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Bryan “B-Dub” Washington is the host and creator of the nationally syndicated Country evening show “B-Dub Radio.”
Washington, a radio veteran, started in Top 40 and had stops in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Denver before settling into the Northwest, currently residing in Oregon.
“B-Dub Radio” started as “Buckwild Saturday Night,” a weekend offering, before rebranding and launching as a weeknight and weekend show.
For Washington, starting a syndicated show and getting it launched meant finding the right people with whom to partner.
“I had people that believed in me. We came up with a plan and a concept and saw, at the time, a hole in the space for just a fun, upbeat Saturday night show, and that’s what we went with because that’s where the demand was. Then, as time went on, we saw a hole for content-driven shows.”
“So, that’s what we went with, and the opportunity to grow came after being a syndicated show for six years. What’s the next step? Expand and offer a weekday program.”
“Over the years, we had several stations saying, hey, if you had weekdays, we’d pick you up there as well, and we’ve grown from weekends only to weekdays in a good chunk of our Saturday markets that have grown with the show. Syracuse, as an example, Portland now carries me and Seattle. We were able to grow and expand affiliates and stations that needed a weekday solution but didn’t necessarily need a show on the weekends; we’re able to provide that as well.”
Washington’s plan accelerated when the Seattle station he worked for abruptly changed formats, leaving him without work.
“My plan was to go full-time into the syndicated show when my last contract with Hubbard was up, which would have been April of 2025, but the station flipped to AAA for a year, and that timeline accelerated a little bit. Luckily, the show had grown, and the revenue was there, so I didn’t have to panic and go find a job somewhere. I’m thankful for those who believe in what I do, and I think it’s made the show better because I’m able to focus on one thing every day versus three different jobs between being an APD MD and then having the national show to do as well.”
“B-Dub Radio” focuses on delivering content to stations so that they can wrap their own playlists around it.
“For the weekday show, the focus is the content. We provide the content; stations put their own music around it. The markets where the show is the most successful wrap it around their brand, treat it like I’m a local talent, send liners and things for me to talk about, and then put it in their local logs.
“WUBB Savannah is a great example of how to execute that, and the show does well. I do my best not to sound like I’m a nationally syndicated show.”
Being national while not sounding national is a focus for Washington.
“I want to sound like I’m just somebody’s friend that happens to be on the radio. We don’t really talk about where I live on the air. If someone’s engaging with me on social media, it’s not hard to figure out.”
“I live in the Northwest, but I don’t try to cram down where I am. That’s not important anyway. People want to hear great music. They want to be entertained. And that’s what we try to do. So the station is able to wrap my breaks and content around their brand five nights a week.”
Washington is a one-man operation, so time management is essential. Affiliates want custom content with deadlines, while Washington is also curating content for a daily show. So, how does he keep the trains running on time?
“Just time management. I set aside time every day to read liners that have come in and work on more of a system as the show is growing. I do get more and more local stuff to read, so I’m trying to figure out a way to execute that better and create a workflow.”
“For now, I’m a one-man band. I do my best. Sometimes, one falls through the cracks here and there, but I give everybody my cell number. So if I miss something by mistake because I’m human, it’s like just shooting me a text and hit me with a reminder if I don’t hit the deadline. But, so far, it’s worked out great.”
“Some stations send me stuff once a month. Sometimes it’s once a week. Sometimes, you sign them, and it’s like Ronco: you set it and forget it. It just depends on the market. We’re all busy with more things to do. I’ll work as hard as they want me to.”
Technology has allowed Washington to produce the entire show from his home studio.
“I built the studio during COVID, and being able not to have to go into a radio station every day is nice from a technological standpoint. That being said, I do miss the camaraderie and the culture of working day to day at a radio station, building relationships and being able to cut up and have fun with people. That’s why we work in radio.”
Washington likes the current state of Country radio.
“I think the music cycle is the strongest we’ve seen in a decade. Country is white hot. I think we need to empower radio at the local level. That being said, with the revenue in radio and within audio, in general, being spread thinner and businesses spending less, from an advertising standpoint, there comes a need to fill roles. That’s where shows like mine can step in and be a good solution if you can’t find or don’t have the money to find a strong local talent.”
He credits syndication partner Skyview Networks with constantly advocating for the show and making the affiliate roster grow.
“Ed and Gina and the team at Skyview are great in terms of constantly being on the phones and coming up with a solution either one by one or if there’s an opportunity from a group standpoint. I think that’s what sets my show apart; we’re not a crammed-down show.”
“SummitMedia carries me on all their stations at night, but when Randy Chase and I met in 2020, virtually, of course, because it was during COVID, he got the local buy-in of all the PDs. So, it wasn’t a forced decision. It was, here’s an idea.”
“We’ve retained those stations. I work hard to maintain those relationships and make sure I’m continually working hard because when you don’t have the local buy-in, the second a station is told, you know, told you don’t have to run this anymore, you’re going to get dropped. It’s just 99% of the time.”
With affiliates across the country and many different regional influences, how does “B-Dub Radio” approach social media?
“I try to be as real as possible. I stay away from politics and things on my brand pages. I try to stay away from it in general because it’s so divisive right now. And I think that’s by design with social media, not necessarily people themselves.”
“But as far as the content, it’s artist-driven. It’s conversations with the artists I have, trying to find that one 30-second part of the conversation that will stick on social media. It’s a lot of life group stuff: heading to concerts, getting out, and seeing music. I ride my motorcycle a lot.”
“So, a lot of the content I post is bike-related. The content is stuff that I enjoy and find funny. I try not to make it regional. Motorcycles are a cross-country type thing. So is barbecuing; I love to cook outside. So that’s stuff that I’ll post from time to time, as well as relationship-driven stuff with my wife and my family, nieces, and nephew.”
What advice does Washington have for anyone looking to syndicate their show?
“Find a way to own your product. Negotiate that into your employment contract if you’re employed. If you do start a syndicated show, and you’re employed by a company, they’re going to own the show, and at the end of the day, you have nothing.”
“To add to that, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s going to be years before you really see something viable from a financial standpoint, but when it does, it can be very rewarding. Also, know that it could end tomorrow.”
Find out more about “B-Dub Radio” here.
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