Tom Cook is Director of Music Programming for Audacy Baltimore and Program Director for Hot AC Mix 106.5. He also does the daily music logs for 94.7 The Drive in Washington, DC.
Cook was recently honored by his peers by being named as one of Barrett Media’s Top 20 Hot AC Program Directors 2024.
“I was also pleasantly surprised by that. I certainly didn’t expect it. That was a nice honor to be in the Top 20.”
The history of Mix 106.5 includes being Hot AC since 1986.
“We’ve had big Heritage morning shows, amazing talent the rest of the day, and that continues to this day.”
The Baltimore market has allowed the station to carve out a specific niche and sound.
“The station has always been able to get away with a little bit more rhythm than a lot of Hot ACs. We’re pretty heavy on Nelly and Eminem, Fat Joe and Ashanti and Aaliyah. Some of the stuff from ’98 to 2005 that our audience grew up with. That you might not find on a lot of typical Hot AC stations in other markets, but we embrace that, and it works well for us.”
“We have all the other things you expect on Hot AC stations, everything that’s from today. The station truly is a mix of various sounds and genres. I think we do a pretty good job of super-serving the people who grew up with that music from 25 years ago and making sure that they stay up to date with everything new, too.”
And what does super serving mean to Cook and Mix 106.5?
“It’s the music for sure. But then it’s also lifestyle content. We start the day with “Kramer & Jess,” a morning team that I brought in from San Diego. We worked hard to figure out what kind of content resonates with the audience here. I call it episodic content.”
“I’ve always been a big believer in, you take a mirror and hold it up to your audience. Whatever’s going on with your audience, we need to reflect. And that’s something that we do really well, starting in the morning and continuing all day.”
Social media helps reflect that content back to listeners.
“Kramer and Jess do great social media content. It’s not just about what’s on the air anymore. I want to shout out Jess. When she came here, she immediately helped us step up our social media game. She grew up with it. It’s a normal thing to her. It’s not something she had to learn to do for this job.”
Cook also oversees Top 40 Today’s 101.9, where on June 26 morning, hosts “Greg and Gina” will celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary.
“On WLIF, we have a great heritage airstaff, two of whom have been in the market 25+ years. We start the day with “Greg & Gina.” Greg came to Baltimore in 1994 on Mix 106-5 and eventually moved to WLIF. Gina has been here for 10 years and is still recognized for her time on WHFS. Both are quick-witted and fun. Greg brings Dad sensibilities, and Crash brings one-liners with a lot of randomness. Maria Dennis does middays and has been in Baltimore since 1997. Every programmer should be so lucky to have a lineup like this! I do afternoons and have been on since late 2019.”
With all the competition for the ear, how do we reignite passion for radio among young people and get them to use it again?
“Authenticity is number one. Just being real and transparent about what’s going on in your life. You can get anything from anywhere.”
Because of the ability to access anything nearly anywhere, Cook views some of the old notions about programming stations as outdated.
“It’s foolish of us to promote that we play the most music, or we need to shut the air talent up and play the most music. That’s an outdated concept.”
“If you’re paying 10 bucks a month on Spotify, you’re not getting 12 to 15 minutes of commercials to hear that music. We have to connect. We have to do that in the proper way. And figure out a way to make our stories about them so that they’re connected.”
“We take our experiences that are hopefully universal, and if they’re not, how do we make our experiences about the audience?
“Jess got married a little over a year ago. She got married on May 4th. She lives her life on the air. From everything that led up to her wedding to the stuff that happened at the wedding.”
“She has pee anxiety. She freaks out if she thinks she won’t be able to use the bathroom. She’s very transparent about that on the air. There’ve been times when I’m like, how many times did we talk about pee in that break? But it’s connective and I can’t tell you how many women have called, texted or DM that feel the same way”
“Kramer has gone through some stuff here. A couple of years ago, he was assaulted downtown, and he had a concussion. It probably took a year and change for him to navigate all of the health struggles. The doctor’s visits and the dizziness, one step forward, two steps back, as far as his health goes. He lived all of that on the air and people bond with that because everybody has their shit.”
Finding talent and people who are interested in radio content creation is becoming difficult. How does the Top 20 voted PD handle this?
“We have an intern who has been in here the last couple of weeks. I want to find a place for her because she’s so damn good at TikTok and Instagram and figuring out ways to get eyes on our content. I look at that and go, we need that, not only in this cluster, but we need that in this business.”
“There’s still some talent out there that we could bring in and teach the basics of radio. We can teach them mechanics. We can learn just as much from people like that as they can from us. Here’s another good example.”
“Our promotions director here makes some pretty good hires. One guy was out at an appearance before the Jonas Brothers show. I was on the air, and this kid was new on the promo team, who was looking over my shoulder at Wide Orbit.”
“He started asking good questions about it. I said, Tell you what, I don’t have time to talk to you about it now, but let’s talk on Monday, and I’ll answer all your questions.”
“I eventually started to use him to fill in as a board op on our sports station and as a fill-in traffic reporter. That happened because he was there asking great questions. He’s turned out to be a phenomenal part-time employee for us.”
What advice would Cook give to young people in the industry or thinking of coming into radio?
“You can’t be afraid of taking the next step. I think that coming to Baltimore has been the best move of my career. From a personal perspective, it’s been good. And quite frankly, I didn’t want to like it as much as I do here. I love Baltimore.”
“It’s a great city. The people are great. The city’s great, and the culture and diversity are great. Entertainment options are great. I love it here. And I didn’t want to love it.”
Mix 106.5 recently hosted its 36th Annual Radiothon benefiting the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Cook has found inspiration in association with the charity, including from a keynote speaker at a recent conference.
“The message was, we spend so much time obsessing over everything that we think is wrong, that we don’t spend enough time appreciating what is right. She put up a graphic, and I’m like, wow, that’s so good. Gratitude is underrated.”
“We just don’t spend enough time appreciating because we’re not necessarily wired to be that way. Be grateful for where you are, and be grateful for the opportunities. Everything is what you make it.”
And especially in the radio business?
“Don’t be afraid of change.”
Listen to Mix 106.5 here.
Reach Tom Cook via email here.
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.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
