The Ryan Gorman Show has been in mornings for several years at Newsradio WFLA in Tampa. And in August, it expanded to 610 WIOD in Miami, too.
The iHeartMedia news/talk stations made the move official earlier this month as Gorman — and co-host Dana McKay — were officially named the new morning show in Miami. The move was a welcome one in Gorman’s eyes.
“It’s really thrilling and it’s an honor to be on two such legendary stations in the state of Florida,” Gorman said of his show’s expansion. “It’s really great opportunity. (We’re) really looking forward to building that out and seeing how it grows in the new year.”
The are — in some aspects — stark differences between the Tampa and Miami markets. And yet, the hope for The Ryan Gorman Show is that it will find the stories, topics, and angles that will unite the two listener bases.
“Florida is the center of politics these days, and there’s so much news that impacts the entire state, so a lot of stuff is very relevant for both markets,” said Gorman. “And then when there are more localized stories that are big news in either Miami or Tampa, generally, there’s always a way to connect with the audience in both markets on those topics.
“So, for example, early in the school year, there’s a big issue in both markets when it came to cell phone use in schools. That’s something that’s relatable everywhere. So it’s finding those different angles — even if the story is more localized to one market in particular — to make it interesting, and relevant, and entertaining to everybody who listening.”
“I think in news/talk, you have a really great connection with your listeners, no matter where you are,” said Gorman. “It’s a little different coming from the music side. Mornings always led to the biggest connection with listeners. On the news/talk side, they’re coming to you for information in your case. So I think you could do it in middays. You could do it in afternoons. When I did it in evenings to start, there was a great connection.
“But there’s something about being part of everyone’s morning routine, and especially, I think people are waking up and they’re wanting to get a sense as to what’s making headlines that morning,” continued Gorman. “And there’s so much in the news these days, so being able to provide that for them, first thing, it’s a really special bond that you get the build.”
And thus far, Ryan Gorman has been excited by the reaction he has received from Miami-area listeners after the show expanded from only airing on Newsradio WFLA to also including 610 WIOD.
“It’s been a really great response. And I think part of it has to do with the style of the show,” he shared. “You know, we’re not trying to beat people over the head first thing in the morning with such sharp takes on everything. We’re trying to present the information and what’s happening — whether it’s locally, at a state level, or nationally — trying to have some fun with it, inform and entertain, and we’re also coming at it from a perspective where, think whatever you want about these stories, we’re just kind of telling you what’s happening.
“So we’re not trying to persuade anybody. I’ll share my opinion. But I’m not trying to tell people how to think, or anything like that. I think that’s really caught on,” he admitted. “And I think it’s only going to grow as more people come to us.”
Like many around this time of year, Ryan Gorman is optimistic about what 2025 could bring.
“There’s going to be so much news in the new year. It’s such a great time,” he concluded. “I couldn’t have asked for a better time to add in a market like Miami. We got to do it right before the election. And then now going into an exciting year in 2025. It’s just really awesome.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
