Happy National Radio Day! (This is going to be a bit long, and probably include a few typos. I apologize in advance) Radio has been a big part of my life… All of my life. Let me give you a few examples – One of my earliest memories is my Mom making pancakes, singing along with Crystal Gayle’s ‘Don’t it Make My Brown Eyes Blue’ on the radio. To this day when I think of Crystal Gayle, I think of Maple Syrup. I remember my dad picking me up from elementary school. He had our local AM station WLNC on. That was the first time I heard Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’. I remember family vacations in Oak Island, NC, and my family listening to the local Oldies station non stop. When I hear the Temptations, I can smell salt air. I was in High School, in the Taco Bell parking lot the first time I heard 95.7 WKML play Garth’s ‘Friends in Low Places’. Suddenly country music wasn’t just cool to me, but it was to everybody else at school in the following days. I was into my Senior year of HS, leaving a Football game on a Friday night the first time I heard Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, and I knew I would never view rock music the same way again. A few years later, in the same Taco Bell parking lot I mentioned earlier, I heard that Kurt Cobain had died. I cried. There never really was a time growing up when I don’t remember radio playing a big part of my life. I am an only child, so I spent a lot of time alone in my room. The majority of that time, I was listening to music. For my birthday in the 4th grade, my Mom and Dad bought me a huge double cassette Toshiba Boom Box stereo. I would make sure I was listening to Q98 every night to catch the ‘Top 8 at 8’ to record my favorite songs. I would also call the station, in hopes of being ‘The Guest DJ’. The few times I got in, it was the biggest thrill to hear my voice on the radio. I always knew that was what I wanted for a career. I was that kid who called in to EVERY contest. I to, have been caller #9 when the DJ is looking for #10. It sucks. I remember listening to Countdown Shows trying to guess what song would be #1 I remember distinctly, winning a Bon Jovi cassette, and the radio station mailed me Debbie Gibson instead. ‘Out of the Blue’ is a disappointment when you’re expecting ‘Slippery When Wet’. I remember losing my mind when I won John Mellencamp tickets, Brooks and Dunn tickets, etc. Moments like that stick with you for a lifetime, but that isn’t really all that radio is about. Radio is about companionship. It’s the most intimate form of media there is. I love interaction with our listeners. Whether it be via the phone, social media (and/or) especially at live remotes where I get to shake hands, thank them for listening, and get to know their story. The listener can’t get that from Pandora. They know that. That is why radio listeners are so loyal and passionate. Sometimes it blows my mind to think about how many people are listening at any given time, and what may be going on in their lives at that moment. Someone could be newly engaged, and we could be the ones that plays the song that will forever me attached to that moment. Just like a photograph, it could be part of that memory. A listener could be dealing with the death of a family member, and they could hear (example) ‘See You Again’ by Carrie Underwood. A couple has their first little girl, driving home from the hospital and they hear ‘It Won’t Be Like this For Long’ by Darius Rucker. THAT is what makes radio special. It’s the privilege to play a tiny part in their lives in a way that no other form of media can. It’s MY privilege to have the opportunity to share your afternoon with you. I can’t thank you enough for listening. Here is to more radio memories to come! Happy National Radio Day to you all,
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 03:07:03 +0000