Jimmy Wright is a unicorn. He has spent over 30 years on the radio in his hometown, primarily with Saga’s Des Moines Radio Group.
Wright’s position has evolved over the years to today, where he serves as Brand Manager of Top 40 Hits 99.9 and Assistant Brand Manager, music director, and PM driver on Hot AC Star 102.9.
I asked Wright how he had managed to stay with one group for so many years.
“I had an old college professor tell me from day one to be a sponge. Soak up as much as you can, and that’s what I tried to do since day one. I’ve tried to make myself not only available but also try to do as much as possible.”
“They say there’s no guarantees in this business or job security, but then also the flip side of it, job security is more work. So, I’ve always tried to take on more responsibilities. Not because I was fearful for my job. I took responsibility because I love what I do, and I always wanted to be a part of everything.”
“You have to make yourself versatile. You have to be able to adapt and change. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on your dream. Sometimes your dream takes a little different path or a different road, but it may come back to what you want.”
“The one thing that I will say for me is I’m doing exactly what I always wanted to do when I was a kid. It’s a joy, and I’m living that dream every single day.”
Part of his dream was to program, which he is doing with Top 40 Hits 99.9.
“It’s the little station that it thinks it can, and it does pretty well. I program the radio station so that it’s competitive with its counterparts, but I also want to stay out of the way of STAR 102.5.”
“I don’t want it to get in the way, so there is a certain type of surgical programming that goes with that station. Its biggest asset is that while everybody is talking, this station is pumping out music, pumping out the hit music. I try to leave it a little bit more rhythmic and play more of the Hip-Hop titles and R&B titles. Those kinds of things that you’re not going to get here in the market, but also songs that people want to hear.”
The station runs jockless, so I asked Wright if that was an advantage or disadvantage.
“We’re not hurt at all, actually, that is our strength. We have fun music features, like on holiday weekends. I’ve got local DJ mixers, club mixers. I let them do we do party mixes on the station.”
“It gives them a chance. The local DJ club mixers get some on-air exposure. We put them up on the website they get to talk. They spread the word on social media, and it works pretty well for us.”
Switching back to Star 102.5, Wright has had the opportunity to work with some great mentors who have come through the station over the years—people like Chuck Knight, Kipper McGee, Jim Schaefer, Scott Allen and the late Phil Hoover.
“They all brought a little something different to the table. But the thing about it was that whatever they brought and whatever I soaked up propelled me forward. It always made me take the next step. After 35 years, I can look back and say, ‘Wow, this is what I’ve done.’ I’ve had some good people who saw something in me that I probably didn’t see in myself. They gave me a chance.”
As music director for two current-based formats, how does Wright handle the amount of new music coming his way?
“It’s tough. You’ve got only so many slots and a ton of music out there that you couldn’t play it all. You have to stick to your guns, know what your station is about. Know what your audience wants, and most importantly, anytime your audience turns on the radio, they should know what to expect that comes out of the speakers.”
When it comes to knowing what to expect, what does Wright think about crossovers like Morgan Wallen?
“That line is going to get blurred even more between Hot AC and Country because Country has become more mainstream. You’ve got a lot of artists who will cross over to Hot AC, and you’ve got a few artists that are still trying to bleed over to the Country side. Like you were talking about Post Malone. I mean, Beyonce did a Country record.”
As for the future, Wright is happy, content and enjoying his professional life.
“There’s been a lot of luck. I’ve been blessed, too, because I’ve never really had a desire to move and go to a bigger market.
“I was happy with the station. I believe in the station, and the station believed in me. As long as I was happy, I didn’t care about wanting to go to Kansas City, Chicago, or New York. It never was a goal of mine; it was just to be happy. To do this in my hometown for as long as I have done it. I can’t ask for anything better than this
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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.
