The highly energetic Jarrett Galeno, “Skywalker,” 48, of WSPK K104, hosts the Hudson Valley, New York’s Number One afternoon show, leaving competitors in the ratings dust for more than two decades.
“K104 is a strong station, with over 300,000 listeners,” boasts the afternoon host. “We’ve had the same program director and the same morning guy, too, so we’re kind of an anomaly and nothing really changes. We’ve been really lucky.” The PD is Sky’s former colleague, Scotty Mac, who sent Sky an “S.O.S.” to join him at the station in 2000.
That #1 show out of Fishkill, NY features today’s hit music, up-to-the-minute traffic reports, games, contests, and plenty of pop culture news and local happenings at 2:00 p.m.
“Sky” to his friends and fans, now calls Beacon, NY, in the Hudson Valley his home. He’s originally from Brookhaven, on Long Island. Both locations happen to be sixty miles from the city. He’s single. His brother and mother live on Long Island, and he has a sister in Connecticut who has two children. His father passed away six years ago.
He Hustles
Sky’s hyper-focused and ultra-organized. He’s got to be to keep his gaggle of gigs straight. Before his four-hour K104 shift, he records voice tracks for half a dozen outlets all over the country, hosting just about every genre of music on stations ranging from Eagle 97.5 Country in Vermont to Rock 107 in Missouri. Add alternative Radio, WMRQ 104.1 in Connecticut on the weekends, and the man’s on air seven days a week.
He’s also Assistant Program Director at WSBK, where he does the station’s imaging and helps to find and train new talent.
Some of his hires come from his Tuesday/Thursday job. That’s when Sky’s an Adjunct Instructor of Arts and Communications at Orange Community College in Middletown, New York. His courses include Intro to Digital Radio Production and Intro to TV Production. He also taught at Connecticut School of Broadcasting.
“The class has changed since it began in 2008, “he says, “because radio listenership among young people has changed. They are less and less impressed that I’m Skywalker from K104. Podcasting is now an important part of the curriculum.”
He’s also got a production company, Sky Sky Media, which offers coaching, voice tracking, digital production and more at http://www.skyskymedia.com.
Local Angle
He authored a newspaper feature for four years, “Sky Writing,” which highlighted Hudson Valley happenings. Sky says his loyal K104 listeners respond to his local focus. He attributes that to the culture he’s fortunate to have at what he describes as a “mom and pop” operation, Pamal Broadcasting. (Pamal owns 23 stations in medium-to-small markets in the Northeast).
“We have less restrictions.” says Sky, “We let our personalities shine and it’s the localism, it’s me being engrained in the community for so long. I am your neighbor. I run into you. It happens all the time,” he says.
Sky also pitches in at charity events for groups like March of Dimes, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Alzheimer’s Association, and “Everyone’s a Reader Day.”
Sky was named Best Air Personality by the NY State Broadcasters Association in 2014 and 2015.
In the off-chance Sky’s not on the mic, in front of a class or in the studio, he’s yelling for the Yankees and noshing on New York’s finest cuisine. His favorite new New York spot is Alva at 30 Rock. His all-time fave is The Olde Pink House in Savannah, GA.
Prize Pig
Sky loved Long Island life as a kid. “Farms, suburbia, a little pocket of everything. We couldn’t get the radio stations from the city so we were engrossed in Long Island radio. “
Indeed, Sky was a “prize pig,” entering (and winning) contests from an early age.
“I loved to win things. I won $1000, won furniture, won concert tickets, and went to all the events. I loved the music. When I would pick up my prize I would try to get a glimpse of the personalities,” he says. Pro tip: “Sound excited when you win a contest so that you can be quote unquote the correct caller,” he advises prize lovers.
That station, WBLI, is why Sky got into radio.
“My dad had a construction company in New York City and I could have easily taken over the family business and it was boring to me. I don’t care how a bathroom is built,” he says.
He earned a paid position at his beloved WBLI (owned by Cox Radio) after a college internship there. Sky studied broadcasting at Suffolk Community College and Long Island Post University, and earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Communications.
“I got to start my career at WBLI and did weekends and even did middays for four months,” says the former prize pig.
Sky then moved to New London, CT, where he worked nights on Cumulus’ Alternative WQGN Q105 and was then recruited by Mac at K104.
Foiled by Flips
Always happy at K104, Sky still tried for the big time. His dedication to making it in a large market was evidenced by his driving three hours every weekend for three years to Boston to host on 93.7 every Sunday, which he loved. It never turned into anything, Sky says, because he went in on a Sunday, and the station flipped on Monday.
In 2014, he joined CBS Radio and could be heard on 92.3 AMP in the largest market in the country, New York City, where he worked as weekend host and fill-in for three years. Sky also scored a weekend host slot at the heritage Hot AC WPLJ, located in Madison Square Garden, in 2018. Less than a year later, Cumulus sold the legendary PLJ and converted it to a religious station. Not the answer to Sky’s prayers.
On the bright side, all his firings have been flips, and his setbacks have been few. Initially disappointed that he couldn’t work at radio stations where he likes the music, he reframes that problem as a challenge:
“When I got older, I appreciated the art of radio more, and how can I communicate to this different type of audience? When I was younger, I never thought I’d be on four country stations, but I am and it’s great, so I just alter my content or delivery and so that’s the fun for me,” he explains.
Tonight Show Shout Out
He’s covered the MTV Awards, The Grammys, and interviewed many stars along the way, but his best media moment may have been in 2021 with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. Fallon grew up listening to K104 and used to record his favorite songs off of the station on cassette. Sky interviewed Fallon on the radio and let Fallon intro his own song, DJ style.
Then, Sky had the shock of his life when he tuned into the Tonight Show monologue and was name-checked and thanked on air by the late-night TV host.
“Skywalker, I appreciate everything you do; you’re awesome, thanks. Don’t stop, buddy,” Fallon announced to the audience.
Sky says Fallon told him during the pandemic that broadcasters are part of people’s world. “We have to be there in those kinds of moments.”
Collaboration
As someone who loves to network, Sky says collaboration with competitors can be a good thing.
“It’s not like the radio war days when you don’t talk to your competitor. Air talent have to support each other. With jockless shifts and other changes and less of a staff you have to have a supportive base around you.”
He believes in keeping the doors open to communicate with and perhaps be inspired by competitors who are rocking it in the industry.
“It’s helpful to attend conferences to be around people who are as passionate as you as opposed to being on an online forum with people complaining ‘radio doesn’t’ pay,’ We are all in this together, it’s a people business,” he emphasizes.
He walks the talk. He advises students and new hires and has posted articles giving tips to aspiring radio people which include specific actions, like:” Don’t burn bridges. You work with everyone twice (at least),” stay positive, and respect but ignore disgruntled people.
It’s critical, says Sky, for radio pros to take care of their health and mental health.
“Take your paid time off,” he says. “If you think the world will end, it took a heart incident at the gym a few years ago for me understand it’s okay to be away.” He couldn’t work for a week unexpectedly and says, “Guess what? Everyone survived.” He’s fine, too.
He’s also an advocate of empathy towards staff both new and veteran (“watering your garden”) and of addressing mental health challenges.
“Radio is show business. It can be very cruel because you can be fired at the drop of a hat and there’s not a security blanket corporate-wise so we all need to be there for each other,” he says, after learning a former colleague had just died by suicide.
“Absolutely Inane”
Sky appreciates A.I. as a production tool in his technical studio work. “Technology will always be there. Embrace it and figure out how to use it to your advantage. But there’s no replacing the human spirit,” he says.
As a person who records voice tracks for six stations every early morning from home, he says, “I’m better than A.I., I swear. I laugh and show emotion and connection. My voice replaces that of a live jock. But it is MY voice, MY thoughts, MY research and MY creativity. I am using my talents as a real life human. That is the creative aspect. It is not a computer with anticipated responses.”
Talent and Communication
It’s the human touch that separates Sky from A.I. and it’s talent, he says, that separates his work from Spotify, which has no talent. Now, we can get music anywhere, he says, but talent is proprietary.
“It’s about communication with your audience. There are so many different ways to get music that it’s hard to cut through, that’s the challenge.”
Talent, he says, is the difference-maker. With a listenership of over 7.2 million people in eight markets, Sky’s got a huge reach.
His golden radio rule:” You will always love it more than it will love you back. Accept that, and you’ll be fine.”
