For Rob Roberts, radio has never been “just a job.” It’s been a lifelong passion—one that began when he was a kid, glued to WMPS/WHBQ listening to Rick Dees in the morning and WLS with John Records Landecker at night.
That early fascination grew into a 50-year journey filled with big markets, legendary stations, and unforgettable wins. Today, Roberts serves as Operations Manager for Cox Media Group in San Antonio, overseeing KSMG, KONO-FM, and CMG’s Top 40 and Hot AC brands—a role he calls the dream job he was hoping for.
“There’s a lack of passion and excitement in some corners of the industry,” says Roberts. “But I still think I have the greatest job in the world. My friends can’t believe I get paid to do what I do, and they’d trade jobs in a second.”
Roberts’ career began in 1974, when he walked into WBAQ-FM in Greenville, Mississippi, and offered to work for free in exchange for learning radio.
“I spent a few months loading cokes in the machine, pulling records for the jocks, and writing bad copy for commercials and PSAs,” he recalled.
Then one afternoon, fate intervened in Roberts’ path toward his future.
“The PM Drive jock quit that morning, and they told me I was on the air at 3 p.m. After calling my parents, I proceeded to do the worst show in the history of radio. But they let me stay on, and I am forever grateful,” said Roberts.
From there, his career took flight. In Lubbock, Texas, at KRLB-FM, he worked his way up from midday jock to Program Director under the mentorship of consultant Lee Randall.
His biggest leap came in 1992, when Mike McVay introduced him to Miami market manager David Ross.
“We immediately connected,” Roberts says. “Ninety days into programming WAXY-FM, he asked if I wanted to add PD duties for Y-100. After confirming I wasn’t being punked, I jumped in with both feet.”
Their first ratings book jumped from a 2.2 to a 4.4—what Roberts considers a defining moment in his career.
Roberts went on to turn Atlanta’s Q100 from a low-power signal into a market leader with The Bert Show and later led WRQX-FM in Washington, D.C., to the #1 spot with Women 25-54 in just over two years. When the station was sold to EMF shortly after, Roberts made a conscious choice to focus on quality of life.
“I wanted to go to a city where my wife and I wanted to live and work with people I liked,” he says. “Market size had no bearing on the decision. That decision was San Antonio.”
The Alamo City proved to be more than just a great place to live. It’s a market with a distinct cultural heartbeat. “San Antonio is about 70% Hispanic, which makes it a completely different city from Austin, just 90 minutes away,” Roberts explains. “What works in Austin won’t work in San Antonio. You have to change hats, your clothes, and how you view life.”
That community connection is at the core of his success.
After the tragic flooding at Camp Mystic and Kerrville, Roberts and his team spent the Fourth of July weekend on Teams organizing a cluster-wide relief effort.
“We were on the air that Monday and broadcasting live Tuesday,” he says. “We raised tens of thousands of pounds of goods for people who lost everything. San Antonio wanted to help its neighbors, and they responded like we knew they would.”
He credits teammates like Marketing Maven Tori Finch, Joe Calgaro (KISS and Eagle PD), and Christi Brooks (Y100 PD) for bringing it to life.
That same spirit runs through the entire CMG San Antonio cluster—from HITS 105.3’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, which collects over two million pounds of food, to Y100’s 8 Man Jam event, which donates front-row seats to first responders and raises thousands for charity.
“If there was ever a moment where you could point to and say, ‘that’s the difference in those clusters,’ that would be it,” Roberts says.
When it comes to leadership, Roberts looks for one essential skill: storytelling.
“Whether it’s morning talent or a midday person, the ability to engage the audience with something that matters is key,” he says. His favorite job interview question is simple: ‘Tell me your life story.’ “I’ll know in the first minute if the person can tell a story or not. Let’s just say the person who asked me what I meant didn’t get the job.”
As for what keeps him motivated after all these years—it’s the listeners and the art of connection. “We can fall into the trap of telling people what happened,” Roberts says. “But the audience already gets that from so many sources. What matters is how you tell the story, your take, your spin, your ability to make it fun or shareable. Just telling people the news is easy. Making it memorable is the skill.”
Roberts’ secret sauce might be simple, but it’s timeless: passion, curiosity, and a genuine love for the people on both sides of the mic.
“We have to remember how lucky we are,” he says. “Radio still matters. It always has.”
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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.
