Sue Kelley is the PD of Bonneville’s Classic Rock 103.5 The Arrow in Salt Lake City. She also pulls an on-air shift on the station from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. She describes the station as “A unicorn in a flannel shirt—rooted in heritage but always ready to try something new.”
Kelley started in the business during her first year in college. She was booking bands for student events and somehow scored a weekend shift grabbing satellite feeds at the radio station.
She basically stalked the PD and followed the promotions team and talent around like a puppy. “I fell in love with the magic of the medium and the fact that it gave me access to concert tickets and backstage passes!” she admits.
Kelley later went on to do mornings, then added music director to her resume. Shortly after, she became a PD. “I landed in my current position by staying committed to quality, creativity, finding solutions that fit sales needs as well as programming needs, and being slightly obsessed with the process and personality of the business,” she says.
“With 38 full-signal stations blanketing the Salt Lake metro since 1967, The Arrow is woven into the fabric of our community’s daily lives,” says Kelley. “Our market is the youngest per capita in the country, but also crazy. People here still love what they grew up on, but they’re curious enough to ask, ‘What’s next?’ Our mission is to change up elements and music without losing the soul of The Arrow.”
“Our company mission is to build up, connect, inform, and celebrate communities and family. We are in the trenches with the community. Our commitment to service has been honored with multiple NAB Crystal Awards. It’s humbling to see that service spotlighted on a national level.”
“Music connects us all on a cellular level, and that extends to our passion projects for the station,” explains Kelley. “Including our drives to fund our local Children’s Hospital, Mental Health Services and Homeless Shelter. Our ownership supports and encourages us to do the right thing in our community, even if it’s something that’s not traditional in the box radio. We are constantly creating new ways to get our feet on the ground for the greater good of where we live.”
Typically, in the Classic Rock format, stations share a lot of gold in their libraries. It’s difficult and it takes effort to separate a brand from all the others. But Kelley insists that it’s not a problem for The Arrow. “As music is now ubiquitous, we lean into one-on-one connection and a uniquely Utah attitude. We create experiences that go beyond the speakers. We aren’t afraid to break the format a little if it means staying relevant.”
As for what Kelley looks for in A+ Talent, “Dedication, passion to make the next break better even though their former break was perfect, is key, the ability to connect on-air and off. The best talent knows their strengths and never loses sight of their listener. The most successful talent grills their performance more than any aircheck a PD could ever give. I’m always intrigued and champion people whose passion allows them to be coachable, a team player and authentic.”
What are we missing in the industry right now? “Risk-takers,” Kelley says. “Rather than create, many organizations just want to duplicate, which strips the soul of the brand. Radio as a whole is a little too far into safe and ‘samey.’ We need to empower local teams to lead with creativity, not just compliance. Local, Local, Local, is our battle cry on the air. As well as streets and social. Give programmers and talent the room to experiment again. Let radio be weird, wonderful, and real.”
“I am so grateful to work for Bonneville and their continued support and belief in the power of local. Syndication and scale have their place, but our community still craves deep local connection. In our market, there is still value to the community and clients to have remotes and events on-site. The clients love the personal connection with the talent. The stations winning long-term are the stations that have talent and management who live, adventure, and shop locally.”
Follow Sue Kelly on Instagram @skelley1036arrow
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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.
