Ashley Morrison is Director of Programming and Brand Strategy for Country US 103.5 in Tampa. The station brands itself as “Tampa Bay’s Number One For New Country.” The station blends today’s Country with nostalgic throwbacks and a commitment to being live and present for the Tampa Bay audience.
US 103.5 is today’s featured brand for Barrett Media’s 20 Brands In 20 Days series.
For Morrison, programming US 103.5 is a homecoming of sorts.
“We just celebrated 20 years at the station, which is funny because I grew up here in the Tampa Bay area and moved away for 17 years. Then I came back. I’m going on my third year with iHeart and WFUS. I remember when this station came on the air because I was in high school. So being a part of it still and being a part of the makeup, it’s pretty cool. It’s a full circle moment for me.”
“We focus on being a live and local radio station, connecting with our listeners. Our station ID is “Tampa Bay’s Number One For New Country.” We try to own those new artists. The new songs, while not forgetting about the songs we knew and still love.”
“Overall, you could describe it as just a very energetic, constant ball of fire. We’re always doing something because Tampa’s such a big, busy market.”
Morrison believes in making sure the spotlight shines brightly on the new music and artists.
“It’s always a constant reminder for everybody. All of us who work in radio. It’s got to be spotlighted. We hear music so far in advance. It’s a reminder not just for our on-air staff, even me, hey, this is still new to our listeners.”
Being local means something different in every market. What does it mean in Tampa?
“I came up in local radio. That’s always been part of my DNA in this industry. I’m constantly reminding my on-air talent that it’s our responsibility and reminding them of the platform they have and the responsibilities.”
“Not to forget that who they’re talking to could be their neighbors. They’re people who want to relate to us. They’re people who are affected by hurricanes. In the same way, we’re affected by hurricanes. Being out in the community is an absolute no-brainer. If we’re not, that is a fail to me. I’m failing my station; I’m failing my listeners.”
US 103.5 has “The Bobby Bones Show” in mornings. I asked Morrison how the station localizes the show.
“I remind my local team how lucky we are that every week he has a Country artist on his show. Whether there’s a buzz-worthy story or whether it’s a throwback Country artist. Or he’s bringing in a brand-new artist, he’s introducing.”
“And not only can we say it’s on the “Bobby Bones Show”, but it’s super important that sometimes we just say, hey, don’t miss Ella Langley’s interview on US 103.5 tomorrow morning. It’s okay to acknowledge it’s just on the station and own it as a station. The station has that star, that new artist, or that throwback artist on for an interview. Or we’re world premiering this on US 103.5 this morning. Owning the locality of it instead of just saying Bobby Bones.”
iHeart has a strong nationwide promotion platform. How does that dovetail with local opportunities?
“We’re grateful for it because we’re able to hook listeners up with cash, which is incredibly wanted nowadays. I have to be strategic about what we’re going to do on air, what I’m going to say yes to. What I need to put online and what’s going to be an Instagram contest.”
Tampa offers a wealth of promotional opportunities.
“You’ve got almost every major tour that comes through here in our market between Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, and the areas we cover. And all the venues we cover in this market. Then you’ve got the theme parks that we work directly with, including Disney, Universal, Tampa, and Busch Gardens, as well as Adventure Island.”
“Then you’ve got the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Bucks, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. You’ve got all the professional sports teams. We’re in a market that is highly engaged, and most of those are our clients.”
“Being a part of so many different available options, you’ve got to be strategic. What’s going to be the biggest of the big? What’s not going to clog up and be confusing and be too much for the listener to digest.”
As far as AI, Morrison is engaged.
“I’m coming from a perspective of the big picture of the industry. I love being a part of bigger conversations. And being in the know of what’s coming next for the industry. I use AI right now more so just for idea-generating processes. I’m not taking anything word for word from it.”
And to wrap up?
“Here in the Tampa market, Tommy Chuck is our SVP, and he is the one who brought me on board here and gave me my shot. My first PG gig. I’m coming on my third anniversary.
“Now that I’ve been in a leadership position for numerous years, it’s pouring back into your talent. Even though we don’t all have budgets, and we don’t even sometimes have that bench of anyone coming up. It’s getting creative. It’s finding ways to make brands that our audiences, listeners, and neighbors think of in their communities as their friend.”
“If we want to keep going and thrive, we’ve got to have that mindset. That mindset of mentorship. Digging into the people around you. You’ll have a much better experience if you’re trying to build and lead.”
Reach out to Ashley Morrison by email here.
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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.
