Kenny Roda is back on the air in Ohio. Roda will host his sports show in Afternoon Drive for News-Talk 1480 WHBC in Canton starting October 27th. The move comes 14 months after Roda’s departure from WKNR in Cleveland when the station decided to eliminate local programming in the evenings. Roda had been with WKNR for 21 years.
“It’s a great fit because of the shift, the fact that it’s local, and that I know all the teams that I need to talk about,” says Roda. “The station is an affiliate with the Cavs, Browns, Indians, and Buckeyes. Plus, the driving distance isn’t bad and the salary is not bad with the potential to grow.”
Staying relevant in the sports broadcasting industry was a critical part of Roda’s game plan as he sought his next opportunity.
“I stayed relevant through social media on Twitter and Facebook, and I started up my own website KennyRoda.com which was HUGE. It gave me a platform to still do interviews podcasts and blogs. And then I used to Twitter and Facebook to share all of that with my followers and fans out there. I also took any freelance work I could get, while also doing as many unpaid guest spots on radio or TV, just to be seen and heard.
“Word was out that I was doing a lot of freelance work and hosting some guest spots, so [WHBC] actually contacted me via Facebook to do some fill in work and the opportunity grew from there.
Credit to STAA Talent who originally published this story
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
