1.
What is your background?
Hey I was
named after a country singer! (See picture) I
was destined to be involved in music somehow. I can’t
sing, so why not radio? I’ve noticed a lot of
“wanna-be” singer and musicians are in this field.
I’ve also had the privilege of working along side some
CCM radio greats…Dan Popp, Dean O’Neil, Jim McDermott,
Jon Hull, Mark Pluimmer, Rick McConnell, Therese
Romano, Sandi Brown, Tim Marx, Mike Couchman, James
Dobson, John Fuller (and the people I’m working with
now at WAY-FM, too). I love Christian radio! Radio
gigs: KCVO- Central MO, KGNM- St Joseph, MO, KLTE-
Kirksville, MO, KBIQ- Colorado Springs, CO, Word in
Music Satellite Network- Colorado Springs, WLGH- The
Light- Lansing, MI, and Focus on the Family.
2.
How did you wind up at in
your current position at CHRSN?
After doing
the on-air thing and the PD thing for 15 years, the
Lord lead me to start working with Christian radio
stations “off the air” at Focus on the Family. I was
hired at Briargate Media to be a radio station rep. I
found out that I love it. I was paid to talk radio all
day. Now at CHRSN, I’m doing the same thing. I talk
with radio stations all day every day about airing the
best Christian music satellite network in the world!
3. What have you
learned talking to Christian radio stations all over
the country?
Lots of
things. Here are the top 3:
1.
There are
still a lot of GMs, owners, boards, and PDs that want
to do it there way. They don’t care if research shows
differently. They’ve made up their mind.
2. There
are still a lot of PDs, DJs, and GMs with a great
vision and great goals, but their station is held back
by lack of finances.
3.The
best Christian radio stations have dealt with the
above two issues.
4.
What do you think
Christian radio needs to do in the next 5 years?
I want to be like
Consultant Mike McVay, who said, “I’m not an expert in
radio, I am a student of radio.” Here’s my list
of “things I’ve learned, so far.”
1. Christian radio
hasn’t changed the world yet, but it does impact
individual lives. Every station is making an
impact!!! However, the more professional you are,
the more lives you will impact.
2. Invest in research.
At least check into it. You might be able to afford
it? Can you afford not to?
3. If you’re a PD, but
you are too busy with other duties to actually spend
time listening to your station and to aircheck your
staff, you must talk to your boss. If you can see
things aren’t going to change, find another station.
4. If you’re a PD, hire
on-air people that are better than you are. Don’t be
in-secure.
5. Roy Williams is a
genius. I want to learn to use words like he does.
6. Conflict between
sales and programming is a good thing. Don’t look at
it as a bad thing. The best station scenario includes
an aggressive PD and an aggressive Sales/Underwriting
Manager. This will lead to tension, but also to a
great balance.
7. My radio job is not
my ministry. It’s my job. It’s great that I get to
minister on the job, but it’s not my ministry. My
ministry is still with my family and my church.
8. Radio DJs can sell,
too. I never thought I was a salesperson. Now I
realize I can be. If you’re a PD and you need money,
talk to your boss and then go sell some Underwriting,
or get into Donor Development. Take it on yourself
that you might need to make it happen financially in
order to make it happen.
Last thoughts?
I did an article for CRW
a few months ago. I asked some well-known radio pros
what General Market radio stations think (today) about
Christian radio. I’ll never forget this from
Dan O’Day.
“They rarely think about Christian music radio. They
also think it's quite like college radio:
Undisciplined, capricious, unprofessional,
holier-than-thou. Finally, on the air talent side,
populated by burned out, multi-divorced,
multi-bankrupted, former alcoholics and ex-junkies who
couldn't compete in secular commercial radio.”
I get challenged when I
read this!
