guest professional faculty - kellar radio talent...
TRANSCRIPT
Greg Abee Air Personality New Rock 93.3 The Planet Entercom Greenville/Spartanburg, SC
Greg’s radio career began with college radio, WASU-FM at Appalachian State University. For two years he hosted various air shifts, including a weekly metal show called “Metal up the WASU”. He attended the first-ever Keller Radio Talent Institute in 2007.
Immediately after graduation, he got his first job in the promotions department at Entercom in Greenville, a cluster that includes Active Rock, Classic Rock, Top-40, Hot AC, and News/Talk formats. After several months, Greg was offered a part-time air position on CHR - B93.7. Greg says, “I started small, hosting a late night weekend show and, over time, as my skills improved, I was handed a Saturday/Sunday air shift, fill-ins, and eventually overnights. In 2009 I was asked to host a heavy metal show on Active Rock – 93.3 The Planet.” “I left B93.7 and jumped over to the active rocker exclusively. Over time my one hour show grew into a weekend air shift, fill ins, etc.” In December 2011, the Planet’s full-time night show became available, and after an audition process, Greg was named the full-time night show host, which is where he is today.
Ace & TJ The ACE & TJ Show Channel 96.1 Clear Channel Charlotte, NC Ace – The Rockstar, the lead singer of the band
Charity Case. He and TJ are co-hosts on Rock 96.1, and Ace runs the board for the show. He is constantly labeled as the most vain,
egotistical member of the show, although this is mostly in jest.
Ace started working for his hometown radio station right out of college where he met TJ
when the station traded out an apartment for them to share. When the station filed bankruptcy, they made themselves the morning
show and shot to #1 in the market. The pair moved to Baton Rouge, Huntsville, then on to
Charlotte.
Ace is an LSU grad and his three favorite bands
are KISS, Run-DMC, and Bon Jovi. His last job before radio was Mobile Home Repair and says if he wasn’t in radio, he’d be a Sports
Center anchor or professional drag racer.
Ace and his wife,
Shonnette, were married in 1996 and have two children,
Payton and Cade.
TJ – The Love Specialist, TJ is the
wittiest member of the show. He co-hosts the show with
Ace, and he constantly uses sarcasm to take his humor to the
next level. His real name is Ritchie and he feels
bad for calling himself Terry Joe for all these years.
TJ majored in theater at Louisiana Tech,
passing up several football scholarships to the dismay of his father. He worked in lumber
mills, tried his hand at stand-up comedy in LA and returned to Louisiana to try his hand at
radio. He and Ace have been doing mornings together since 1993 in Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Huntsville, AL, and for 13 years in
Charlotte, NC.
Before getting into radio, TJ was a Purchasing Agent for a lumber company and says he’d
probably be a teacher and coach if it weren’t for the show!
TJ and his wife, Jodi, have two children, Lanie
and Aiden, who take care of their golden-doodle, Dutch. One more thing you need to
know: “I can’t make it through the day without…hugs and kisses from my kids!”
Dave Aiken Assistant Program Director & Music Director WKRR-FM/Rock 92 Dick Broadcasting Company Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
Dave Aiken is Assistant Program Director and Music Director for WKRR-FM (Rock 92).
Known to listeners as “Weather
Dave”, he also hosts his own afternoon show on Rock 92 and is a member of the “Two Guys Named Chris” morning show. Aiken has been
with Dick Broadcasting Company since 2003 and has served in many facets in both Creative
Services and as Promotions Director.
Prior to his work in DBC, Dave was staff meteorologist for both WFMY-TV and a freelance meteorologist at WXII-TV in
Greensboro and Winston-Salem, respectively. He has also done work for the Hazardous
Weather Preparedness Institute, providing corporation
s, sports
organizations, and
public emergency
response teams in the
development of hazardous
weather planning and staff training throughout the
Carolinas and Virginia. He has been a member and broadcast seal holder of the National
Weather Association.
Dave is a North Carolina native and a graduate of the Broadcast Meteorology Program at
Mississippi State University. He holds a double major Bachelor’s degree from the University of
North Carolina Greensboro with concentrations in National
Security Policy and Radio & Television Broadcasting. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Don Anthony Founder & President, Talentmasters Publisher, The Morning Mouth Magazine & Jockline Daily Creator & Host, Morning Show & Talk Show Boot Camp
As the titles suggest, for
over 25 years, Don’s life has been
consumed by the business of
personality radio. Each
summer, 25 years running, Don brings together hundreds of the top personalities from throughout the US
and abroad for his highly acclaimed Morning Show Boot Camp. It has become radio’s largest
gathering of its type.
Following the success of Morning Show Boot
Camp, he began Talk Radio Boot Camp, now in its 5th year. Talk Radio Boot Camp was immediately successful. Don brings in the
leading Talk Radio talent in America, as well as internationally.
Through his conference, his monthly publication for talent, and his daily talent search operation, Don has developed a unique and
well-honed insight into the inter-workings and elements of successful radio shows.
Jockline is a daily newsletter for air talent and the radio industry, and one you can read daily
at www.themorningmouth.com.
Courtney Armstrong Promotions Manager KISS 95.1 & K104.7 CBS Radio Charlotte, NC
Courtney is in the department of fun and games
with a side of problem solving. She has been
working for CBS Radio as a Promotions Manager since August 2012. Courtney is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University
and a Kellar Radio Talent Institute graduate of 2010. From these experiences, she took home a
degree in Electronic/Media and Broadcasting and Advertising. She also took home many
experiences from working as Promotions Dir-ector at WASU-FM and a deep respect for a good jacket and warm socks. If you've ever
stayed in Boone for an extended period of time, you understand why. Courtney enjoyed a
wonderful internship in Greensboro at WKZL-FM (107.5 KZL) and WKRR-FM (Rock 92)
as well.
Courtney says, “The
best part of promotions
is the combination
of using the ideas of a
five-year-old
and making them happen. Since 2006 she has done
everything from spray painting logos onto snow to a free outdoor concert for a thousand girls to
filling a kiddie pool full of lucky charms and making people dive in for prizes. It's a department that works with every part of radio
and is the face of the station to people on the
streets. There is no better description for it than the department of fun and games."
George Beasley CEO Beasley Broadcast Group Naples, FL
“Just take a leap of
faith” is the advice
George G. Beasley
shares with students
today.
In 1961, Mr. Beasley
took that leap. While
serving as principal of
Meadow High School
in Benson, NC, he
began building his first
radio station, WPYB-
AM, also in Benson. His days were spent at
school, until the bell rang and he hurried to the
radio station to conduct sales meetings. But the
double-duty soon paid off. He sold WPYB at a
profit in 1966 and bought a larger signal station
in nearby Goldsboro. Today, Beasley
Broadcast Group has grown to 43 radio stations
(27 FM and 16 AM) in eleven large- and mid-
market locations across the US.
George made the lead gift, making a new
media complex possible on the campus of
Appalachian State University. The George G.
Beasley Media Complex is scheduled to open
later this year. The complex will house the
Department of Communication’s radio and
television studios, labs and offices.
He served the North Carolina Association of
Broadcasters for eight years as president, vice president and member of the NCAB Board of
Directors. He received the association’s
Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and was inducted into NCAB’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2003, the Broadcasters’ Foundation of America awarded Mr. Beasley their prestigious
Broadcast Pioneer Award. The Nevada Broadcasters Association inducted Mr. Beasley into their Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010, the
Country Radio Broadcasters honored Mr. Beasley with the Tom Rivers Humanitarian
Award. In 2011, the Florida Association of Broadcasters named him Broadcaster of the
Year by bestowing upon him the William J. Brooks Award. For 13 of the past 16 years, Mr. Beasley has been acknowledged as one of the
“40 Most Powerful People in Radio” by Radio
Ink, an annual listing the magazine started in
1996.
Mr. Beasley has received numerous accolades
from the broadcast industry as well as from various civic and charitable organizations throughout his fifty-plus years in radio
broadcasting. Notably, he was recently honored by the Library of American
Broadcasting as one of the “2012 Giants of Broadcasting.”
Kent Bernhardt Production Coordinator Performance Racing Network Charlotte, NC
Kent has been the official “voice” of PRN since 1988, and joined the PRN team in December 2000 as Production Coordinator.
A native of Faith, NC, Kent attended The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
before beginning his broadcasting career in 1977. He spent 13 years hosting “Salisbury’s
Early Morning
News” on WSTP in Salisbury, NC, the
station that spawned sportscasting greats
like Bob Rathbun,
Marty Brenneman, and PRN’s own
Doug Rice. He is a recognized voice for
radio and TV commercials, and
has voiced numerous corporate productions. His voice is heard as a track announcer in the movie
“Talladega Nights”.
He produces much of PRN’s feature material,
and in 2005, was a co-recipient of the prestigious Barney Hall Award for outstanding
motorsports radio reporting. He was also named the NMPA’s Broadcaster of the Year in 2008.
In his spare time, he is an avid movie and theater buff, and has appeared in more than 30
regional stage productions, including “1776” and “Spamalot”. Kent is a proud dad of a
daughter, McKenna, who is currently a student at Appalachian State University.
Arroe Collins Production Director Clear Channel Radio Charlotte, NC
If you ask Arroe Collins about the current expectations of a Modern Broadcaster, you'll
never get the same answer. He puts "no" focus
on where 34 years of Radio and Television has taken him. Arroe says, “For the first time since its inception, the internet combined with new
age technology, has turned everybody in radio and TV into Broadcast pioneers. Setting the
standard for the next one hundred years should be the everyday ambition. Content collects
followers, not just on radio's two speakers, but
station websites, individual blogs, Twitter, Face Book, Stumble Upon, Google + and more. If
you aren't writing, producing and performing on five social media outlets daily, you're going
to have a tough time
convincing Programmer's how serious
you are about being a
leader in a field of
constant changes. Radio
commercials connect you to clients and listeners. You can do
more things to a listener's life and style in a 15 second commercial than you can on a week's
worth of four-hour Radio shows.”
A 2012 National Mercury Award nominee, Arroe lectures on university and Broadcast
campuses throughout the Southeast. He says, "Engage the listener or remind them that the
radio station isn't playing their favorite song." Arroe has six published books, with his seventh
currently under construction, which recently put him face-to-face with one of its main characters: Yoko Ono. The host of The Fox
Classic Rock Report keeps music fans informed; "I refuse to believe the format is for old men."
Unplugged and Totally Uncut unlocks the Radio expectation through one-on-one
conversations with nationally recognized actors
and comedians, musicians and the soon to be famous. Connecting Road: The Preacher and The Poet take Modern New Rock and makes
meaning of the lyrics between the bass beats and hard driven drums. Collins and Jonathan
Coppedge-Henley have created side by side in
generating what once was a 60 second
commercial into a two hour radio show. Scrambled Eggs ignite the imagination of hidden away writers and poets. Who's doing
this? That guy on the Radio. My message is personal. Master commercial production. You
can't fire yourself.”
Jack Daniel Program Director & Air Talent 106.5 The End/WEND-FM Clear Channel Media + Entertainment Charlotte, NC
Jack’s career began in eastern NC over 40 years
ago. He attended East Carolina University and
first worked in
Charlotte radio in
1976. In Charlotte,
he has programmed
and worked on-air
at WPEG, WAYS
and WROQ,
WJZR, and WBCY.
At WRFX he held
the positions of on-
air, program
director and general
manager, then to WEDJ as VP/GM until he
joined WEND in 1995, where he is on-air and
program director of 106.5 The End. Jack is a s
staple, and some would say, legend, in
Charlotte radio.
Jack and Carla have been married for 36 years and have two grown children, Adam and
Alexandra.
Chris D’Emilio Media Consultant Cox Media Group Atlanta, GA
Born & raised in Wilmington, Delaware – The
First State! Not familiar? See George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers. After
moving to Concord, NC, “I became a huge fan
of a tiny little morning show on
WRFX called John Boy & Billy (I
doubt you’ve heard of them). That’s when I started
learning about & getting interested
in local radio.” After graduating from App State in 2004, Chris started his career with Cox
Media Group, a career that is in year 9 right now.
Working in promotions for 4 years was a great
learning experience, but he had aspirations for a bigger career. A step in that direction was
joining the sales force at Cox Media Group for WSB-FM in Atlanta. BAD TIMING! Why?
“The time was Fall 2008…right when the economy went down the drain. Not a good time for radio advertising…but it was a fantastic
time to learn the dedication that is critical to be
a successful media sales professional.” In just 5
years as a sales person, D’Emilio built a local and direct account list billing over a million dollars annually with unique marketing ideas
and self-motivation for success. For 2012, he received the honor of Cox Media Group’s
President’s Circle as sales person of the year for
WSB-FM, WALR, & WSRV. As he stated,
“Strategic marketing for a local business is extremely challenging to navigate through all the clutter, and it’s my job to help my clients do
exactly that. Keep on rockin’ in the free world!”
Brandon Dickson Anchor/Reporter/Producer 680 WPTF/Curtis Media and North Carolina News Network Raleigh, NC
Brandon is currently an anchor, reporter, and producer with 680 AM WPTF and for the
North Carolina
News Network in Raleigh, NC. He
graduated from Appalachian
State University in May 2010 and was a 2008 Kellar
Radio Talent Institute graduate.
He worked as the assistant sports director and sports director at
college radio station 90.5 WASU in Boone, NC and was an on-air talent all four years.
He has worked in both radio and television,
having previously worked as a producer, evening news show co-host and board op at 600
AM WSJS in Winston-Salem, NC; the evening news and sports anchor, reporter, producer, sports show co-host at the Mountain Television
Network in Boone, NC; and a news anchor,
reporter, producer, weekend morning show host at 800 AM/97.3 FM WKBC in North Wilkesboro, NC. He has also interned with the
Winston-Salem Dash (the single A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox) as a sales and guest
service representative and has worked with
ESPN for the Belk Bowl (formerly the Meinke
Car Care Bowl) in 2006 and 2007 as an on-field coordinator.
DZL Air Talent/Assistant PD 106.5 The End/WEND-FM Clear Channel Charlotte, NC
DZL (pronounced “Diesel”) is the host of WEND 106.5 The End’s afternoon drive radio
show called "The Lounge." DZL is also a syndicated radio
personality on over 60
stations across the
US from Fairbanks, Alaska to
Tampa, Florida! Here’s a little bit about DZL straight
from the horse’s mouth:
“I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia! I will say this though: my mother was an English teacher, so if I ever said “ya’ll” or “fixin’ to”, I
was QUICKLY corrected! My Grandfather was in radio for over 30 years as a morning host
for a popular country radio station in Missouri, so I was exposed to radio from a very young
age and have been around it my entire life. I
knew radio was what I wanted to do for a living
when I was in elementary school. To this day, I still pursue it with a ferocity! The passion never goes away.”
DZL got his professional radio start at WZGC in Atlanta in the 90’s. Since then, he has
worked in South Carolina, New York and has
been in Charlotte for the last 7 years. Charlotte is where he met his wife, they have since bought
a house and planted roots! His personal interests outside of the radio station keeps him
involved in the industry to some degree as well. He is the lead singer and guitar player in a
working rock band…and he says, “I LOVE to play golf! I'm a sports nut. I love traveling the world and spending time with family.”
Stu Epperson Chairman of the Board Salem Communications Corporation Santa Rosa, CA
Stuart W. Epperson is
Chairman of the Board of Salem Communications
Corporation, the leading U.S.
radio broadcaster,
Internet content provider and magazine
publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and
family-themed content and conservative values program-ming with 96 radio stations, including
67 stations in 24 of the top 25 markets. Salem became a publicly traded company in 1999 and
is listed on NASDAQ. He has served in that
role since founding the company in the early 1970s with brother-in-law, Edward Atsinger. Epperson holds a bachelor’s degree in radio and
television broadcasting and a master’s degree in communications. He has been involved in
broadcasting since the early 1950’s when he
worked as a disc jockey; and he built his first
radio station in 1961.
He lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida with his wife Nancy. He is one of the founders of the
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission, Salem Pregnancy Support Center, founder of One Kid
At A Time Mentoring Ministry and a two-time Republican nominee for U.S. Congress. He has 4 children, all married, and 16 grandchildren.
Jason Furst Program Director News Talk 1110 WBT Greater Media Charlotte, NC
Jason Furst is
Program Director of News Talk 1110 WBT Charlotte.
Passionate about radio, Jason grew up
with the business
around him. Mom,
Dad, even his grandmother, have worked in radio.
Jason feels privileged to have worked with
many great stations during his fourteen year career. Starting as a producer at KASE, and
then KHFI, both in Austin, TX and KKBQ Houston, where he shifted to research, working
for Broadcast Architecture, doing projects for
many radio stations, including KIIS Los Angeles, KHKS Dallas, and KODA Houston. Jason helped The Australian Radio Network
move into the automation era, programmed legendary talk stations WSYR, Syracuse and
WHAM, Rochester and several stations in
music formats.
A content enthusiast, he enjoys creating
successful digital stations and social media strategies. When not at the station, Jason plays
competitive hockey.
Jason Goodman Director of Programming WKZL & WKRR-FM (Rock 92) Dick Broadcasting Company Winston-Salem/Greensboro, NC
Jason has been in the
Program Director’s chair at 107.5 WKZL and holding down
the afternoon drive shift since 2005.
During that time, WKZL has
experienced some of its highest ratings ever as a CHR, often
number one in the target demo and
almost always top three in most key demos. In 2010 he was also given the responsibility to
program Rock 92.
Prior to WKZL, Jason was Assistant Program Director and Music Director at The
Point/WPTE in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia, while also pulling an air shift and
handling the imaging of the station. Jason
worked as an air personality at three other very
respected heritage Top 40 stations, WXLK/K92 Roanoke, WRVQ/Q94, WNVZ/Z104 Norfolk…all in Virginia.
He was nominated for Radio Music Awards for Music Director/Assistant PD of the year in
2003 and 2004 and nominated for Hot AC Air
Personality of the year in 2003 and 2004. Jason graduated from Old Dominion University with
a Bachelor of Science Degree.
John Hancock Talk Show Host WBT Greater Media Charlotte, NC
Hancock arrived at WBT in 1990 and took
Charlotte by storm. In 1999
he put himself in “Time Out”, but
returned as the self-proclaimed “Charlotte’s
Most Beloved” in 2001, where he’s held down the Maine to
Miami, Canada to Cuba hours ever since.
As his many fans and listeners know, John is a
Colorado native and a PK (Priest’s Kid). Following a short but uneventful stint at Colorado State University, Hancock majored in
“Street Smarts”, working with many major Rock Music Tours as a record promoter, and
even a stint as a Rack Jobber in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition,
Hancock’s radio career has included Denver,
CO; Dallas, TX; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA;
and Jacksonville, FL.
The Zumwalt Community Award (National: Marrow Donor), Charlotte’s Best Magazine’s
“Best Radio Personality”, Creative Loafing’s “Best Local Personality” and “Best Talk Show
Host”, and Charlotte Magazine’s “Worst
Whiner” (the award was retired in John’s name) are among the many awards John has
won. John loves music of all kinds, especially Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, and Tom Petty, and
recalls his first concert was The Beatles at Red Rocks in 1964.
John lives with his kids and his wife, Susan, in Charlotte.
Wade H. Hargrove Partner Brooks Pierce Raleigh, NC
Wade Hargrove’s
practice is concentrated in communications,
antitrust, corporate, media, Internet,
copyright, public utility law and
Congressional representation. He
has been asked to testify before numerous
Congressional and legislative committees on issues involving corporate law, copyright law,
the Internet, satellite broadcasting, open government, libel and slander, political
broadcasting, broadcast license renewal, cable
television, and public utility law. He regularly
advises clients in mergers and acquisitions and has served as counsel in some of the nation’s largest media transactions.
He appears regularly before the Federal Communications Commission and other
government agencies, as well as federal and
state courts, and he counsels clients on Congressional and state legislative matters.
New technologies and associated issues of intellectual property, licensing and contractual
negotiations, and mergers and acquisitions are significant components of his practice. His
regular clients include radio and television broadcast stations, cable television companies, newspapers, Internet and new technology
companies, telephone companies, public utilities, financial institutions, and trade
associations.
Hargrove graduated from the University of
North Carolina, J.D., Alumni Scholar and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, A.B., with honors, Jefferson Foundation
Scholar. Among his many honors and awards, he was inducted into the North Carolina
Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and was named by the National Law Journal as one
of the nation’s Top 10 leading Media/Telecommunications lawyers.
His hobbies include playing the guitar, pedal
steel guitar, and banjo, as well as tennis and boating.
Dick Harlow President North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Raleigh, NC
Dick is the president
of the North Carolina Association of
Broadcasters. His professional experience includes
holding the positions of Vice
President/Market Manager for Clear
Channel in Raleigh, and Clear Channel Radio in Wichita,
Kansas. He was VP/Market Manager for Bahakel Communi-cations in Greensboro and
Regional Vice President of Voyager Communications/The Dalton Group in the
three southeast markets of Charlotte and Greensboro, NC and Greenville, SC.
“The first broadcast company I worked for was
Mann Media in High Point, NC, and our paychecks had a slogan written across the
bottom that I will never forget that said, ‘the ability of radio to move goods and services has
made this check possible.’ I read that the first
time over 35 years ago and I still believe it today.”
Dick says, “Over the last 35+ years, I have been very fortunate to be in one of the most exciting
industries in the world. During that time we have witnessed significant change driven by technology, yet we continue to focus on our
main goal, which is to serve our communities and to help our advertisers move their goods
and services.
Mike Hartel Vice President/General Manager Radio 96.1 Curtis Media Raleigh, NC
Mike Hartel is the Vice President and General
Manager of Curtis Media’s Radio 96.1/WBBB. Mike is a 20 year media veteran, spending the
last eleven of those years with Curtis Media serving the local listening and advertising
communities. Mike was also instrumental in
launching Curtis Media’s Digital
Division to complement their growing number of broadcast properties.
Prior to Curtis Media, Mike spent six years as
a General Sales Manager with Clear Channel Radio in Raleigh,
and also worked as an Account Executive with Katz Media in New York City. Mike resides in Wake Forest with his lovely
wife Kendal and their four children. Mike is currently the Member Relations Chair of the
Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association, Chair
of the Parish Council at St. Catherine of Siena
Catholic Church, Chair of the Marketing and Development Committee for Triangle Family
Services, and an Advisory Board Member for NC State Student Media. He also loves
coaching his daughter’s soccer team, and his son’s football team, and he is an avid fan and
supporter of the Special Olympics, St. Baldricks, and the Foundation of Hope.
Gerry Horn Vice President of Sales Performance Racing Network Concord, NC
Gerry Horn is PRN's Vice President of Sales. He joined the network in 2002, and manages
the sales effort of PRN while also carrying an active client list.
Gerry has 27 years
of experience in increasingly senior positions in sales
and sales management. Prior
to joining PRN, he was the VP,
Business Development, for a start-up company
called MoonBuzz, where he was responsible for building and managing the sales and deployment teams.
For the nine years prior to MoonBuzz, Gerry was employed by the NBA Charlotte Hornets
and rose to the Director of Corporate Sales. During his tenure with the Hornets, he increased billable revenues by 35%, managed
the sales staff, all saleable inventory and all corporate contracts. He also negotiated and
managed affiliate and representation contracts for the team.
Gerry graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a BA in English and History in 1980
and did postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gerry is also a
huge fan of the Carolina Tar Heels, Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. He also has an
endless amount of knowledge about the Beatles, which could come in handy on trivia night.
Gerry is married and has one child; he and his family live in Charlotte.
Keaira Huffman Promotions Director B93.7, Magic 98.9, New Rock 93.3 the Planet, Rock 101, and NewsRadio WORD Entercom Radio Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Keaira went to school to become a helicopter pilot and has her commercial license. You
would think with that license she would be doing traffic reports, but instead she loves
working in radio promotions, which she has been doing for five
years. She holds the position of Promotions Director
for Entercom Radio, which houses 5
stations in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. She
loves people and anything that includes the word fun. She
says “I love my job!”
Scott Lauer Radio Play-By-Play Announcer NBA Charlotte Bobcats
Scott Lauer just completed his sixth season as
the Bobcats radio play-by-play announcer, having spent the previous four seasons as host of the team’s radio broadcasts. Prior to his
appointment as the Radio Voice of the Bobcats, Lauer’s work as studio host saw him handle a
30-minute pregame show, along with halftime and postgame wrap-up programs.
Preceding his work as the Bobcats radio studio host, Scott served as play-b y-play announcer for
the Triple-A
Indianapolis Indians of the International
League. In addition, he has
served as play-by-
play announcer for several other minor
league baseball and basketball teams and
has also delivered commentary for the
World Series of Poker, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on WorldSeriesofPoker.com. His sports broadcasting experience also includes
KWOX in Woodward, Oklahoma, and the
SportsFan Radio Network in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he served as anchor, host and
producer. Lauer and his wife, Alison, have a three-year old daughter, Ashley.
Alicia Lingerfeldt Director of Broadcasting Performance Racing Network Concord, NC
Alicia joined PRN full-time in 1996 after serving as the
associate producer of Fast Talk, a
sports talk/racing radio program, for
two and a half years. She is now PRN’s Director of
Broadcasting. Her duties include the
director’s role on
race day, plus directing and producing Fast Talk fifty-two weeks of the year. Alicia has also spent time working in the public relations field
of racing.
Lingerfeldt is from Colonial Heights, VA and
graduated from Radford University with a degree in Communication with radio/television
concentration. She resides in the Charlotte area with her son Austin.
Dan Mason President and Chief Executive Officer CBS Radio New York, NY
Dan Mason serves as President and
Chief Executive Officer of CBS Radio. In this role,
he oversees all aspects relating to
CBS Radio’s more than 125 stations
across 28 markets, including all of the Top 10, as well as
the day-to-day operations of the
division.
An experienced radio programmer, Mason
returned to CBS Radio in April 2007 after serving as an adviser and consultant to CBS and other domestic and international companies in
the radio broadcasting industry for the five years prior. Before that, Mason was President
of CBS Radio from 1995-2002. As the executive responsible for operating the group’s
then 184 stations in the largest markets across
the United States, Mason successfully
integrated the original CBS, Group W, Infinity Radio and American Radio Systems stations, among the most venerable radio broadcasting
groups in the country, by merging operations, blending business styles and increasing
profitability. Mason joined Westinghouse as
President of Group W in 1993.
Mason has initiated an aggressive growth
strategy at CBS Radio, including the launch of new formats at dozens of stations across the country, the purchase of FM stations in New
York and Washington, DC, and creating CBS Sports Radio, a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week
lineup of national programming from premier entities CBS Radio and CBS Sports. Restoring
WCBS-FM to its Classic Hits format was one of Mason’s first moves upon his return. The station is an undisputable ratings leader and
consistently ranks among the most popular with listeners of all ages in New York.
Mason also has diversified the division’s portfolio with station formats that cater to a
variety of male and female demographics, as well as myriad age groups from teens to young adults, and boomers. Top 40 stations have been
launched in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and
Phoenix; and the debut of sports programming on FM in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta,
Boston, Detroit, Washington, DC, Dallas,
Tampa, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland is proving to be a successful business model for
the future.
Under Mason’s leadership, CBS Radio has also
taken a variety of steps to expand its digital presence, including building an online
streaming platform, and creating mobile applications that allow listeners to interact with CBS Radio stations on the go. Radio and
Internet Newsletter (RAIN) has honored the
division with an Internet Radio Award for Best
Digital Strategy.
A native of Louisville, KY, Mason graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a
degree in broadcasting, and was later presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humanities
from the institution. In October 2010, Mason
was graced with the Ralph Gabbard Distinguished Kentuckian Award in recognition
of his achievements in broadcasting.
The National Association of Broadcasters
named Mason their 2012 National Radio Award winner for his outstanding leadership in
the radio industry. In addition, Radio Ink magazine has chosen Mason as Executive of the Year, and on numerous occasions named him
to their list of Most Powerful People in Radio, including presenting him with top honors in the
years since he has returned to CBS Radio. He currently serves as a member of the Board of the
Academy of Country Music.
Jonathan Mauney Director of Interactive Media Greater Media Charlotte, NC
Jonathan Mauney
got his start in radio in 1993 at the student-run radio
station, WASU, at Appalachian State
University. He quickly became
Production Director, then served two years as Station
Manager. Under his manage-ment, the
station won the National Association of College
Broadcasters "Station of the Year Award" in 1997.
Before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in
Communications and a minor in Graphic Design, Jonathan worked part-time as a
Marketing Producer and Associate Producer at
WBTV Television in Charlotte and was a weekend On-Air Personality at WKBC-FM in
North Wilkesboro, NC. In 1997, he joined WLNK-FM as a weekend On-Air Personality
and Programming Assistant, where he designed the station’s first website. By 2000, Mauney
had transitioned into full-time web application development for both WLNK-FM and WBT-AM and was a member of the technical
advisory panel for LMiV, a joint internet venture of several mid-sized broadcast
companies.
In 2006, Jonathan was promoted to Director of
Interactive Media and is charged with shaping the interactive strategy for what is now known as Greater Media Charlotte. With a back-
ground in marketing, radio, video and web development, Jonathan and his team have
become industry leaders in creating high-engagement, integrated marketing campaigns
for clients.
Mick Mixon Play-by-Play Announcer Broadcasting Department NFL Carolina Panthers Charlotte, NC
Forest Orion (Mick) Mixon was born on a cold,
rainy Wednesday in October 1958, a Gerber baby cute as a toddler, but then started to get
progressively worse looking into adulthood.
Mick graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May
of 1980 with a BA in Broadcast Journalism/Radio, Television, Motion Pictures. Mick is now in
his 30th year as a sports announcer.
He is the former
radio and TV
“Voice of the Maine Guides” Triple A
Baseball Club; spent sixteen
years as Color Analyst/Production Manager for the Tar Heels Sports Network and did TV
games for Fox Sports South. He taught two classes in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communications for 6 years and was the
consistent recipient of the department’s highest professor approval ratings.
Mick was named North Carolina Sportscaster of the year in both 1999 and 2004 and is the
only non-official to be inducted into the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Officials Association. Mick became the Play-by-Play
announcer for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in 2005.
He is married to Kristin Lyn Tucker, plays drums in two working bands “Franklin Street” and “Mick and the Ultras”, likes to jog, lift
weights, write, mess around with cars, do yard
work and play golf.
Jay Nachlis Program Director & Air Talent Radio 96.1/ WBBB Curtis Media Raleigh, NC
After growing up in the great city of San
Francisco, Jay Nachlis did what any smart 17 year old would do – he moved to one of the
coldest, snowiest cities in America. After graduating in 3 ½
years from the Newhouse School of
Public Communications at
Syracuse University in 1993 (“Why was I in such a hurry to
leave??”), Nachlis worked his way up
from overnights at Hot AC WYYY (Y94FM)
in Syracuse to Asst. PD/ Afternoon Drive, while overseeing both Y94FM and the launch of CHR WWHT (Hot 107.9).
In 1996, Nachlis made the move back home as Music Director of K101/San Francisco and was
later made Interim PD of the heritage Hot AC station, making him a Program Director in a
Top 5 market at the ripe age of 24.
1997-2000 saw Nichlis take on his first full-fledged PD gig in Buffalo at WLCE (Alice @
92.9) during the red-hot Modern AC years. Possibly the only person to have ever
programmed two “Alice” stations, Nachlis took the helm of Classic Hits WLLC (Alice 106.7), Detroit, from 2000-2003. A station perhaps
ahead of its time, the quirky-imaged, heavy on
gentre variety template became popular a few years later as the “Jack” format.
On the night of April 7, 2003, Jay flew into
Raleigh, NC for an interview the next morning at WBBB/96Rock. That night, he watched in
his hotel room as his beloved Syracuse Orangemen won their only basketball
championship and his fate was sealed. He has spent the past 8 years (that’s 56 in “real job” years) as the Program Director of the Curtis
Media Group owned Mainstream Rock station. Each day at 3pm, he walks into a phone booth
and changes into “Foster”, his on-air alter ego. In November 2011, Nachlis helped lead the
successful transition from 96Rock to Adult Hits Radio 96.1.
Jay lives in Raleigh with his wife, two kids, a
dog, and an unnatural love for karaoke. He is also the lead vocalist of Radiowave, the 96Rock
DJ Band.
Pam Patton Account Executive Beasley Broadcast Group Fayetteville, NC
Pamela
graduated from Appalachian
State University where she double- majored
in Electronic Media/Broadcast
and Advertising. During her time
at Appalachian State, she discovered her
passion for radio.
She is one of the first students to attend the
Kellar Radio Talent Institute where she was given the opportunity to meet several top industry leaders and was offered her first job in
radio. Pamela began her career as an Account Executive with the Beasley Broadcast Group in
2007, where she is still employed today. She
currently is the top performer for interactive
sales and is known to go above and beyond for her clients. Pamela is also heavily involved with the community where she sits on the board
of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Group, as well as the Karen Chandler Trust, an organization
that helps local cancer patients. Pamela is a valued employee and is looking forward to
many more amazing years in the radio industry.
John Reynolds Operations Manager & Program Director KISS 95.1 & K104.7 CBS Radio Charlotte, NC
John has come a
long way since the time he became
fascinated with radio as a nine year
old, playing songs on his parents’
stereo. He used
their tape recorder to record himself
talking over intros of songs while
mimicking the jocks on the big Top 40 station that inspired him. By age 11, he attended a broadcast school, which wasn’t exactly typical,
but they let him go at his own pace. By age 13 he got his first radio gig working part-time
running a “Big Band” show on a local radio station. At 16 he was hired to run the “Casey
Kasem American Top 40 Countdown” on the #1 station in the market, then on to college and working nights on the Top 40 station in the
market where he went to school. He was hired away by the competition to work full time and
work the midday shift in another market.
John has worked at some very impressive radio stations, including Z100 New York, Z104
Madison, Wisconsin and WKTI Milwaukee.
Doug Rice President /General Manager Performance Racing Network Charlotte, NC
As well as
being the President and
General Manager of
PRN, Doug is also a co-anchor of all
the PRN race broadcasts.
He can also be heard on-air
on PRN’s “Fast Talk” show each Monday night. Doug has been a part of PRN since 1988, starting out as the Affiliates Manager.
His broadcasting career started at WSTP/WRDX in Salisbury, NC, where he
served as the program director, morning show host and sports play-by-play announcer.
During that time, he received the UPI National Broadcast Award for Outstanding Sports Coverage in 1982. Doug’s sports casting career
has included doing play-by play of college basketball and football.
During his career he has worked on numerous broadcast teams, including Fox Sports Net and Indy Racing Radio Network. In addition to his
on air duties with PRN, Doug is also the co-anchor for Indy Radio Network broadcast of
the Brickyard 400.
Doug’s hobbies include science fiction, golf,
which he claims to not be very good at, and he’s a history nut, especially the Civil War.
Trip Savery Director of Sales Greater Media Radio Charlotte, NC
Trip Savery is a
dedicated radio broadcasting veteran with over 20 years
of experience.
A native of Chapel
Hill, North Carolina, Trip has
held a variety of sales and management
positions within the radio industry from small markets to major
markets. He began his career at WQDR in Raleigh as an account executive. At age 30, he
became General Manager of WCHL in Chapel Hill and soon added duties at WDNC in Durham, NC. In 1996, Trip became General
Manager of WKXU and WWND, Raleigh. In 1998, Trip was named National Sales Manager
of Curtis Media Group stations in Raleigh and continued in that role until 2001, when he was
named General Manager of legendary country station WQDR. Under Trip’s leadership,
WQDR quickly rose to become the top billing
station in the Raleigh-Durham market, and continued to grow, eventually rising to become the top billing station in the Carolinas, and the
17th highest billing Country station in the United States. He became Senior Vice
President of Curtis Media Group in 2008, and
added General Manager duties at Classic Hits
WWMY-FM at that time.
In 2010, seeking a new challenge in a larger market, Trip moved to Charlotte to become
Director of Sales for Greater Media stations WBT, WLNK and the nationally syndicated
Bob & Sheri Radio Network. In September 2012, Trip was named Vice President and Station Manager of Greater Media Charlotte.
Trip resides in Charlotte with his wife, Dolly, and their two children, and is an alumnus of the
University of North Carolina, and an avid Tar Heel fan.
Patrick Sills
Digital Program Director
Clear Channel Media +
Entertainment
Charlotte, NC
Patrick Sills is a Digital Program
Director at Clear Channel Media
+ Entertainment, where he’s
helped lead the integration of digital media
into a traditional media group.
He has over 8
years of experience in content creation, digital
marketing, web metrics/analytics, database marketing, video production and social media.
He leads a digital team of designers, content
creators and social media marketing over 5 websites. These content sites consistently drive
over 300K in unique visitors and millions of
page views each month. Patrick also works closely with the sales team to generate new
ideas that leverage digital assets for Clear Channel’s clients.
Patrick is constantly pushing the envelope by studying new marketing techniques and trying
new digital products. In his free time, he enjoys reading, graphic design, and the occasional home improvement project. You can follow
him on Twitter (@patricksills), but you’re more apt to see one of his posts coming from the
brands that he represents.
Two Guys Named Chris Morning Show Team Rock 92 Dick Broadcasting Group Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
Chris Kelly – I was born in Asheboro on April 11, 1971 and things were great. My mother
immediately began doing my laundry…a practice she continued until I married at age 31.
I had the typical childhood…lots of sports.
Mostly I waited to be picked last and then be
booed when I struck out at the end of the game. In my teenage years, I bounced back and forth from high school to a bar-b-que restaurant,
Henry James BBQ, where I specialized in making hushpuppies on the line. In my
spare time, you could find me shopping
for my clothing at the Portly and
Proud, which has now closed, or playing Pac-Man at the arcade and pretending I was not a virgin.
I got my first radio job at a little 5000 watt radio station called the Kickin’
Chicken. They hired me mostly because they needed someone to fill out the chicken suit and provide entertainment for
store openings. This did not last long as I tended to scare the children and, in fact, I am
still dealing with litigation over a 1988 incident at JC Penny involving a giant chicken suit, a
basketball, and a plunger.
I went through all these humiliating moments because I knew that after going through all that,
I could eventually attain my dream…attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(their Boone campus) in 1993. It was the proudest imaginary moment of my life. Years
later, I would honor my college by putting a UNC logo around my license plate. After college I immediately went back to work in
radio. My father asked why he had spent the
money on a college education since I went right
back into the job I had before going to college. Frankly, a good question.
In 2002 I got married. Most people think I either drugged or paid a woman to be with me, but I swear I won her heart the old fashioned
way…hypnosis. In 2005, my first child was born. Now he is seven and I have a three year
old daughter. They are the absolute joys of my life.
And that is pretty much Chris Kelly in a nut shell. The things I love doing most…sitting on the couch, sleeping, and yawning. My biggest
pet peeve…having to GET UP to use the bathroom. You can hear me as part of the
“Two Guys Named Chris” show, every day for many hours.
Chris Demm – I started working at Rock 92 when I was just a boy. It was so long ago that I
used to play records…vinyl records! Yes, I was once young. I jumped high as the sky, had fire in my eyes, and legs like a stallion. But,
eventually, the legs gave out. Then, I stopped going out to nightclubs and bars and started
wearing earplugs when I’d go to concerts.
I have no idea how to work a computer. I don’t go to the drive-thru window, I go inside the
restaurant. I can drive a stick-shift. I’ve never voted for “American
Idol.” I’m still searching for the recipe for the perfect margarita. I like circus
peanuts…but not the circus. I only wear a necktie about twice a year. I try to do crossword puzzles to keep my brain from
turning to mush. I’m trying my best to deal with the extra hair that keeps turning up in my
ears. I’d be happy to show you some of the pictures I took in France. If you’ve got a music
trivia question, I’d love to hear it. And, if I
hadn’t met my wife, I’d be stalking Cindy Crawford to this day.
Deidre – Deidre was born and raised in High Point, NC. She loves Lifetime Television, a good
grit plate, Journey, singing in her car, a good fish fry, and the Jo
Bro’s. She has an odd, sometimes scary, obsession with Oprah and
is scared of her basement. Deidre graduated from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro. But she openly admits everything she needs to know she learned at a record store call Peaches. Oh yeah…and her family still
thinks she works at 102 Jamz!
Biggie – I was born in the small mountain town
of Kingsport, Tennessee in 1983. My parents liked the town so much they moved to
Charlotte, NC two weeks after I was born. I moved a lot as a kid and changed schools quite
a bit, but I feel like moving and having to constantly make
new friends helped grow my sense of humor. We finally
landed in Greensboro in 1997 where I went to Western Guilford High School. I graduated from high
school in 2001…I wouldn’t say I was the best student…You know what, we’ll just leave it at
that. I had lots of offers from several colleges, but ended up at GTCC (I didn’t want to be a
show off and go to Harvard or Yale). While I was at GTCC I studied Engineering, Automotive Technology, Hotel Restaurant
Management, and Marketing as well. I actually never finished any of those courses and ended
up leaving school and taking a highly coveted management position at Papa John’s Pizza. I
had been working there since I was 16 and decided that now was the right time to make the
jump to management. At the age of 21 I became one of the youngest General Managers in the company and excelled at running a store.
The only problem was I hated my life and working there. In 2006, a good friend of mine
became an intern on the Murphy in the Morning show and I started helping him do
prank calls and other funny bits. Jack Murphy took a liking to both of us and I started appearing on the show sometimes in the
morning. After my friend’s internship was up,
they never took back the key, so we would sneak into the station late at night and still do prank calls and bits and send them to Jack.
Jack would still play them and have us on the show from time to time. My friend got a job
with Murphy in the Morning in 2007, and I
continued to help out when I was needed. I
also started performing Stand-Up Comedy around this time and really enjoyed it. I performed at lots of different venues along the
East Coast through late 2007 and early 2008, all while still keeping my job at Papa John’s. But
in June of 2008, I was offered a full time job on the “Two Guys Named Chris” show. I said
“yes”, of course, and the rest is history. I have been the Producer of the “Two Guys Named Chris” show for four years now and I love my
job. Oh, and if you’re wondering about how I quit Papa John’s once I got my radio job, it
went a lot like the scene in “Half Baked” when Scarface quit his job; I’m sure some of you
know what I’m talking about.
Bruce Wheeler Vice President/ General Manager WKZL & WKRR Dick Broadcasting Company Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
Bruce is a thirty-eight year radio veteran with a
background in programming, sales and
management. His career began in Lincoln,
Nebraska, followed by programming stops in
Denver, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. He’s
been with Dick Broadcasting in Greensboro for
the past twenty-eight years, ten of those years as
the Vice President of Programming for the
fourteen D.B.C. stations. These stations represented all formats and approaches. He’s
worked with all sorts of research, strategic and tactical projects. Bruce’s resumé includes eighteen years as
the General Manager of Rock 92
and 107-5 KZL.
He has served as an elected member of
the Arbitron Advisory Council
representing the top fifty markets. He’s
also served as an advisor to the film and broadcast
department at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Bruce is a past President of the
North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and is a current Board member. He is the 2009
recipient of the Distinguished Service Award presented by the Association at their annual
convention. Bruce resides in Greensboro with his wife, Terry. They have two sons. Sam is a senior at Appalachian State University and his
brother, Mitch, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Dan Vallie
Founder, Vallie●Richards Donovan Consulting Director, Kellar Radio Talent Institute, Appalachian State University Boone, NC
Dan Vallie is a 42-year broadcast veteran and
Founder of Vallie•Richards•Donovan Consulting, Inc., a premiere consulting firm
that, over the years, can list almost all the large broadcast
groups in America among its impressive
clientele. Dan has worked in practically
every level of broadcasting, beginning as an air
talent, sales, programming to
operations, vice president of a
broadcast group, to ownership of both the consulting firm and, ownership of a radio
station and classified paper which he sold in 2004.
Dan’s successful career, now in his fourth
decade in radio, has been relentlessly innovative
as evidenced by a career that has him at the
forefront of various formats. In the 1980s, he debuted legendary Top 40 stations, including B-97 in New Orleans and B-94 in Pittsburgh; he
helped pioneer the Hot AC format in the early 1980s (Y-98, St. Louis) and the Dance format,
where as Vice President of Programming, he led the effort to debut Hot105 in Miami.
In the 1990s, Dan and Vallie•Richards•
Donovan Consulting partnered with the internationally respected Gallup Organization,
based in Princeton, NJ, and Lincoln, NE, to form Vallie-Gallup, which performed research and consulting for stations in various formats.
He developed the idea of “conceptualizing” radio stations and coined the term
“stationality,” plus created the MorningMasters
program for high-profile talent.
Dan was a leader in the evolvement of the
Adult Contemporary format, and Vallie•Richards•Donovan Consulting remains
at the forefront of all variations of the Contemporary format today with Top 40, Adult
Hits and Soft, Mainstream, and Hot AC clients.
In 2007, working with Appalachian State University, Dan debuted the inaugural Kellar
Radio Talent Institute, a program to teach and prepare college students to enter professional
broadcasting and creating a “go to” place for the broadcast industry to find young talent. The
program debuted with rave reviews from the industry.
Dan is a non-traditional and creative thinker
who believes creative discoveries are best maximized when they have practical
application. Prior to founding Vallie•Richards•Donovan Consulting, Dan was
Vice President of Programming for EZ Communications, a group that merged into American Radio Systems, which sold to CBS.
Dan is a frequent speaker at various industry conventions, including the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Convention (and is an eight-year NAB Radio Award
Selection Academy member), the NAB Radio Executive Group Owner Fly-In, the former Radio and Records conventions, National
Religious Broadcasters convention, The Midwest Conclave, The Gallup World
Conference, Gospel Music Association