As the countdown towards the 2025 NFL Draft nears its expiration, there is significant interest in how the Tennessee Titans will decide to utilize the #1 overall draft selection. While the common presumption is that the team will select Miami quarterback Cam Ward, there could always be unforeseen developments or surprises that alter the round. Although it remains unknown which scenario will play out, Kayla Anderson and her colleagues on 104.5 The Zone have kept the subject matter embedded in their regular conversations with considerable intrigue in the team and National Football League at large.
Anderson, who has been a member of the Ramon, Kayla and Will morning drive program since 2022, is a prominent voice on the airwaves as the Titans hold the first draft selection for the first time in almost five decades. In addition to her observations, Anderson has collected insights and opinions through interviews with coaches that she has been able to incorporate into the radio program. Through leveraging her reporting background to gather and disseminate information, she has created buzz regarding the subject and maintained its appeal in the content ether.
“We are never going to complain in this market about the Titans not having some sort of topic to talk about in the offseason,” Anderson said. “We joke all the time in break on [the show] how we never feel like the NFL season ends here in Tennessee, but we’re happy with it because it obviously keeps us in business and keeps the business good.”
Finding avenues to advance the discussion is essential surrounding the NFL Draft trying to cultivate steady interest amid a litany of competition. Operating alongside other sports media outlets on traditional and digital media platforms, 104.5 The Zone works to innovate, remain accessible and resonate with the listeners. With music embedded at the core of Nashville’s cultural identity, the station is helping to facilitate the proliferation of sports content and aims to cut through with its audience. For example, the station live streams the morning show on YouTube and implements members of the audience expressing their thoughts on digital outlets as well.
“Not only now do you have people that are loyal listeners, but you have people who love to watch us on TV now and interact that way,” Anderson said. “It has really, I think, moved our station forward, and I think we’re ahead of the trend in that way, combining those two things, and that’s, in a way, how we’ve kind of held together our own here when we do have country music and we do have political shows even on our own station, but we have kind of been innovative and ahead of the curve when it comes to how we’re going to go about it.”
Catering to the Sports Radio Shuffle in Music City USA
Nashville has gained prominence as a cultural hub wherein several traditions and customs coexist to form a distinctive medley. While vocational pursuits such as music recording, performing arts and live event production are generally reputed to be part of its zeitgeist, Anderson contends that the locale possesses a strong liking for sports. Anderson contends that Nashville is on a growth trajectory, a claim that can be sustained by the construction of a new football stadium and reported conversations about some leagues expanding and/or relocating to the market.
“Entertainment is what you might think of Nashville, but if you’re really here in the sports landscape, people care about sports here,” Anderson said. “People love sports talk radio here. It’s bigger than any local TV job that I’ve had. It’s really a thing, and I think that adding a team here, whatever that might be, it’s a perfect city for that.”
Anderson is in her third year hosting morning drive with colleagues Ramon Foster and Will Boling, forming a three-person team of skilled industry professionals who stay balanced and accentuate different strengths. Rather than adopting a fabricated persona on the airwaves, she is committed to staying true to herself. Anderson conveys instances where she is more animated based on conversations or takes an opposing viewpoint, but her approach is all derived through intense authenticity.
“I think the best thing in my position here is I work so closely with the Titans on an everyday basis in that locker room, and then I can come on the show and I can truly just give those thoughts and opinions,” Anderson said. “The viewer feels like, ‘Okay, we kind of know the team a little more, that player a little more because Kayla is giving us that truthful information and just doing it with being her genuine self.’”
Even though Anderson takes part in lighthearted fun and entertainment during the show, she values her journalistic background and takes the profession seriously. Anderson has been able to remain objective in her journalistic pursuits while also expressing her own thoughts, distinguishing an ideal balance and always remaining cognizant of the audience. Identifying and understanding the proverbial line between reporting and editorializing can be somewhat challenging, but she has been able to thrive while becoming more acclimatized to radio.
“You also have to be bringing in that entertainment aspect too,” Anderson said. “Not everything that we do on that show we agree on, and honestly, I think a show is better when you can have those disagreements, and then when the button goes off the air, you’re all cool still.”
The Challenges of a Three-Person Program
Anderson explained that it is less common to find shows with three-person hosting configurations but that refraining from the arrangement can limit genuine conversations. With two out of the four local programs on 104.5 The Zone containing three hosts, the station offers the outlooks and convictions of numerous professionals who contribute to enthralling and riveting dialogue.
“I know there’s a place for opinionated radio, and some people do an excellent job at that,” Anderson said, “but I don’t want it to go away from the format either where it’s just three people who have different opinions, come from different backgrounds, and are having a true conversation that involves the listeners. I hope that doesn’t go away just because we’re always trying to save money in every business.”
Anderson considers herself to be candid and occasionally loud, but she goes about her job with tact and consideration for others. Learning the dispositions and interests of her contemporaries took time, and as the process continued, she became more confident in being herself and jumping into certain conversations. Viewing the role without fear of defending the opinions she conveys and being animated, Anderson has been part of the show progressing amid alterations in listener patronage and measurement. In fact, the show has recently worked on diminishing the length of breaks amid Nielsen reducing its quarter-hour threshold to three minutes.
“We also try to keep in mind at every start of the hour, we kind of reset a little bit of the headlines because you never know what new person has jumped in on the 7:00 hour compared to the 6:00 hour,” Anderson said. “We keep it fresh though in the way that we do that, so it is interesting, and again, I’m still learning the radio side of things and how we’re adjusting every year to do things a little bit differently.”
From the beginning of her tenure at 104.5 The Zone, Anderson has viewed program director Paul Mason as someone who is encouraging and has revealed how he is always accessible to provide advice or constructive criticism. The team meets with Mason once per month to go over formatics and other aspects of the program in addition to having daily conversations of their own after episodes about their performance. Just as she did reporting sports on news television, Anderson reviews footage of the show to refine phrasing, eliminate any vocal fillers and remain conversational, and she also mentors aspiring professionals looking to work in the business.
“I like to teach, I like to listen, and using now this platform, it’s even bigger because radio isn’t the biggest platform for females still, but no one should think that they can’t do it and people should think more about doing it,” Anderson said. “Just because it’s not on TV, it gives you still a platform to share your knowledge, so I am out there all the time giving clips of the show and talking with young women about, ‘Don’t forget about radio. There’s still opportunities when it comes to radio as well.’”
A No-Fear Approach to Connecting With the Audience
Anderson is one of two women who are part of the weekday hosting lineup at the station, the other of which is Dawn Davenport of the 3HL afternoon program. Over the years, Anderson has received misogynistic messages from listeners, something that she feels could be compounded through broadcasting for four consecutive hours and utilizing digital platforms. Yet she is not afraid to articulate her immense credibility and executes her responsibilities with professionalism and poise.
“I don’t have to prove myself, but I do like to make sure people know I’m not just ignoring that,” said Anderson. “I understand it happens, but those people also need to be told, ‘It’s not okay,’ and sure enough, a lot of those people never respond back.”
Having spent the entirety of her career in television, Anderson decided to accept an offer to join 104.5 The Zone starting in October 2022 and sees how the personalities of the station help set it apart. With a versatile blend of former athletes, veteran hosts and in-the-know analysts, the sports talk radio outlet is highly regarded in the market and has kept people listening through discussion of professional and collegiate sports.
Through her work on the air, she has found more time to share stories without stringent time restraints and appeal to the audience while also working in other roles. Anderson tangentially contributes to television on SEC Network+ as a sideline reporter for Vanderbilt baseball games and also appears on high school basketball state championships, but she simultaneously aspires to continue developing her broadcast skills on radio.
“I’ve been around so many sports, I feel comfortable doing pretty much whatever, so I always want to kind of multitask, but my priority is it’s always radio,” Anderson said. “That’s my job, and then whatever I can dabble in on the side. I think it benefits the radio as much as it just benefits you.”
Anderson surmises that she was born with a gene that has caused her persistence and tenacity to continue moving forward despite facing setbacks and hardships. Beginning every day with an earnest avidity to discover what will take place in sports and yearning to enhance her craft, she comes prepared to tackle new challenges and learn no matter the result. Combined with her aspirations to potentially add another sideline reporting job with a local team and further strengthen her portfolio, Anderson is committed to the craft and ready to start covering the newest members of the Titans organization.
“I’m a very passionate person, and I just hope people see that in the way that I present sports, whether it be on the radio or the sideline or TV,” Anderson said. “I just want them to know that I’m truly passionate and dedicated to my work.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Derek Futterman is an associate editor and sports media reporter for Barrett Media. Additionally, he has worked in a broad array of roles in multimedia production – including on live game broadcasts and audiovisual platforms – and in digital content development and management. He previously interned for Paramount within Showtime Networks, wrote for the Long Island Herald and served as lead sports producer at NY2C. To get in touch, email Derek@BarrettMedia.com or find him on X @derekfutterman.
