-owned AC station. Maybe if we mixed soft rock hits under the news... I suppose I'm surprised no one's tried to take the "short spot" idea to the next level. Sure, on the terrestrial FMs, you hear three-second ads every once in a while (in Philadelphia, it's "I hate Steven Singer!"). But what about a whole station based on changing up the traditional spot model - with one advertiser sponsoring blocks, even a day of tunes in exchange for short, unobtrusive messages that don't interrupt the music long enough for you to change the dial. The name repetition would be sticky, it would give people a reason to stay tuned (music keeps going and going and going), and the station itself likely would get some press and recognition itself out of the deal ('Oh yeah - that's the one with those short little commercials'). We've done the 30s, 60s, 10s for so long now. Is it a case of "if it ain't broke..." - or is it why go out on a limb when this "seems to do just fine?" Stations will have to do better than "fine" to cut through the competition in the coming years. At the same time, I've always been a firm believer of the content as king: if your voices and what they're doing with the listeners' time clicks, than the station in turn won't have a problem. That takes exceptional people - and radio is lucky it's got such a large pool of talented folks."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Too often we concentrate on "how do we get young people to listen?" when the question we miss is "what are young people doing instead of listening?" The answer's quite simple: they're out living their lives in a world chock full of distractions. That means we need to be where they are. Sure, that means - for some Urban/CHRs - that bars and clubs are a must. Same for them and other stations at sporting events, concerts, community events. But "being where they are" doesn't always have to be so literal. Because radio is where they are. We already have that leg up: like a good friend in the passenger seat, we have a captive audience - when we're given the opportunity. And when we are, we have to shine: it's all about making the most of that live and local connection, which has always been radio's most under-played strength. For an all-newser, it's the word of mouth that -- hey! That station does traffic reports every ten minutes. They are where I am...and maybe I'll stick around through some commercials to hear the headlines (and to see if this jam is going to clear anytime soon). For the talker, it's having a good host and production team that's got its finger on the pulse of what young people care about and actually want to talk about (and hear other people talking about). For the music station, it's the reminders through promos and remotes and good, funny bits, and - yes - the music itself (imagine that) that is such a good mix I won't even think about pressing play on my iPod. "If you build it, they will come." If you make good radio, they will listen."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "By keeping on its toes. Staying ahead of technology. Every car rolling off the production lines now should have an HD radio installed as a no-charge factory accessory. No option - just automatically included. Let's make those radio industry lobbyists earn their paychecks. Every station should be streaming, and shouting out that web address every chance it gets. Speaking of which - that web site has the potential for rich, interactive content, and should be treated as such. Can you be a portal for people's total Internet experience? (KYW is an all-news station, yet our web site has everything from video game podcasts to movie reviews to YouTube video searches to Dr. Phil's tip of the day. You can search our page or the entire Internet with one click. See traffic, weather. Oh yeah - and get the latest local, national, and global headlines. All by typing in kyw1060.com. One site covers most of your Internet needs - and it's got a local flavor, so why not make it your home page? That has to be the mindset.) Radio has always been a whole bunch of things to a whole bunch of people, wrapped up into one neat little frequency. Now its reach is even greater - it can be more things to even more people. That doesn't mean we can forget our original mission: we must continue to innovate to be as good, as immediate on the web as we are on the air while not letting our air product suffer for it. Then we can truly be wherever the audience is, and we'll be a trusted, friendly, go-to source, no matter through which medium they choose to experience our content."