Can you share the story of how you first got into radio? What inspired you to pursue this career?
I was inspired to pursue a career in radio from a young age. My dad would drive me to school, and we would listen to the radio together on the way. I began to notice that my dad would turn the radio up when the morning host would say something interesting. If the man told a joke, my dad would laugh. If the radio host said something my dad disagreed with, he would comment out loud as if he was talking back to the radio. I was witnessing radio making a connection with a listener, and I was fascinated. I decided I wanted to be the guy on the radio someday. When I was in college, I stopped by a small radio station that was on the way to my grandparents’ house, and asked how I could become a deejay. At first, the woman I met in the lobby asked if I had experience. When I said no, she hesitated a moment, and then said “We have a weekend on-air slot open, but we don’t have time to train someone with no experience.” I said thanks anyway, but before I made it out the door she said, “Wait, follow me.” I followed her to a tiny production studio outfitted with a reel-to-reel tape recorder and a World War II era microphone on a stand. She sat down and started the tape machine, opened a file cabinet drawer and pulled out a random commercial script for Dairy Queen. I read the script aloud for her, and after she rewound the tape and heard the playback, she hired me to start the next day. The woman who greeted me in the lobby was Mrs. Lee Sanders, the station owner. Female owners were rare in those days, and she became very instrumental in my soon-to-be radio career.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your career in radio, and how did you overcome them?
The first challenge was finding my voice. Most of us who get into radio start out by imitating what we’ve heard other people do. It’s important for every personality to be unique and genuine on air. That doesn’t happen instantly. It takes time and effort to learn to be yourself on-air. The second challenge is learning to work in what can be an unforgiving business. Corporate radio is driven by ratings and revenue, and many times changes are made to a staff lineup, even if the situation is out of the staff’s control. To put it bluntly, people can lose their jobs if ratings are not good, and budgets are not met. I am so thankful that Z88.3 is different than corporate radio because we are not-for-profit. I was fortunate to work for one other local radio station for 29 years prior to coming to the Z. That’s unusual in broadcasting.
As a radio host, how have you balanced your professional responsibilities with raising your kids?
When my wife Janice and I decided we wanted to have a family, we had some decisions to make. I was working mornings at a radio station in Melbourne, and those hours are difficult to maintain while raising a family. It’s certainly not impossible, as I’ve known many morning personalities who are also amazing parents and have awesome families, but it requires a level of sacrifice. I decided to leave full-time morning radio behind. In 1990, I was hired to be the Creative Services Director at MIX 105.1 in Orlando, and for the first time in many years, I did not have my own daily radio show. I was still on the air often, covering for personalities who were on vacation, and hosting a weekend shift, which I continued until 1996 when our daughter was born. I decided, with two small kids at home, it was time to give up my on-air role entirely, and work behind the scenes, so that my hours were more conventional. My voice was still a big part of the station on commercials and station promos, but I always missed being on the radio every day. Our kids are grown now, and I am excited to be back on-air doing what I love most on Z88.3
Did you have any mentors or role models who helped guide you in your radio career? How did they influence your journey?
The lady who hired me first, Mrs. Lee Sanders, the owner of WPXE in Starke, Florida was my first mentor. Now that I’ve been in radio for 40 years, I realize just how smart she was. She was a radio pioneer, having been one of the first female Program Directors in the country. When she and her husband bought WPXE in 1964, she ran a tight ship, and so many of the principles and techniques of radio that she taught me in 1982 have been useful throughout my career. She was the first person who said to me, “You can make a living doing this.” Other mentors include Dave Robbins, a long time Program Director and General Manager that I worked with twice when I was at MIX 105.1. He taught me the power of positivity long before I ever came to the Z! Beth Bacall, our talent coach at the Z was able to help me find my voice on the air again after many years away from the mic. Finally, Dean O’Neal here at Z88.3. Not only is he an incredible radio programmer, he is also a weather expert, and he has opened my eyes to the importance of severe weather coverage on the radio. Thanks to Dean, I can find my way around the various layers of a Doppler Radar screen.
How has your faith played a role in your decision-making throughout your career?
God was already planting seeds from my very first day on the radio. The little station in Starke, WPXE, was a country music station, but my first shift was Sunday morning, and that was God’s time. I would arrive at 5am, turn on the transmitters for the day, and play a healthy dose of Southern Gospel music for 6 hours, followed by the weekly broadcast of the First Baptist Church of Starke at 11am. When my shift ended at noon, I had sung along with the Word of God, been to church and was ready to start another week at college. After I was moved from Sunday mornings to Saturday afternoons, I enjoyed playing country music also, but I believe that Sunday morning shift was still my favorite. Occasionally, I host Sunday mornings on the Z, and it reminds me of those early Sunday mornings back in the day.
Can you describe a memorable moment in your career that solidified your passion for radio?
In 2015, When I was working at MIX 105.1, I just happened to be the only manager in the office when a distressed woman called asking for help. The front desk transferred her to my phone. She shared that she was in an abusive marriage and had decided she needed to get out of this situation before her husband harmed her. We immediately jumped into action and called upon a few resources we had available to find her immediate help. About a month later, she called back and asked to speak to me again. She wanted to let me know that she and her kids were now safe, living with relatives in another state, and just wanted to say thanks for our help. I asked her “Of all the people you could have called that day, why did you call a radio station?” Her response was “I felt like Jay, Dana and Adam, the voices on the MIX 105.1 morning show were the only friends I had in that moment. Even though they were just voices on the radio, I considered them my friends. I trusted them, so that’s why I called you first.”
How do you incorporate your faith into your radio show? What message do you hope to convey to your listeners?
We are fortunate at the Z to be able to play music that delivers the messages of faith better than any one of us possibly can. Of course, I share my faith on air, by talking about my church, sharing positive thoughts from scripture, and reminding our listeners that we all have a common bond through our love of Jesus. But in addition to that, we are all living our every day lives in Central Florida, and I just enjoy doing life right along with our friends who listen, sharing funny stories of things that have happened in my family, and bringing uplifting and encouraging stories to the show to remind us that even though we believe our world is broken, there is still more good than bad. The reason for this is that God love us, and he made us with a purpose, and we have a choice whether to focus on good things or bad things.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in radio but is also concerned about balancing family life?
Radio is a very different industry today than it was when I was starting out. It’s still a great business, and the types of skills needed are more diverse than ever. Broadcasting is more than just a job, it is a lifestyle. Your family has to understand and embrace that. The families I’ve seen thrive when a parent works in radio, are the families who enjoy sharing that lifestyle with their loved one. Radio is not a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 job. It requires weekend work, evening events and sometimes long hours. My wife and my kids have always understood that we are a radio family. They enjoy being a part of it, and they appreciate that it is a unique calling.
Looking back on your journey, what are you most grateful for in both your career and your role as a parent?
I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to work in the business I love for over 40 years! When I retire someday, I will be able to say the only full-time work I have ever done was working in the radio business. I have many friends who have left radio and moved on to other things, but I am thankful I’ve made it in this industry for all of these years. As far as being a parent, I am just grateful that my kids are happy, healthy and are enjoying their adult lives. Daniel and Victoria are both married and have found careers they love. I count my blessings every single day.
