Podcast Archive – Season 1

Episode 1

Dan Orr

June 14, 2021 – My interview with my good friend Dan Orr whom I’ve known since 1988 when we met at Ohio University. He was the first real “radio guy” that I ever met and was making money in radio while we were still in college! Listen to his great stories including the time that he got to sing Beatles tunes with Chrissie Hynde at Abbey Road Studios in London!
https://www.danorrlive.com/

Episode 2

Brandi Parisi

July 8, 2021 – My interview with another fellow Ohio University Bobcat, Brandi Parisi. Brandi is the Assistant Program Director at All Classical Portland in Portland, Oregon and like me is 30+ years in the radio business. She’s made a cross country trek in the business in Orlando, Atlanta, Indiana, Minnesota, L.A. and now Portland. She also teaches philosophy at Portland Community College and has a great philosophy on the radio business!
https://www.allclassical.org/

Episode 3

Randy Norris

July 21, 2021 – My interview with Randy Norris and yet another Ohio University Bobcat. Randy and I worked together at WAIS/WSEO Radio in Nelsonville, Ohio and he took over my position when I left. Randy is now the Creative Services Director and Regional Director of Engineering for Cumulus Media in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Episode 4

Lauren Smith

August 2, 2021 – My interview with Lauren Smith. I refer to Lauren as a “unicorn” in this podcast because people like her are hard to find … someone in their 20s, not only interested in, but passionate about the radio business. After graduating from Penn State and working for the radio stations that I managed here in State College for a little while, Lauren moved to Nashville and got a job as Affiliates Producer for the nationally syndicated country radio morning program, “The Ty Bentli Show.” Unfortunately, the pandemic changed things for her radio career, but she remains optimistic about the business.

Episode 5

Chris Lytle

February 18, 2022 – My conversation with sales trainer and author, Chris Lytle. Chris is the author of The Accidental Salesperson.  I saw one of his sales seminars in the early 2000s and he signed a copy of that book for me and I still have it today.  He also had a cassette tape called “How To Think On Your Feet Automatically” which gave radio salespeople great responses to handle objections from clients and I listened to that tape over and over.  Like me, he is a native of Ohio, hailing from Newark eventually moving to Madison, Wisconsin and starting his radio sales career. It was such a thrill to get a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Chris!
https://instantsalestraining.com/

Episode 6

Julie Chadwick

3/28/2022 – My conversation with Julie Chadwick, Digital Marketing Director for Sheridan Media in Sheridan, Wyoming. Julie wrote and article for Radio Ink magazine entitled, “Radio Industry Needs to Supply Radios.” You can read the article HERE. I loved the idea and reached out to her to be on the podcast. Sheridan Media is an employee-owned company with 9 stations, a print publication, two websites and a digital division. Just one look at their websites and it’s plain to see that they are doing things right and are well connected to the communities they serve.
https://sheridanmedia.com/

Episode 7

Paul Jacobs

3/29/22 – My conversation with Paul Jacobs, the Vice President and General Manager of Jacobs Media in Detroit.  He began his career on the sales and management side of the business at stations in Dallas and Detroit and in 1991, he joined his brothers Fred and Bill at Jacobs Media to work with broadcasters on strategic development and revenue generation. He’s a former Board Member and Board Chair of Greater Public, an organization dedicated to growing revenue for public radio stations.  He’s also the past Board Chair of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation. I’ve seen Paul on Greater Public webinars over the past couple years and I just love his insight on our business.
https://jacobsmedia.com/

Episode 8

Chriss Scherer

March 31, 2022 – My conversation with Chriss Scherer.  Chriss is currently the Member Communications Director for the Society of Broadcast Engineers.  He spent almost 17 years at the Editor of Radio Magazine and before that he was Chief Engineer for stations in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Reading, Pennsylvania and in Cleveland, including a stint at the legendary “Buzzard”  WMMS. I really respect the work that engineers do for the radio industry and Chriss has some great insight on the business.
https://sbe.org/

Episode 9

Valerie Geller

April 3, 2022 – My conversation with Valerie Geller, President of Geller Media International which is a broadcast consulting firm that trains broadcasters and podcasters throughout the world. Valerie was formerly a Program Director of WABC in New York, an executive producer at KFI in L.A. and news director for K101 in San Francisco as well as a talk host at KOA in Denver among other stations.  She’s been a Board member of the Associated Press and the RTNDA and has long held a place on Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio list. I am honored to have her as a guest on my podcast.
http://www.gellermedia.com
http://www.beyondpowerfulradio.com

Episode 10

“Jingle” Jim Reilly

April 11, 2022 – My conversation with “Jingle Jim” Reilly, owner of the nationally recognized music jingle company, American Music Concepts. Over the last 25 years, Jim has produced over 10,000 client jingles for Radio Stations in all sized markets. He has traveled to all 50 States and helps generate over $5,000,000 per year in local direct business for radio stations.  I couldn’t have a podcast about the radio business without talking jingles!
http://www.americanmusicconcepts.com

Episode 11

Joyce MacDonald

April 17, 2022 – My conversation Joyce MacDonald, the President and CEO of Greater Public, which inspires and empowers public media stations to advance their missions by ensuring a sustainable financial future. I appreciate all that Greater Public does for for public media stations. Before coming to Greater Public, Joyce was Vice President, Journalism with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  She was also with NPR, National Public Media, Sony Corporation’s SW Networks and ABC Radio Networks. She has great stories and great insight on the business. http://www.greaterpublic.org

Episode 12

Jose Fajardo

April 19, 2022 – My conversation with Jose Fajardo, the President and General Manager for Hawai’i Public Radio which serves the entire state of Hawai’i.  Previously, he was President and CEO of WMFE, public broadcasting in Central Florida.  He started his career at KNCT in Kileen, Texas. Jose is native of Puerto Rico and has received numerous awards, most recently receiving the Public Radio Regional Organizations Award. Jose is also battling ALS and has set up a website and is using his voice to support and be an advocate for others with ALS. http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org
http://www.teamjose.com

Episode 13

Frank Kulbertis

May 11, 2022 – On this episode of the podcast, we’re talking ratings!  My guest for Episode is 13 is Frank Kulbertis.  Frank is the Client Services Director for Eastlan Ratings.  He handles the eastern half of the US and Alaska for Eastlan.  Before joining Eastlan, Frank traveled the country doing revenue development programs for radio stations with Advantage Systems. http://www.eastlanratings.com

Episode 14

Rick Toner

May 11, 2022 – On this episode of the podcast, we’re talking jingles…again! But this time, it’s with Rick Toner, “The Jingle King” of New Zealand. That’s right, it’s our first international episode of the podcast! For over three decades, Rick has developed a winning formula that his customers have been using to successfully launch their audio brands and create more sales inquiries to their business. http://www.thejingleking.nz

Episode 15

Seth Resler

May 23, 2022 – This time around, we’re talking DIGITAL!  My guest is Seth Resler, the digital strategist with Jacobs Media in Detroit.  Before joining Jacobs Media, Seth was on-air and in programming with WXRX in New York, WBCN in Boston, KNDD in Seattle, KPNT in St. Louis, WBRU in Providence and KEZR in Silicon Valley.  Now, he works with radio stations across the country helping them design and implement action plans for their digital offerings. http://www.jacobsmedia.com

Episode 16

Brad Savage

May 23, 2022 – My conversation for this episode is with Brad Savage, Program Director of The Summit, WAPS, a non-Comm AAA station in Akron, Canton, Youngstown and Athens, Ohio – my old stomping grounds. Brad and I have been connected on social media for a number of  years but have never had a conversation. Before The Summit, Brad was at WMAD in Madison, WQKL in Ann Arbor and WCNR in Charlottesville. He’s also been nominated for multiple radio awards and is a 4-time winner of the Medium Market Triple A PD of the year for FMQB’s Triple A Conference. http://www.thesummit.fm

Episode 17

Dick Taylor

June 20, 2022 – My conversation with Dick Taylor. Dick retired from the radio business in 2017, but he still volunteers as an air personality with WMEX in Rochester, New Hampshire. He started out on the air, but eventually became a Market Manager for companies like Clear Channel, Nassau Broadcasting, South Jersey Radio, Connoisseur Communications, Delmarva Broadcasting and H&D Broadcast Group.  He fulfilled another dream by eventually becoming a broadcast professor at Western Kentucky University’s school of Broadcasting and Journalism. And since 2014, he’s been writing a weekly media mentorship blog. http://www.DickTaylorBlog.com

Episode 18

April “LA” Ashe

June 27, 2022 – My conversation with April “LA” Ashe. April is President and CEO of WBJL Radio in Northern New Jersey. She started her radio career in 2006 with the IBN Network which was a pioneer in internet broadcasting. She did a weekly show on WNJR radio and her show, “April LA” was soon syndicated to stations in Detroit, the Outer Banks, Palm Beach and Power Praise Radio. Under her leadership, WBJL Radio won the 2018 New Jersey Black Business Award for Best in Media. http://www.wbjl.com

Episode 19

Mike Conti

July 7, 2022 – My conversation with Mike Conti, the Brand Manager of 92.9 The Game in Atlanta. We’re talking sports! He is also the play-by-play announcer for the station’s flagship coverage of the Atlanta United FC in the MLS and is host of the Atlanta Hawks Radio Network. But this conversation is special for me because way back when, about 20 years ago, I hired Mike as Program Director of WMAJ Radio here in State College and that was his first full time job in radio. http://www.audacy.com/929thegame

Episode 20

Sandy Edie Hansen

July 26, 2022 – Episode 20, and the final episode for the first season of the podcast is my conversation with Sandy Edie Hansen. Sandy is the GM and GSM for KMALand Broadcasting in Shenandoah, Iowa. In 2025, the station will celebrate its’ 100th Anniversary and Sandy has been there for about a third of that history, coming to the station 32 years ago after spending time in sales with various other media outlets. She wrote a great article for Radio Ink magazine following the results of the latest Techsurvey by Jacobs Media, so I reached out to her for a discussion. http://www.kmaland.com
“Radio’s” Don Bedell

About Me

30+ year veteran of small market (and college) radio. I’ve done everything from copywriter to production director. From Sales Manager to General Manager. From on-air personality to account executive. I’ve worked at stations in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania and worked in just about every format. Let’s talk about radio!

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Look for Season Two episodes COMING SOON!