As a collective group, we’ve gnashed our teeth and spit out recommendations for getting young talent interested in the radio business. We wrote about it here last fall.
All the socials are perceived ‘cooler than radio’. TikTok is content fire, YouTube is a space where anyone can have their own ‘station’ and the entry to podcasting is easier than ever.
Most emerging talent view radio as something from ‘The Boomer Generation’. Yet, we know live radio — executed properly — is the most immediate, creative, and community-focused media. It allows teenagers to feel the thrill of creating live content, emotionally touch a real audience, and develop communication skills that translate on digital platforms.
Radio’s Talent Pipeline Problem
How will radio grow in the future without investment in recruiting talented emerging personalities?
It’s a ton of heavy lifting for time-starved clusters, but one avenue to spark interest in radio is through high school radio stations.
While these programs offer students real-world experience in broadcasting, audio production, and sports play-by-play, most broadcasters are unaware of their existence and often bypass high school job boards in their recruitment efforts.
Indiana’s Award-Winning High School Stations
Within my home state of Indiana, and drivable to visit, you will find over a dozen award-winning high school radio programs, including:
Carmel High School — WHJE 91.3 FM
WHJE is widely known as one of the most award-winning high school radio stations in Indiana. Located inside Carmel High School, the station is entirely student-run and broadcasts alternative rock, sports, podcasts, and community programming on its Class A FM signal.
Ben Davis High School — WBDG 90.9 FM
This Indianapolis high school station is one of America’s most recognized, launching the careers of many radio Hall of Famers. WBDG has operated from Indy’s West Side for decades at Ben Davis High School. Students create live programming, local news, team sports, and music broadcasts on a full FM signal serving Indianapolis.
Post your open part-time positions inside the school. Administrators will welcome you with open arms.
College Partnerships Open a New Pathway
It’s also encouraging to read last week’s news out of Long Island, New York.
Spearheaded by Kristin Okesson, Regional SVP/Market Manager for Connoisseur-Long Island, Connoisseur Media launched an initiative to introduce college-level students to the broadcasting industry. They’ve partnered with Nassau Community College — home to award-winning radio station WHPC 90.3 FM — to give students hands-on experience across the Connoisseur cluster through mentorship in broadcasting, marketing, sales, and digital media.
Okesson commented, “Partnerships like these create a direct pipeline for passionate students to gain real-world experience, build important industry connections, and ultimately become the future superstars of our business.”
The benefits students will reap extend beyond the cluster. Students involved in radio develop strong public speaking abilities, teamwork, and time-management skills.
Live, LOCAL radio creates opportunities for meaningful community involvement.
What about the kids who get interested in radio early — like pre-teen early — and develop into a top-tier broadcaster? What’s their story all about?
When the Bug Bites Early: Scott Miller’s Origin Story
We caught up with just one example.
When I was programming in Chicago, Scott Miller — now morning host on WJBC since 2019, the heritage news/talk station serving Bloomington-Normal, Illinois — would often call our air talent and religiously visit our appearances.
We asked Scott to share HIS origin story:
“I was 12 years old when the bug bit me. My parents took me to the Chicago Auto Show to meet legendary radio personality Dick Biondi. He was a voice my mother and father had grown up listening to in the 1960s, and one I would later come to admire myself.
That day changed my life.
Dick invited me on the air to deliver the weather forecast. In that moment, everything became clear. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to work in radio.
From the age of 12 until I turned 18, I made it a point to attend nearly every remote broadcast Dick hosted. He welcomed me, put me on the air and shared lessons about the radio business. He taught me about programming, sales, promotions and how a station operates behind the scenes.
More importantly, he taught me about listeners. Dick believed the audience always came first. He often reminded me that radio personalities are not the important ones. Our job is to entertain, inform, and connect with the people doing the truly important work in their everyday lives.
Since that day in February 1991, I have carried one dream: to spend my life working in radio. So far, that dream continues.
To this day I speak to grade school kids about this industry and participate in every high school and college class tour of our studios.”
Our challenge for the radio industry is ensuring the next generation understands the values Scott assimilated at an early age.
Radio has survived major media disruption because radio evolves. Our next stage of evolution is solely dependent on investing in young creators — now.
When the phone rings, answer it. When the email arrives, reply.
Your next Scott Miller might be on the other end.
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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.
