Twenty five years is a long time. Not simply in broadcast, but in anyone’s quarter of a century.
For scope, in the NEXT twenty five years:
- The first humans will walk on Mars
- Flying taxis will be a thing
- Space tourism will flourish
When the news came that Salem Media Group would shed their fleet of Contemporary Christian Music stations, selling all of them to competitor Educational Media Group late in 2024, this naturally would be the end for reams of talented people.
This included the long-running Kevin & Taylor on Atlanta’s FISH brand (WFSH) which launched the brand in 2000 – twenty five years ago.
The pair held a quarter century tenure in the Atlanta market until their dismissal in January of this year. The duo were smart in maintaining ties with their listeners after their graceful exit. They even held a going-away party where ardent fans could share memories and say goodbye.
Kevin & Taylor are an Atlanta institution. Their brand in the market is solid, which is why they decided to stay until the right opportunity came their way. The astute leadership at Audacy’s Star 94.1 are the benefactors of their talent and Kevin & Taylor signed onto Star 94.1 – just yesterday morning.
Kevin & Taylor’s “Good Clean Fun” show works with simple principles:
- Authenticity – what you hear on air is the same as if you ran into the pair at the grocery or a soccer game
- Transparency – their lives are an open book as they often share intimate details about their personal bumps in life
- Connection – listeners have grown not only to like the show but LOVE their product as ‘can’t miss’ mornings
Our curiosity led us to catch up with Kevin & Taylor with a battery of questions which they kindly responded – below:
Kevin Robinson – What brought you together in Atlanta?
Kevin & Taylor – We had started the Kevin and Taylor Show in West Palm Beach. After 2 1/2 years there, we were offered the opportunity to come to Atlanta and start a brand new station. It was a great 25 year warm-up for what’s coming next!
KROB – You’ve been such a big part of the Atlanta for over two decades – reflect on your time together and what Atlanta means to you.
K & T – We’re both in love with Atlanta; it is home. From the first day on the air, people welcomed us into their lives with open arms. This city and its culture are incredible and we’re fortunate that we get to continue to be a part of the fabric of the community. Plus there’s great weather, all of the sports teams and the vibrant arts scene! We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
KROB – Since you were severed in January until today, what have you been up to and what advice would you give to other morning teams in the same situation?
K & T – Circle the wagons, assess the situation and decide what you want your next step to be. If you can afford to wait for the right opportunity, by all means, wait. On the personal side, lean into the relationships that sustain you. We both have incredibly supportive spouses and they stood by us through all of the stages of grief!
KROB – What’s been your very best day in radio as a team so far and why?
K & T – The day that Brand Manager Emily Boldon offered us the morning show on Star 94! When we first came to Atlanta, Star 94 was our measuring stick. We always wanted everything we did to be at the level that Star operated on. So to come full circle and make our show a part of a legendary station; you can’t top that!
KROB – Describe your morning show to include the relationship you’ve built with your listeners.
K & T – “Atlanta’s Feel Good Morning Show” is the perfect description of our show. We want everyone that tunes into our show to feel welcome and appreciated. Other shows give off a “cool kids” vibe, we are definitely not the cool kid table in the cafeteria! We’re just like our listeners, getting through the day together with a smile!
KROB – Audio choices and audio on social platforms are competing for attention from radio. How do you keep your show relevant and connected?
K & T – Working to create a relationship with the audience, so that no matter what is happening in culture, they want to know “what do Kevin and Taylor think about this”? It’s about having your own unique camera angle and perspective.
KROB – What’s the Secret Sauce that really makes your show work? Prep – chemistry – longevity?
K & T – Our show has a very simple premise: two friends who have very different life experiences and perspectives, have fun everyday with the listeners. We recognize that life is hard and we want to provide “recess from the world” for 4 hours every day. We also value the chemistry we have, respect for each other and we’re always looking to make each other stand out.
KROB – Emerging talent dreaming of a radio career, what advice would you give them?
Be a sponge! Find a place where you can do and try everything. Learn from promotions, sales, programming, production, engineering, & management. Always be willing to do the extra shift, remote or appearance. Doing these things day after day will give you a solid foundation to build a career from.
KROB – You’ve had incredible success in Atlanta. What do you see as your biggest challenges launching this next chapter at Star 94.1?
K & T – Living up to our own expectations! We’ve had a nice 25 year ramp up to this opportunity. We want to come through for Audacy BIG TIME! So executing the show and getting into the habit of winning is the goal and we are so grateful for the trust and support we’ve been given.
KROB – If you could have a guest – living or not who would it be, and what would you want to discuss?
K & T – We do have our dream guest on our first show! Montell Jordan is a longtime friend and constant source of support. Catching up with him, learning where he is in his battle with cancer and hearing about his international schedule will be a treat!
Kevin & Taylor Fun Facts:
- Inducted into the Friends of Georgia Radio Hall of Fame last year recognizing their long-term contribution to Georgia radio
- Their twenty five years in Atlanta morning radio made Kevin & Taylor the longest running personality morning show in the market
- They have experience success outside of Georgia as their “Good Clean Fun with Kevin & Taylor” was also heard on 60 markets across America including Los Angeles, Nashville and Portland through the Salem Music Network
- Readers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution voted Kevin & Taylor “Best Morning Drive Show”
- Kevin rescues racing greyhounds and Taylor’s future husband proposed to her in a hot air balloon.
Last week, we wrote about prepping for a wave of downsizing in a turbulent media job market. Exiting a long-term position like closing a favorite book—you may have “loved the story – it’s time to put it on the shelf”.
An exit gracefully means you carry the lessons and friendships forward into the next chapter of your life. Kevin & Taylor mapped their transition with perfection.
Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.
