Troy's Career Capsule
Mornings and PD at KIKS in Iola, Kansas, Mornings at KIXQ in Joplin, Mo. Middays and MD for KFSB in Joplin, Mo, Mornings and PD at WAYF in West Palm Beach, FL, Station Manager, PD and Afternoon Drive at WJQK in Grand Rapids, VT for KLOVE and currently APD and MD at KSBJ in Houston

1. Tell us about your recent move to KSBJ, how did that come about, your thoughts on moving etc?

I turned 50 years old this past year. That birthday will mess with your head a little. I asked myself a lot of questions. How much longer can I be on the air and still connect with the demo? If there is an age where connecting is harder for me, then what do I do?  I needed to start thinking about an exit plan from radio, or find a radio station where I wouldn’t have the pressure of carrying an air-shift. KSBJ gave me that opportunity. In five months, I have learned so much from Ty McFarland. He’s the best PD that I have ever worked with.  KSBJ also gives me access to John Frost and Jon Hull.  I seriously feel like I am away at school. It wasn’t easy to leave JQ99 after 21 years, and even harder to move my family 1,500 miles away. God has proven Himself faithful to us.

2. What is the best programming advice you've been given? The worst?

The best advice is learn how to tell stories. It will revolutionize your show. Turn your prep into stories and you’ll never have a boring airshift. 

Worst advice I ever got was to drink Whisky and smoke cigarettes to get that great radio voice I really wanted when I was 17 years old.

3. Regarding your career, what are you most proud of?

I am proud of my longevity. I started my radio career at 15 and 35 years later I am still working in the industry that I have loved all my life. Imagine not having another job since the age of 15. Pretty cool life!

4. What is the ONE thing you must have everyday to do your job?

The drive to make KSBJ better each day. I really try to do at least one thing that I think will make the station better than the day before. It doesn’t have to be profound. It can be something as simple as mixing the right jingle with a song. It might be freshening up an imaging piece or sharing some advice with an air-talent.

5. Where will future Christian radio air talent come from?

People that are having success sharing content on other mediums like YouTube, Periscope, Blogs, Podcasts. My 15 year old daughter understands content curation. She has her own YouTube channel and even shares stories on Snapchat. The new wave of content generators  won’t be happy to be limited to just radio though. Radio will be one of the mediums they want to play in. Programmers need to be flexible.

6. Do you feel syndication is good or bad for Christian radio?

It’s here and we have to deal with it.  All I know is that it’s tough to put your whole heart and soul into your local radio station, and when syndication comes into your market it’s disheartening to watch Cume start slipping away. You worked years for that Cume.  I can whine about it, or work harder to make sure my product is as good or better than theirs.

7. Generally speaking to the industry what are the biggest obstacles facing Christian radio?

Lack of clear vision for the future. It’s hard to have clear vision though at the rate technology is changing. I just read that Norway is doing away with FM signals in a few years. What are we gonna do when the we don’t have towers?

8. Who are your radio heroes and influences? and why?

KALN’s Steve Burrows. My hometown radio DJ who took time to visit with me when I was 8. I fell in love with radio at that moment. DJ’s! Take time to talk to little kids!

Les Lanser who gave me my first Christian Radio job at JQ99.3. He always pushed me to be creative, and rewarded me for it.

Mark Rider who was always there for me when I needed to bounce a crazy idea off someone. Mark knew “Theater of The Mind”

My current influencers are shaping the next 20 years for me. Ty McFarland, John Frost, Jon Hull, Sterling Tarrant and Chris Farnsworth.

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