My Life as a DJ and Social Media Manager at a college radio station
I'll be completely honest. Growing up, I never had an interest in radio as a career. It was just one of those realms I admired from afar. I always pictured large, glamorous studios and extroverted people doing talk shows. A text from one of my friends who was in the program at Wabash Valley College, however, completely changed the trajectory of my life and career path.
My Way Toward Radio
In March of 2020, I was producing a weekly podcast with another good friend of mine. A few weeks in, I received a message from my friend Drew saying that he had shown Kyle Peach, the station manager of 89.1 as well as an instructor teacher at WVC, my podcast and Peach was impressed with my work. One thing led to another, and I was registered to start taking classes in the Radio/TV program starting that fall.
A Mic With No Speaker
Fast forward four semesters, and I am now interning as Social Media Manager for 89.1. In addition to my internship, I have revamped the studio with the help of other DJ's in the program and brought life back to our studio. The station itself has now refocused its target audience and shifted toward rotating Alternative/Indie music rather than strictly the Alternative Rock library it once dispersed.
Aside from the studio itself, I create loads of content for the station. Running weekly polls on Twitter as well as updates on new music, posting videos to TikTok, updates on Facebook and Instagram, and creating a weekly music library for The Indie Hours, I have no shortage of tasks to do here at the station.
My Tuesday Lineup
8:00/9:00 a.m.- Grab Caramel Frappe (essential) and breakfast from McDonald's, look up local events in Evansville area and think over air-shift topics, update station info in the studio for other DJ's for the day.
What seems like an easy hour is actually one of the busiest of my day.
9:00/11:00 a.m.- Complete Air-Shift, create content on social media, edit liners, adjust music rotation, etc.
This is probably the most enjoyable part of my schedule. I get to be live on the air and experience what working at a radio station as an on-air talent is all about.
11:00a.m./12:00 p.m.- Continued adjustments to the music rotation, liner creation, and brainstorming more ideas for the station.
By far the slowest part of my routine, but entertaining all the same. I can use this time to adjust the strategy for 89.1 and what we can do to progress our brand.
12:00/ 1:00 p.m.- Get lunch, general brainstorm and posting on social media.
This is yet another part of my day when my creative side gets to shine. Whether it be editing new promotional audio to put on the air or producing social media content, I love having time to spend on strictly creation.
1:00/2:00 p.m.- Class and overview/discussion with Station Manager.
No one is a huge fan of going to class, but it provides an opportunity to talk creatively with Kyle about the future of the station and what we can put in place to strengthen our brand's presence across all platforms.
Tuesday is a busy day for me as well as the station. The entire week, however, is a constant effort to make 89.1 The Bash a truly unique station. The goal for me has been to make The Bash a radio station with real personality and to establish ourselves as the go-to station for this genre of music. Through the use of promos, liners, and establishing a foothold in the social media space, 89.1 has quickly changed its course for the better. While there is always room for improvement, I feel as though I have contributed so much to reaching that goal and I intend to do as much as possible in my time left here at Wabash Valley College to push us further toward the potential I know we have.
What do you think when you think radio?
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