Straight From the Mouth

From what I hear, you were making some pretty impressive progress with the podcast. In fact some ever described you of the early pioneers of its success. Is that what got you noticed by Cumulus?

Frank: I created an online Talk Network (Toadhopnetwork.com) and moved The Heidi and Frank Show to the backlot studio (garage). The show was part of a paid subscription model and provided our fans with on-demand podcast and webcast on a daily basis for $4.95 per month. This model kept the HF show alive for the next 2 years.

If not for this Cumulus would have never come knocking on our door. We stayed relevant and had a loyal fan base that would follow us anywhere.

Heidi: I'm very proud of what Frank and I did online. "If you build it, they will come." We did and they did. Our fans followed us online and KLOS couldn't help but to take notice. We have such a strong fan base that KLOS would have us do live events for them, even before we were hired. They knew that our fans would follow us anywhere - especially if there's alcohol, and there's ALWAYS alcohol.

I'm very proud of what Frank and I did online. "If you build it, they will come." We did and they did. Our fans followed us online and KLOS couldn't help but to take notice. We have such a strong fan base that KLOS would have us do live events for them, even before we were hired. They knew that our fans would follow us anywhere - especially if there's alcohol, and there's ALWAYS alcohol.

Then, the bombshell. Mark Thompson, of Mark and Brian, announces he's retiring. This was followed by another bombshell when Brian Phelps says later that he's leaving, too. Had you had any discussions with the station prior to those announcements?

Frank: As far as having extensive talks with Cumulus about taking the Morning slot at KLOS, we didn't. It had been mentioned to me and I said if I'm truly in the running then I want it more that anything else. There must have been a lot of stars that lined up in the sky because this happened.

Heidi: Not really. People in the industry and fans would say, "they

seriously. This business is so crazy, and up and down, that I had no idea which direction the station would go. We were asked by our agent if we would be interested in the morning show - of course we said YES!I felt like a lady in waiting. I figured Brian would sign a contract and continue on. When I was listening to Mark and Brian's last show and realized that Brian was closing the chapter on KLOS, I knew the gig was ours and I was GIDDY.

Did any of you have any hesitation about taking over the slot?

Frank: This was a spot that has been taken for 25 years and I'm in the position to get the reigns. You can't hesitate in this business and now that we are here the next 25 years are covered. The Heidi and Frank Show is the best show that I have ever been a part of and the desire and the love for the game is still running strong inside both of us. I would like to think that we beat a lot of shows to get this, but I really don't think anyone else was considered. That's the biggest endorsement Cumulus could have given me.

Heidi: I didn't have any hestitation about taking over the morning show, but I think I would have felt differently had they been fired. That would have made things a lot more difficult for us. Their fans would have viewed us as the duo who stole Mark and Brian away from them. With both of them walking away, it made things easier for us. Frank and I have wanted to do mornings on the legendary KLOS for a long long time. We were ready.

You jumped on the air pretty quickly after M/B's departure. What was that first week like for all of you?

Frank: The first week, I will admit, was rough. As much as I wanted to make our online show format like a radio show, there were a lot of things I had to be refreshed on that first week. Once the clock was established the show started flowing and the response has been very good.

Heidi: I would say my nerves only came from learning the new clock and how to get into a flow. Frank and I were used to having 25 minutes per segment to cultivate a discussion/topic, so condensing everything down to 10-minute segments (and still maintaining flow) was my biggest concern. We figured it out and have found our groove now.

Thanks to social media, feedback is immediate and sometimes not so pleasant. How did M/B's former listeners greet you?

Frank: Most of M/B's fans gave us a shot. The fact that they retired was extremely helpful. I can't imagine trying to replace those two had they been fired. I still would have done it though. At the 3 month mark we are getting more support from their fans and it's only growing. lady in waiting. I figured Brian would sign a contract and continue on. When I was listening to Mark and Brian's last show and realized that Brian was closing the chapter on KLOS, I knew the gig was ours and I was GIDDY.

Did any of you have any hesitation about taking over the slot?

Frank: This was a spot that has been taken for 25 years and I'm in the position to get the reigns. You can't hesitate in this business and now that we are here the next 25 years are covered. The Heidi and Frank Show is the best show that I have ever been a part of and the desire and the love for the game is still running strong inside both of us. I would like to think that we beat a lot of shows to get this, but I really don't think anyone else was considered. That's the biggest endorsement Cumulus could have given me.

Heidi: I didn't have any hestitation about taking over the morning show, but I think I would have felt differently had they been fired. That would have made things a lot more difficult for us. Their fans would have viewed us as the duo who stole Mark and Brian away from them. With both of them walking away, it made things easier for us. Frank and I have wanted to do mornings on the legendary KLOS for a long long time. We were ready.

You jumped on the air pretty quickly after M/B's departure. What was that first week like for all of you?

Frank: The first week, I will admit, was rough. As much as I wanted to make our online show format like a radio show, there were a lot of things I had to be refreshed on that first week. Once the clock was established the show started flowing and the response has been very good

Heidi: I would say my nerves only came from learning the new clock and how to get into a flow. Frank and I were used to having 25 minutes per segment to cultivate a discussion/topic, so condensing everything down to 10-minute segments (and still maintaining flow) was my biggest concern.

Thanks to social media, feedback is immediate and sometimes not so pleasant. How did M/B's former listeners greet you?

Frank: Most of M/B's fans gave us a shot. The fact that they retired was extremely helpful. I can't imagine trying to replace those two had they been fired. I still would have done it though. At the 3 month mark we are getting more support from their fans and it's only growing.

Heidi: I thought that there would be more upset people than there were. We opened up the phone lines for a few days and let people vent if they wanted to, but for the most part, M