Open Air 1340’s Mike Flanagan
For all the cynics out there ruined by Clear Channel, there's finally living proof that radio isn't dead: Open Air 1340. It was born out of Program Director Mike Flanagan's desire to create an AM radio station in Denver dedicated to playing great, independent music. On Oct. 31, 2011, his plan came to fruition when Open Air 1340 had its first broadcast.
Since then, Flanagan and his ragtag band of radio junkies have kept their promise. On any given day, listeners can hear Tom Waits distinctive growl, Mayer Hawthorne’s smooth falsetto, or Lou Reed’s dry ramblings, plus local music and in-studio performances from local and national artists alike. The A.V. Club spoke to Flanagan about the new station, how it's been doing within its first months of broadcasting, and what comes next.
The A.V. Club: Have people been pretty receptive since Open Air’s first broadcast?
Mike Flanagan: Oh, I think the response has been great. We have our social media going; we just got to 1,000 likes on Facebook and people are pretty free to comment. That’s the really nice thing about doing something in this “technology” age that we’re in—you get a lot of instant feedback. We’re trying to crash something out of thin air into “open air,” and so it’s great hearing from people. Most everybody is like, “Oh god, this is the radio station I’ve always wanted.”
AVC: Beyond social media, how else do you reach listeners online?
MF: Streaming is a big thing. It’s almost like [Open Air is] an Internet station that just happens to have what we call a stick [that broadcasts] AM, while a lot of people are listening at work or studying, just listening straight from their computer. That’s one thing I’m trying to get people in the habit of. If you’ve got the computer on and you’re not listening to any music, you’re only getting half the experience.
AVC: You were the former General Manager of Radio 1190, right?
MF: Right, I did that position for six years.
AVC: Why did you decide to leave that position?
MF: It was a combination of things. One of the biggest ones was I live in Denver, and it was a huge, long commute, and another was that I worked for Colorado Public Radio back in the ’90s, so we already had a relationship going. [They needed] something to do with the AM signal and I [didn’t] want to be putting so many miles on my car. I loved my time at Radio 1190, I think I got a lot of people turned onto broadcasting and, maybe, considering radio in ways they’ve never thought of before.
AVC: What did it take to get Colorado Public Radio’s backing?
MF: We had almost a year’s worth of conversations going into this sort of, you know, “What would we be going for? Who our target audience would be? What music they would want to hear?” All the little quirky things—that I may not end up playing just “new music,” but the old stuff that’s cool, not the old stuff you’re burnt out on, and kind of coming up with a recipe for a station that [listeners] would like.
AVC: So CPR does stand for rock ’n’ roll?
MF: Once upon a time, that’s what Colorado Public Radio was. They started as a rock station—the first song that they played when they signed on the air [was] “Street Fighting Man” by The Rolling Stones. It’s kind of like coming full-circle for them, too.
AVC: What is Open Air’s main priority?
MF: I see a lot of priorities. One is making sure that we are reflecting a lot of the new music that could be considered an alternative music. When Arcade Fire won the Album of the Year at the Grammys, that was a defining moment. When you look at Jimmy Fallon’s show or Conan O’ Brien’s show, they’re really priding themselves on getting new bands. Millions of people are seeing Deertick, for God’s sake, and that’s a good thing. So, we want to really focus on the new music and giving [the music] its due. Another thing we want to focus on is exposing local artists.
AVC: Speaking of that, Open Air has plenty of in-studio performances. Can you talk more about those?
MF: God, we’ve had Danielle Ate The Sandwich, A. Tom Collins, Air Dubai—a lot of people that you can see locally have been coming in and recording in a state-of-the-art studio, and we’re making that available to them and airing those performances. That’s something we’re being rather aggressive about.
AVC: Which local and national artists have you been spinning lately?
MF: I love Accordion Crimes, locally, and Danielle Ate The Sandwich I’m really crazy about right now. National bands? You know what, I don’t know that there’s anybody who’s catching my attention more than The Black Keys. They just knock me out. I also like The Black Angels; they’re a little dark, kind of like Sonic Youth and The Doors [put] together. I think those bands that reflect the “old-time” sensibilities are the ones that really appeal to me. It’s a new day, but that music is timeless.
AVC: How long have you been doing radio, and what is the best part about being on the air?
MF: I have been in and out of radio since I was 16 years old. On my list, this is my 14th radio station. I’ve just always gotten a kick out of communicating with people one-on-one. Like I’ve said, my major’s in radio and my minor’s in journalism. It’s very similar to journalism in that you sit in a quiet room by yourself and create for the masses. When you’re in a radio station, you’re sitting in a quiet room [and you] happen to be heard by anyone who’s got their radio on.
AVC: What initially drew you to being the “man in the booth?”
MF: When I was 8 years old, I lived in a little town in Oklahoma and our Cub Scout went [on a tour] of the local radio station, which was out in the boonies. Here I see this guy [where] the phones are going off, he’s pushing buttons, he’s got two turntables, he’s stopping the world to tell them that it’s 15 after the hour and 55 degrees outside. I thought, man, “This is happening in my little town, this man is creating all this excitement.” So when I got to be 16 years old, I went back [there and] they sat me in a room and gave me a newscast to read. My first shift was on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
AVC: How would you like to see the station evolve?
MF: I just want to see more and more people finding out about it, because I think the audience is there, [but] honestly it’s a very competitive world to get anybody’s time, media-wise. A lot of people have “signed off” on radio, so [it will never] appeal to them. Getting people back into turning on their car radio and not just hitting their iPod, that’s a real goal for us. We’ve got a shuffle that’s going to be bigger than your shuffle. [Laughs.]
