35 Years of Radio Fun

It’s so hard for me to believe that I’m celebrating my 35th year in radio! Don’t ask me what the exact anniversary date is…my first day on the air was DEFINITELY not that memorable! Obviously, things have changed dramatically in the last 3 1/2 decades. I remember when the first station I worked at got its very first computer…a Wang! Whatever happened to that company? It was the only computer in the building…now, we have 4 computers in the KIZN studio alone! It’s a whole new world…the technology has made it amazingly simple to access information that we need to communicate over the air. But, despite the advantages to having all this technology, somehow, radio has lost a lot of its heart and soul. Once upon a time, the most important thing was what was coming out of the speakers. Now there are some who believe social media is the most important thing…they think posting and tweeting and sharing and tagging are more important than coming up with creative, fun ideas that will make people want to actively listen and participate. Yes, social media is a great TOOL, but it should only be used to complement what we’re doing. I compare social media to mayonnaise. It makes the sandwich better, but it’s definitely not the main ingredient. Let’s hope we can return to the things that made radio great, compelling, and FUN back in the day…and avoid mayonnaise sandwiches!