We might be a little biased, but we have an AMAZING crew here at KFI. They are the hardest working people in radio.
Now, you might know that from what you hear on-air, but what you don't know is that there's a lot of people working behind the scenes to help bring that awesome product to air. Most of these people you don't get to hear from much because they're not on-air talent, but their work is invaluable and without them, KFI wouldn't be KFI!
Even more important, so many of these people are the most essential of essential workers, and have been here, in house, at the station from Day 1 of the pandemic because there was no way for them to do their job from home.
So each month, we present one of these employees with the KFI Employee of The Month honor to recognize these amazing people and to give you a little more insight into those that bring you the KFI you love each day, and the best part is that these winners are chosen by their peers!
Each Employee of the Month receives a few fun prizes, a certificate, an official award, will be featured in an on-air promo and their name will be enshrined on a perpetual plaque that will be located in our building.
So, we'd like to introduce you to KFI's Employee of the Month for April.... Engineer Extraordinaire Matt Anderson!
Matt grew up in La Crescenta and has worked in radio for about 7 years. Prior to coming to KFI in 2017, Matt was working in San Diego. When he joined our amazing engineering crew, he proved to be a perfect fit....fixing our news remote vehicles, answering the call for off-air alarms and studio problems and he was absolutely instrumential in getting our hosts and other staff set up to work remotely from home during Covid.
Here's what Matt's co-workers had to say about him.
"He has really helped out a ton with getting JJL setup at home."
"Matt is so extremely awesome, super friendly, always willing to help. He has a good sense of humor and is just a delight. I'm never afraid to ask for help when Matt is in the house!"
"From minor studio issues to big problems that require a ton of tinkering to figure out, Matt comes through to fix it every time."
"When I need someone to explain some complicated engineering stuff in a way even I can understand, Matt's the guy!"
"He's SO tall, he's smart and he's able to fix pretty much everything that breaks pretty fast. What else can you ask for in a station engineer?"
"Nice guy, excellent engineer!"
We asked Matt a few questions so you can get to know him a little better!
What made you decide on a career in radio?
"Well I actually thought law enforcement was my original calling. I was apart of the college radio station at San Diego State which led to an internship at the NPR/PBS station, KPBS. It was so interesting to me. I really enjoyed working on a project and being able to see or hear the results on air."
What's do you like most about your job?
"The people I work with and the cool projects we complete together. It is especially rewarding to see the staff use our creations and be successful. It takes an army to keep iHeart LA running and I want to shout out the rest of the crew. Doug, Richard, Maurice, Clint, Dave, Casey and Ricky!"
Any pet peeves?
"Probably when people don’t read a detailed email I spent a lot of time on crafting."
Favorite hobbies
"Well like many engineers I have a bunch. I’m into ham radio (KI6KHB) and did that a lot as a kid. I’m a new homeowner so as of late that’s been my new hobby."
Favorite food / drink?
"In-n-Out - it’s a food group."
What does the perfect 'day off' for you consist ot?
"Honestly a day with nothing scheduled and getting to sleep in. My girlfriend and I love to travel so anything travel as well."
What's the one thing that people don't know about you?
"I enjoy volunteering and I’m on a LA county search and rescue team."
Any advice for anyone just starting in the radio business?
"Honestly, keep an open mind and have a positive attitude. Those are the 2 biggest traits to success. All the other things seem to fall into place when you have those."
Congratulations Matt! We appreciate you so much!