KERA recently launched a new all-music station, KXT FM 91.7. Little Forest Hills resident Joe Kozera is the station’s afternoon and evening DJ. To gain more members, KXT expects to have free concerts and discounts for its members, and the station just might be advancing a musical renaissance for Dallas.
How did you get into radio?
Well, how far back do you want to go? I had a love for radio when I was little. We lived in Las Vegas, way out of town, and I could only pick up one station on AM. I wrote to them, and they let me come to their station in downtown Las Vegas.
But you didn’t go into radio after that. When did your radio career start?
I moved to Texas in 2003 or 2004, and I found a little country station in Bridgeport, and so I wrote to them, and they said, ‘Come on down.’ And they let me on the air on the second night. I didn’t know the music at all, and that’s how I really learned, from being thrown into the fire like that. About a year later, I found another station in Weatherford. I wrote to them and asked if I could do anything — sweep floors, whatever. And it turned out their Sunday guy had just quit, so they hired me for that.
So persistence paid off?
And that’s another case where I didn’t know the music at all. It was an adult contemporary station, but on Sunday it was all Christian music, and they kind of threw me into it.
And then you moved to KERA?
I got a job at KERA in 2005 on the production side. And now I’m at KXT. It’s the afternoon and evening show.
Tell us about the KXT format.
It’s a mix of what’s called triple A — adult album alternative, alternative country, singer-songwriter, independent and local stuff.
Do you get to play whatever you want?
I don’t make the playlist; I bring in music, but our music coordinator, Gini Mascorro, makes the playlist.
Why is that?
Eventually, I’ll be moving my own playlists. I’ve brought in a bunch of music, but not nearly as much as she has. I’m developing my own playlists, and that will come, but
I am always so pleased with what they give me that I have no complaints. Gini’s listened to so much music, and she appreciates all kinds of music, so that’s what makes her such a good music coordinator.
I know a lot of people are very pleased with KXT. Why are you excited about it?
There was nothing like it in Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton where independent and local artists could be heard. There are college stations and the other community station that’s here, but really … there’s a whole lot of commercial radio in Dallas. So there was a huge hole in the market. There’s always been a big music scene here, but I’m expecting it to become as big as Seattle in the ’90s as far as our music scene goes.
What are your favorite local bands?
Oh, there are so many. I like Bubba Hernandez, Andrew Tinker. The Deathray Davies are outstanding, Little Black Dress. All this stuff is just so different than anything you’ll hear anywhere else.
What kind of music are you into personally?
The Beatles are my all time favorite band. I love anything with vocal harmony.
Anything you can’t stand?
I don’t really care for hip-hop and rap that much. Some of it’s really good. A lot of the hard-core hip-hop and rap, I don’t care for.
