Carlota G: Radio Ressurxtion

Carlota G is the midday host at 107.5 XTreme Radio in Vegas. We discussed her early career path in radio, starting as a vinyl collector in high school and later transitioning from a medical billing job and then into broadcasting. She was inspired by DJs like Dusty Street and Doug "Sluggo" Roberts of KROQ fame.

Carlota shared stories of her early days in radio, including moving from Southern California to smaller markets like Porterville and Fresno to get her start. She quickly moved up to doing overnight shifts at age 22. We discussed the music scene in the 1990s, including the diversity of alternative radio and the impact of Napster. Carlota honed her interviewing and programming skills over the years, including a long tenure at KCRW.

Carlota opened up about the challenges she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including losing her job and suffering long-term health effects. She praised her current boss, Cat Thomas, for his forward-thinking leadership.

We also talked about the potential for revitalizing rock radio by blending alternative and rock music, and Carlota shared her experience of turning around the struggling X107.5 station in Las Vegas. She believes radio can make a comeback by focusing on community engagement, personality, and great music.

A video and transcription of this episode can be found on our network page.

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I mentioned the "Dear Carlota" segment on the show. Here is an example:

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I totally forgot about this appearance Carlotta made on Jon Gay's Crazy Radio Stories. Listen how Carlota had her ex-program director arrested. [12 minute listen]

Carlota was working in Fresno at a rock station. Let's just say she and her boss didn't see eye to eye. Following her dismissal, she was immediately hired at the radio station across the street. When the old boss "ran into" her at a concert, he ended up in the back of a police cruiser.

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