I began my radio career during college at WBGL in Champaign, IL doing fill-in on-air work…and several months later I started part-time work at WLRW (Hot AC) too. In January of 1998, I became full-time production/imaging director for WLRW and WIXY(Country) in Champaign. In 1999 I moved to Baton Rouge to be Music and Production Director/Afternoon host for WQCK. Just under two years later I accepted the position as Managing Morning Show Producer at WMBI in Chicago, and I have since been promoted to Senior Creative Services Producer.

1. What events led to you joining Moody Broadcasting in Chicago? What are your duties there?

After several years of living more than 800 miles away from any family, my wife and I decided to begin looking for work closer to home. WMBI was able to offer a number of positive things for us…market size, location, a history of excellence, national exposure, and a pretty progressive (and good) morning show. I started out producing that show, but now my duties include creative writing and production, voiceovers, artist interviews, and feature production.

2.How did you get into Christian radio?

I was looking for a part-time job while I was at the University of Illinois, and thought radio might be fun. I loved Christian music, but didn’t have a clue about radio. Steve Young, then of WBGL, was the brave soul who let me on the air for the first time…and I was hooked!

3. Tell us about your production company.....how it began....it's services etc.

Flying Upside Down Productions began in 1999 just doing simple commercial production for small businesses in my area. Currently though, we handle clients such as McDonald’s, Christianity Today, and Moody Magazine, plus produce radio imaging for several stations. Recently, we unveiled a new production service ([ION] Productions) for Christian record labels…helping them feature their artists in new and innovative ways. You can e-mail us at fudprod@attbi.com.

4.Why is production quality so important to a Christian radio station?

In most markets, every secular station spends a lot of time and money on their production facilities and talent. The sound quality is high, the writing is compelling, and the production is seamless. If we hope to compete for the same listeners that the rest of our market is, we have to meet or exceed those standards. Never underestimate the power of well-done production. Listeners DO notice.

5. What are some of your favorite production tools (toys)?

On a daily basis at WMBI we use ProTools, but I’ve found that for basic imaging and commercial production Samplitude 6.0 is excellent! It’s easy to use and has all the fun-stuff I need built in. My most prized production tool though is my cable internet connection! I send and receive MP3 files daily (VO, sfx, and music beds), saving a whole lot of time and postage. In fact, all of the television and radio audio I do for McDonald’s is sent via the web!

6. How did your passion for Christian radio develop?

I grew up in a very musical family. We listened to music all the time! As I got older I began to see how Christian music was not only fun, but was being used to change lives like nothing else could and that excited me. Once I started on the radio end of things, I was completely blown away by all the listeners who rely SO much on what we broadcast. For some it’s their only connection to Christ. I like being faced with that challenge!

7. What advice could you give to a young person wanting to start a career in Christian radio?

Be willing to do anything! You never know what might happen from there. Work at a station in your area for free, sweep floors, file music, whatever. You’ll learn more about radio at an actual station in one week than you would learn in one year of school. Remember, most radio stations promote from within!