Jesse Kelly has seen a quick rise through the talk radio ranks to a nationally syndicated show with Premiere Networks. He believes there’s one quality that has helped him, and other hosts, build strong relationships with listeners.
While speaking with Michael Berry, who recently joined Kelly on the Premiere Networks lineup, backstage before a tour stop of the Tucker Carlson Live nationwide tour, Kelly said advice Berry gave him about authenticity has stuck with him and led him to where he’s gotten in the industry.
“You told me this when you were mentoring me and teaching me how to do this, about how intimate radio is, or podcasting, whichever one you want to put it,” said Kelly. “When it’s the spoken word, when it’s audio, you do it with people. People watch me do TV because I have a TV show where everyone’s watching this right now on The First. It’s a different way to consume media. You sit back and you watch it. When it comes to radio, I am in your car with you, I am making dinner with you, I am working out with you, I am at your job and I’m sitting at your desk, because you’re doing your day with me. Whereas, when people are watching this right now on the amazing First TV, you’re sitting in front of your iPad or your television, or wherever you’re watching, and you’re watching it
“If you’re on the radio for three hours a day, if you are fake, people are not stupid. They will sniff it out in a heartbeat. They will smell it in a million miles. I can’t pretend to be educated. I’m not. I can’t pretend to not like things like Waffle House and Red Lobster. That’s who I am. That’s what I love. It’s what I enjoy. If I pretended, people would know. So you might as well not bother.”
Jesse Kelly admitted that he never thought when he was a Marine or selling RVs that he would ever been preparing to be on a stage with Tucker Carlson. He noted that as he and his family arrived in Fort Bend, TX for the event, he stopped and took a picture of the sign featuring him and Carlson to commemorate the experience.
