Taylor Jukes is Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia San Diego, overseeing eight brands, and the Program Director of KIOZ-FM, KGB-FM and KSSX-FM. She also serves on the iHeart Top 40 brand team, working collaboratively with her colleagues from markets like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
If that doesn’t sound impressive enough, Jukes is also wrapping up her final semester, earning an MBA from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management while working full-time in radio.
Her resume includes Program Director and Operations Manager positions, as well as hosting key on-air dayparts across multiple formats, such as Top 40, Hot AC, Classic Hits, and Rock, in markets like Vancouver, Toronto, Miami, and now San Diego.
In 2015, while programming 99.9 Virgin Radio Toronto (CKFM), Jukes had the opportunity to assist in the startup of iHeartRadio in Canada. Successfully launching signature Canadian events like iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Toronto and Secret Sessions led to a promotion as Head of Content for iHeartRadio Canada.
This provided an opportunity to blend marketing, digital, brand partnerships, key Canadian Artist integrations, and more. Which ultimately opened the door to a role in Florida as Program Director for the legendary Y100 Miami for five years. In early 2024, she was promoted to SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia San Diego.
“The San Diego cluster is an incredible one to be a part of,” says Jukes. “The 2024 San Diego iHeart Rady Children’s Giveathon raised nearly half a million dollars for Rady Children’s Hospital in a two-day radiothon, contributing to more than $3.235 million in recent years. Radio has always had a big part in connecting to the local community through both hardships and proactively adding value to the community through fundraising efforts.”
“In addition, with the large military and veteran presence in San Diego, we have also partnered with Warrior Foundation’s Freedom Station to raise funds for their incredible cause to assist those who have become injured or ill during service.”
“When it comes to natural disasters, it’s all hands on deck for staff to band together to collect supplies for tragedies such as the historic San Diego winter storm in early 2024, which caused major flooding in the area. And with News Radio 600 KOGO, we have live and local talent in the newsroom, ready to flip to around-the-clock coverage when major events strike our community, like the 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook San Diego on April 15th.”
Jukes has learned some important lessons over the years in the business. “A lot has changed…and FAST,” she says. “The pandemic was a ‘game changer.’ Everything we thought we knew needed a fresh perspective as we adapted to environmental changes that affected what the future would look like. Fairly rapidly, our traditional way of looking at two, five, and 10-year goals was tossed to the side to live ‘in the moment’ as presently as possible, and to pay attention to quickly shifting trends so we could keep up with the rapid growth in both technology and consumer behaviors.”
“Navigating the drastic shift in consumer behavior during the pandemic really pushed me to reflect on my management style and how to make the most of limited time and resources. With teams stretched thin, a more reactive culture setting in, and everyone being asked to do more, I had to rethink how to prioritize and lead effectively.”
“It helped me re-focus my own management strategy on what truly drives innovation and brand growth—even in tough conditions. I learned that carving out dedicated time for creative, forward-thinking work can be a huge difference-maker. That balance between responding to immediate needs and staying proactive became key to keeping morale and momentum high.”
“That’s critical to what’s badly needed in the industry right now. Radio could be better at talent development for younger generations. Gen Z, especially, as most carry a value-driven mindset, looking for more than just a paycheck, they seek purpose.
“The desire to grow, learn, and upskill is huge, but they want it with flexibility to work a second job. They want a positive work culture where there is an opportunity to grow. So, the bigger question is, how can we do a better job evolving our own hiring/employment practices to meet the future generation of both workers and leaders?”
Speaking of which, Jukes says here’s what’s needed to be considered A+ talent right now, “Some of the best talent in 2025 are those that have the right balance of authenticity, entertaining storytelling abilities, and can also adapt to change when analytics reveal opportunities.”
“Talent needs to have a cross-platform strategy, understanding where to meet their audiences to keep them engaged. Being connected in 2025 means on-air, podcasts, social media, and being present in communities – both local and digital!”
And the growing use of AI in the industry? “My MBA cohort just discussed the benefits of organizations rolling out best practices for workers to maximize the use of AI in a complementary support role to aid in performance and productivity.”
“With a carefully crafted AI strategy that includes training, governance, encouragement, and investing in the right tools, organizations can foster a culture of experimentation that can help better achieve business goals. Monitoring impact, making smart decisions that don’t have high risk while embracing change really could change our future.”
“A quick and easy example for talent is to use AI as a marketing educational tool to design a strategy to grow their personal brand quickly. There are GPTs to Tutor, explore Canva, help build websites, and more.”
As for what’s ahead for Juke, “While I’m finally finishing my degree this month, I’m looking forward to what’s next –having time to travel a little more and explore beautiful San Diego. As a student of life, I’m always learning… curious about how things work, I never stop asking questions and applying new learnings to what we do every day!”
Follow Taylor Jukes on Instagram: @taylorjukes and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjukes/
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Charese Fruge’ is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talent, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. She is also a Voice Actor and Voice Over Talent as well as a Freelance Writer for International Broadcast Outlets. Find her at @MCMediaOnline or www.mcmediaonline.com.
