The Sound Off Podcast Matt Cundill

A few episodes ago, I interviewed Jeff Smulyan about his new book. As I read the book "Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down", I wanted to hear more about the construction of some of the great radio stations like KPWR (Power 106) Los Angeles, and Hot 97 in New York. Rick Cummings was apart of those and number of other radio success stories.

In this episode, Rick shares some great radio stories like what it was like to build Power 106 using a coalition of records from both pop, dance and Latino influences. You might think that the stories gets embellished along the way but no; there was true consternation amongst music and radio on how to handle a station like Power 106. (Check out the episode page for proof) You will also hear about Rick's favourite mistakes, (his three favourite to be exact) and how Emmis accidentally purchased a top ranked radio station in WLOL. Rick also shared his experiences working with great talent from David Letterman to Big Boy.

A Transcription of this episode is available here.

This show is made possible every week by contributors like:

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

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Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

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If you've ever been in radio in North America, either as a producer or as talent, you've probably heard about Morning Show Boot Camp. Heck, you've probably heard us talk about it on the show before. But why should you care?

Well, for starters, it's been a killer resource for training radio talent since the 80's. Most broadcasters have either been to a session or know someone who has, because it's developed a reputation for being the best way to keep your on-air skills sharp. And today, we've got one of the original founders of the Boot Camp, Don Anthony, to tell us about how it's evolved and why it's still incredibly important and relevant.

Don knows, as should everyone, that people just don't listen to radio for the music anymore. Sure, it's nice to find a station that plays your favourite songs, but it's even nicer to be able to pull them up on Spotify or Apple Music and play them anytime. So the question remains: what's the draw of radio in 2023? Don's answer is simple. Streaming services don't have a personality. Radio stations do. He talks to us about the importance of a good host, and the ways Morning Show Boot Camp helps on-air talent learn to harness their entertainment skills. He also shares some of his favourite experiences from the last 35 years of watching people become famous right in front of his eyes.

Want to go to Morning Show Boot Camp? Sign up here!

If you want to stay updated on all things radio, check out Don's website, The Morning Mouth.

A Transcription of this episode is available here.

You can also sign up for their newsletter, Jockline, to get updates on all the latest radio news directly in your inbox. Submit your email, first name and last name here to register.

This show is made possible every week by contributors like:

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

NLogic: TV & radio advertising and audience data solutions

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first time I heard about some of the great work Chris Myers was doing was when he was programming the Beat in Vancouver. I managed to get the before story and everything that happened next. It a very extensive collection of working with innovative companies and talented on air people. Companies like Rawlco, Bell Media, Harvard Broadcasting, and smaller outfits like Focus Entertainment, the first owners of the Beat in Vancouver.

Chris was recently caught up in layoffs from one of the aforementioned groups, and took to Twitter to solicit audio from anyone willing to send it to him for free feedback. What a great opportunity considering nearly half of all air talent believe they do not get enough feedback as it is. Reach out to Chris if you would like to send him some audio or talk to him about his next opportunity.

This show is made possible every week by contributors like:

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

NLogic: TV & radio advertising and audience data solutions

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

You can access a transcript of this episode here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy Fink has one of radio's most storied careers. It includes legendary call letters like WHFS, WPLJ (when it was an AOR station), WXRK (K-Rock, the station where Howard Stern worked in the 90's through to Sirius) and now 107.1 The Peak. It is also the station that brought Jimmy back to radio after he left it in the late 90's.

In this episode you will hear about Jimmy's early days in radio, how he led his family business for a brief period in the 90's, why he left WPLJ, and what it was like to follow Howard Stern. We also dig into what makes the Peak a compelling listen, and why the station has quietly grown a world wide audience. Finally, no 2023 interview would be complete without discussing what impact the pandemic had on Jimmy's work. (Spoiler: He doesn't feel a need to go back to the studio)

It was an earlier episode with Arielle Nissenblatt that conjured up memories of this cool station I would listen to on my trips down I-87 into New York. Arielle grew up listening to the station and contributes a question as well.

This show is made possible every week by contributors like:

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

NLogic: TV & radio advertising and audience data solutions

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

A transcript of this episode is available here

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I had my first trip to Dallas last August and was looking forward to a few things: Visiting the Texas School Book Depository, Eating some Texas BBQ, and listening to the radio. We did all three but I did not check out a lot of country radio which is weird because Dallas radio is full of country music, sports, and is the home of the venerable Kidd Kraddick show. It also has some legendary personalities who have left their mark on the city (like Kidd), but also Ron Chapman, Terry Dorsey and Tom Joyner who did mornings in Dallas before jetting off to Chicago DAILY to do afternoon drive.

Hawkeye has been apart of all of that in the market, including working alongside Terry Dorsey where he learned how to morning radio on the job. In this episode we discussed what makes Dallas a great place to do radio, what it takes to have a successful show in market number 5, why consultants can help grow your career, and what you need to know when you move to Dallas to do radio. We also had some random discussion about the sports scene, the changing demographics in communities and where to get some good Texas BBQ.

We also spent time talking about the morning show, including the division in work and performance between himself and his co-host Michelle, and how much time to allot to on air vs. online.

This show is made possible every week by contributors like:

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

NLogic: TV & radio advertising and audience data solutions

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

For a Transcription of this episode - click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeff Smulyan is the founder and CEO of Emmis Communications, creator of all sports radio, one time owner of the Seattle Mariners, and now an author. He has written a book called Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down which chronicles his career as a leader in broadcasting.

In this episode, you will hear why Jeff chose to study telecommunications and history at the University of Southern California, managing talent such as David Letterman, Ken Griffey and Don Imus, his purchase of the Seattle Mariners, the creation of the all-sports radio format that morphed into the legendary WFAN, and what the future for radio and podcasting looks like.

You should definitely buy the book just to see all the legendary call letters and enjoy all the broadcast stories and decision making rationale.

Get Your Copy of the Book.

Did you know? The Jeff Smulyan Award is presented each year at the Barrett Sports Media Summit to a deserving radio industry executive who has led by example, taken risks, produced results, and made a significant difference for the sports radio business. 

Kraig Kitchen was the first recipient of the award at the 2019. 

Dan Mason was named the winner of the award at the 2020 BSM Summit. 

Traug Keller earned top honors at the 2022 BSM Summit.

A transcription of the episode is available here.

A thanks to the people who support the show each week and allow it arrive on your phones for free.

Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.

NLogic: TV & radio advertising and audience data solutions

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.