No one would stay at the same job without pay or benefits for 15 years, right? But that’s exactly what radio DJ Dani Cutler has done at KWSS 93.9 FM, Phoenix’s volunteer-run indie station. As she marks a decade and a half of hosting The Dani Cutler Show and the retro-themed Dani’s Diner, she shares with us why she’s proud of her time there.
You’ve been at KWSS since MySpace was popular. What do you love about volunteering for the station?
We have a variety of music that we can play because we’re independent. We play mainstream and independent artists from Arizona and around the world. We’re able to introduce listeners to performers that don’t get the same exposure and give a platform to nonprofits in Arizona and events like the Indie Film Fest.
How do you keep the station relevant when listeners can stream music from their phones?
Radio is still the No. 1 format in a lot of markets. People are in their cars looking for something to listen to. And radio isn’t stuck in a place where you can’t get it anywhere else. We rely on our streaming to bring in listeners.
You’re such a champion of the music you love. What’s been your favorite celebrity encounter?
I interviewed Reeve Carney from Penny Dreadful. He was playing music in Phoenix and came up to me at his show to give me a hug. It was insane! But what makes me the proudest is seeing where [local] musicians we’ve played like Upsahl and KONGOS have gone. Even though we’re low-power FM, we still have enough of a reach to be relevant.
