Bonneville San Francisco’s Brian Figula Discusses An Industry In Transition

Brian Figula is Director of Programming Operations and KOIT/KBLX/KUFX Program Director for Bonneville San Francisco. He recently made the Barrett Media Top 20 Program Directors for both AC and Classic Rock.

“Grateful is the word that I say. I was on the AC and Classic Rock list. And I’m grateful to be on that list. That’s my summary. I like how Jason and the team let the peers influence who’s on that list and who’s not on that list. It was pretty cool and pretty good. I didn’t see anything that I went, come on.”

When I talked to Figula, Audacy was amid a massive company-wide layoff, so I asked him what advice he would offer to those caught in the downsizing.

“First, don’t panic. Believe. We’re an industry in transition, locating non-traditional ways of generating revenue, whether digital events or audio distribution. Get on the transition bus, invest a little more than your neighbor, and see where it goes. That’s good advice. That’s my attitude.”

“I wake up every day with the attitude that, yeah, some days suck. But for somebody who’s invested 30 years in this industry, am I just going to give up and quit? Let’s face it, that attitude will eventually be noticed by management. At a time when companies are looking at ways of reducing resources and putting together their A-team, don’t get caught up on that Debbie Downer train.”

With radio in transition, Figula believes that reflecting on the past is ok, but don’t let it destroy your attitude because it isn’t what it used to be.

“I think it’s fun to reflect on the good old days and the past and yesterday. But if you catch yourself in an environment that isn’t good and you’re down, quickly pick yourself up and find a way to make it happen.”

That extends to program directors rethinking their role.

“Program directors need to work closely with sales, senior, and corporate management, and share ideas and new ways to generate revenue from content. I think there’s also a little bit of experimental time, which is scary, but also super exciting because we get to evolve the industry.”

And what should talent be doing to make themselves known?

“Network, period. I’ll share a story. I was in Cleveland doing afternoon drive, and I was more hungry than ever in my career. I’m in afternoon drive on WQAL, working for CBS and Infinity, and think about all the things that came with it.”

“I started reaching out to some of my favorite DJs, asking for feedback on my demo. Not on how I could get a job at the radio station, but being sincere. “Hey, you’re one of my favorite DJs to listen to, and I would love for you to spend a minute listening to my air check and giving me some constructive criticism. I only had one or two people respond. One of those people who responded was Race Taylor. He was at WPLJ at the time and is now at WCBS.”

“He wrote back and said, hey, you sound really good, dude. Keep up the good work. That was it. He didn’t say hey, that second break sucked. It was just that. Wow that’s motivating.”

It’s a moment and a lesson that has impacted Figula to this day.

“If we could all do that right now to each other, we’d lift people up. Just reply to emails. Take 10, 20 or 30 seconds and listen to that air check, and understand how you’re going to inspire people. Those people were inspiring to me, and they gave me the motivation to continue to grow. Right now, we could use that more than ever.”

And that story had a full circle moment. “I ended up a few years later working at WDVD in Detroit. I was filling in for somebody and got a call on the request line. It was Race Taylor. ‘What’s up Fig, it’s Race Taylor.’ I’m like, seriously? He said, “I just want to tell you, you sound great, dude. I can’t believe it. You’re on DVD. You sound great.”’

“He was in town for the holidays. And again, inspired. He took the time to talk to me for one minute on the request line. During the layoff times of PLJ and going to Christian Music, I reached out to Race and said, hey, is there anything I can do for you during this transition? He said, absolutely. Keep your ears open. Give me feedback.”

“He inspired me, and I’ve never told him this whole story, but he’s inspired me to pass along that tradition. Because it works, it worked for me.”

Mentoring and giving back is important to Figula.

“I have a story with that. I currently have a part-time opening on KOIT. And I posted the job, obviously got dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of resumes. Who would not apply for a job at KOIT? That’s a big gig. And one of the applicants is in his teens.”

“This kid is in my listening area and has his own syndicated night show. Streaming, super, super small, unrated markets. And he needs a mentor. He needs a coach. He’s not ready for this position, but this guy’s in my backyard. He needs direction, but he’s passionate about radio. He’s all in on radio.”

“We have to capitalize on that, and reach out to those people and say, I want to meet you. Here is my email. Don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything here for you. You’re not the right fit, but I want you to know that you have my email and phone number. You can call me anytime, and I’d love to help you with your career.”

Figula says it’s important to mentor young talent and pay attention to one’s own team.

“I had a high-up company VP tell me that they took on a new territory, and one of the DJs hadn’t been air checked in over 15 years. All the jaws dropped. The VP’s jaws dropped, and my jaw dropped. This is at a big company. That’s a huge problem for our industry.”

And what about the often-heard excuse that PDs and OMs are just too busy and have too much on their plates?

“One solution is delegation. Find your future replacement or your future APD that is good and a little more advanced in a certain area, where you need to invest in one of the talents. Set up a weekly or bi-weekly air check or hire people. There’s a ton of people for very reasonable prices like Tracy Johnson or Ron Harrell.”

“There’s a bunch of people out there that you can hire at a very cost-effective price tag to help out. And if you’re not investing in talent, you’re probably in the wrong position.”

I asked Figula if he had one secret weapon in his programming toolbox?

“Invest in and stay interested in. That’s my trick: go above and beyond and invest. Invest in learning new technologies, new trends, networking, and asking for feedback. That’s how any great manager or leader in any industry stays vibrant and successful: being willing to learn and being open-minded to change.”

To reach Brian Figula, email him here. 

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