Tickets. Money, Vacations. A new car. Radio stations promise it all. But do they deliver? Giveaways are part of the lifeblood of radio promotions. Some are as simple as being the right caller. Others require a little work on the part of listener like answering a trivia question correctly. It’s easy to doubt the legitimacy of radio contests, especially if a large sum of cash in involved. I have been on both sides of radio giveaways. I’ve worked as a promotions director and created contests and secured prizes. I’ve been the on-air personality asking for the eighth caller. Some radio contests hav ..read more

You’re listening to your favorite song, or perhaps, your least favorite song, wondering who chooses what songs make it on the radio and how often should it play. We’ve covered how songs are chosen and how audience is measured previously. But who is the one responsible for making the decisions? Well, I am. More specifically, the program director (PD) makes the decisions regarding who and what goes on the air when and where. In the past few years of my radio career, I was the person responsible for hiring talent, choosing songs, building programming clocks, scheduling shows, and analyzing the au ..read more

Campus radio plays an important role in college life. College radio broke new ground and broke bands. Groups like REM, Goo Goo Dolls, and grunge darlings Nirvana found a home on college radio long before hitting the mainstream. Most of the alternative rock genre owes its existence to college radio. College radio gives a home to student perspectives on a variety of important issues. It can serve as a marketing tool for the college to prospective students and donors. Most importantly, it’s an instructional tool to raise up a new generation of radio professionals. Maybe your institution is consid ..read more

Low-power FM (LPFM) stations are a great asset to community-based organizations. From churches to colleges to nonprofit organizations, LPFMs can add to any program willing to share their mission to the surrounding area. I launched a LPFM station in 2016 after three years of planning and building. While it was a career-defining experience, it wasn’t hassle free. I wish I knew then what I know now. I had worked for full-power commercial and noncommercial stations up until that point. Those station were ready made. I had never launched a brand new station before. It was a learning curve. Fortunat ..read more

You’re listening to your favorite radio station wondering why some songs are played while others don’t make it on the air. I am a program director. I’m in charge of deciding what songs are played on my station and when. I’m sure it sounds like a glamorous job, listening to music all day. While it has its ups, it is a complicated job and not for the faint of heart. I have experience programming country and alternative rock. While the audience is different, the process of putting a song on the air is the same. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes snippet of how it all works. So Much Data Radio is a ..read more

Through 20 years of radio and another 12 in higher education, I have hired and have trained talent for jobs in radio. Radio is a highly competitive business. Many times applicants shoot themselves in the foot by committing blatant faux pas early in the hiring process. Here’s the best advice to landing a job in radio from someone who knows the process. Start at the bottom to make it To the top While it’s tempting to apply for the top-tier jobs immediately, you have start at the bottom to work your way up. Radio is still an industry that requires staff to earn their dues. Many people start off a ..read more

So, you want to your own radio show. Sounds simple enough. You obviously have lofty goals. But you don’t know where to start. I have worked on both sides of the microphone. I’ve hosted shows for over 20 years and taught new and upcoming talent how to create or to improve their shows. As a radio consultant, I often audit, or professionally analyze, the radio shows and offer suggestions. It doesn’t matter if you choose to work on an online or traditional radio station, the steps are the same. A good show is a good show regardless of the way it’s broadcast. Here is how to create a radio show peop ..read more

If you’ve ever requested a song and wondered why it never played, we have the scoop. In my 20 years of radio experience, the industry has changed significantly in how requests are handled. In fact, one of my first duties with my very first station was taking requests on the phone and passing it along to the talent on the weekly request show. Not every station is the same in terms of request policies. Some stations don’t allow requests at all. Other station delegate requests to specific time slots. Here are some reasons why your request may be ignored. 1. Radio is no longer live Radio is a corp ..read more

If you’ve ever been stuck in Houston rush-hour traffic, you know how a good radio station can make the experience feel more like a break than an inconvenience. Instead of getting grouchy and letting the frustration mount, why not bop your head and sing along to your favorite jams? In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the 8 best radio stations you should tune into so you won’t have to go through the hassle of endlessly turning the dial to find the perfect soundtrack. Whether you want to listen to the latest chart-toppers or the classics, you’ll find a radio station for your music taste her ..read more

With the rise of digital media, Phoenix’s talk radio stations offer fresh and engaging perspectives on the issues that matter most to you. Whether you’re craving the latest political insights, eager to stay up-to-date on sports news, or seeking business advice, there are talk radio stations in Phoenix that offer lively discussions, insightful interviews, and expert analysis. Tune in and join the talk of the town as we discover the best talk radio stations Phoenix has to offer! Phoenix’s Best 10 Talk Radio Stations Regarding gauging talk radio station popularity, Nielsen’s audio rating and Tune ..read more