The Infinite Dial

At this year's Conclave Learning Conference: At the Crossroads, Edison honored the recipients of their 30 Under 30 Award.

(Pictured from Left to Right: Chris Thomas, Sean Ross, Ian Bush, Jim Bezak, Tre Day, Tazz Daddy, Blake Florence, Sarah Harris, Alex Roman, Joshua Wilkey, Scott Herrold and Daniel Anstandig)

A special luncheon and awards ceremony was held for the Conclave guests on Saturday, June 28th. The event was hosted by Comic and Syndication One morning host, Rickey Smiley. Rickey offered the audience a taste of his stand up routine as well as an insightful interview with BMI's legendary songwriting duo Isaac Hayes and David Porter.

Sean Ross, Executive Vice President of Edison Media Research presented the 30 young professionals their awards to honor their achievements and contributions to the radio industry.

Congratulations again to the 2008 "30 Under 30"!

Tazz "Daddy" Anderson, Daniel Anstandig, Rob Anthony, Jim Bezak, Ian Bush, Charlamagne, Justin Chase, Tommy Chuck, Ryan Dokke, Meg Dowdy, Blake Florence, Sarah Harris, Scott Herrold, James "Doubledown" Howard, Talya Johnson, Jake Kaplan, Carly Laskey, Marisa Magnatta, Kyle McCoy, Rich McLaughlin, Amy Miller, Courtney Quinn, Sisanie Reategui, Justin Riley, Alex Roman, Travis "TreDay" Rowan, Thomas "Chase" Rupe, David Snoble, Chris Thomas and Joshua Wilkey

Title:Founder and Chairman WilkeySouth Media Brokers, LLC; President and CEO Countrywide Broadcasters, Inc

Who is Joshua? "Mr. Wilkey began work at the age of 13, working over the summer for his grandfather's auto care business. It was here that he learned the value of hard work and the value of integrity in business. He worked with his grandfather until he turned 15, at which time he began to work full-time at a local Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. It was in this environment, working six days per week while still attending high school that Josh realized the importance hard work plays in the life of anyone with a desire to be successful. By age 18, Josh was promoted to management, and became a trouble-shooter, traveling to restaurants which were distressed and building an appropriate team to address the problems. Soon, though, he became burned out and looking for something different in life. He discovered an opening for a part-time sales rep and board op at the local radio station, and applied. A drastic pay-cut was in order, but Josh fell in love with the radio business and began to work his way up the ladder. Just a few months after starting work at the radio station, he was startled to learn that the station's parent-company was insolvent, and that the General Manager had abruptly left to pursue other opportunities. Rather than leaving, Josh decided to "dig in" and put his trouble-shooting experience to good use. He worked tirelessly to rebuild the station and make it solvent. Working to rescue the distressed station, he occupied virtually every position at the station in time, from Traffic Director and Announcer to Sales Manager and eventually General Manager. He was rewarded for his efforts with an opportunity to purchase the stations himself, and completed his purchase at the age of 20. He was able to divest the station less than a year later, for a healthy profit, and at that time started Wilkey South Media Brokers. Currently, in addition to his Broadcast holdings, Mr. Wilkey is working on several projects in Middlesboro, Kentucky. He has founded a new company to acquire and develop downtown real estate, and also plans to launch a new restaurant in the Winter of 2009."

What would your dream job be? "I am fortunate to say that I already have my "dream job". Being President & CEO of my own company gives me the ability to work in the industry I love while building a secure future for myself personally. Being not only the head of my company, but also the sole stockholder, also allows me great opportunity to contribute to my community as much as I'd like. I am a very active member of several local boards, including the Middlesboro - Bell County Airport Board and Discover Downtown Middlesboro. If not for my current job, I couldn't afford the time to be as active in the community as I would like."

Who has been your greatest influence? "It would be virtually impossible to pinpoint a single person as the greatest influence in my life. Growing up in rural Appalachia, I was surrounded by a great many influences, both positive and negative, and all of them contributed to where I am now in life. I grew up in a family with meager means, and this environment, more than anything, served as an influence for my life. I realized early in life that if I were to ever hope to be successful, my success would have to be obtained through my own efforts. The drive to be successful, combined with the necessity of being "self-made" served to influence my life dramatically."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "In today's world of over 400 Satellite Radio channels, I personally can't think of any format I believe may be viable which has not been tried already. However, a format I am amazed is not tried "enough" terrestrially is Hot Adult Contemporary. It seems that these days, the Hot AC format isn't present in many medium-sized markets, a fact which surprises me. The format, when properly executed, has broad-based appeal, and is incredibly "sellable" to advertisers, and yet many corporate owners simply won't program it."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio is faced with a bit of a Catch-22 in the department of younger listeners. The bulk of major advertisers focus on the 25 - 54 demographic, forcing radio to work hard at attracting large numbers in this age range. It is a bit of a challenge to attract younger listeners knowing your advertisers (at the end of the day, the folks who pay the bills) are looking for listeners who are older than 25. At my stations, we work hard to attract the younger listeners, though, doing things that many larger-market operators wouldn't touch. For example, we feature the "Young Authors Club" every spring. Not only do the kids tune in, but so do their parents. Additionally, we run high school football and basketball games from our local high schools. This serves not only as a financial windfall, but also as a way to get middle- and high-schoolers to tune in. Again, not only do the kids listen in, the parents do as well. That way, we get our 25 - 54 demographic while at the same time attracting a younger audience. Once we've "trained" the kids to tune in to programs focused on them, we have realized that they continue listening to the station on a regular basis."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Radio has a large problem remaining relevant in today's media environment, and this problem stems more from our own actions than from market changes. Radio of yester-year featured talented and entertaining personalities, something drastically lacking in today's terrestrial radio business. In the words of Shakespeare, the problem lies not in our stars but in ourselves. Radio executives have, in the name of saving money, cut the very radio personalities which allowed radio to build such a huge following. Until we realize that we cannot cut ourselves out of the mess we are in, we have little hope of advancing our business. It is imperative that we offer our audiences programming which they can connect with, rather than homogenized content reliant upon focus groups from afar. At our stations, we've also worked hard to build a significant online presence, including live streaming and on-demand programming. Today's listeners are not engaged by voice-tracking and homogenized playlists, and we have very little hope of advancing our business unless executives realize this."

Title: WLVQ Program Director/On Air Mid-days, Wilks Broadcasting, Columbus, OH

Who is Chris? "My love of entertainment started as a toddler when I built my own radio and TV studio out of boxes and put on shows for family and friends. My love of music resulted in an early career as a successful jazz musician and composer. Radio became a career interest for me when our teacher assigned us a radio unit in high school speech class. I put together my project with a small mixer, tapes, and a microphone my father gave me. I voiced a couple of my first commercials along with being the host of my own "mock" radio program. My first part-time job came at age 16 when I was hired at KSEZ and KMNS in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1998, my first full-time job came as Imaging Director/On Air 7-Mid for KSEZ. I was promoted to Morning Host in 1999 and within a short time was Arbitron rated #1 Persons 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54 for three straight years. After also taking on the PD position in 2002, the station grew to an overall Arbitron rating of #1 Persons 12+, 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54 (Mon-Sun, 6a-Mid). In 2004, I added PD of KMNS to my duties. In 2005, I moved to Columbus, OH for the position of Imaging and Creative Services Director/On Air 7-Mid for WLVQ. Within one year I achieved a #1 rating 7-Mid Persons 25-54. Then after a buyout, I was promoted to PD/On Air Mid-Days. Since my start of programming WLVQ, the station (Mon-Sun, 6a-Mid) has excelled from #6 to #2 in our target demo of Persons 25-54 (Fall '07 Arbitron). We have enjoyed a #1 rating Men 25-54 for one solid year. Everyday I go to work with the goal of making a positive difference interacting with listeners, co-workers, and advertisers. I appreciate the opportunity you are giving young broadcasters to share our stories. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my family, friends, co-workers and mentors."

What would your dream job be? "To have my own syndicated radio or television talk/entertainment show. As a child, I used to beg my parents to let me stay up late to watch Johnny Carson. I love the spirit of late night TV and hosts like David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. I could also see myself branching into radio consulting or expanding my self-owned imaging/commercial production company (CT Audio Productions)."

Who has been your greatest influence? "When I was a child, someone jokingly warned my parents that they better find a way to positively channel my energy for entertainment. My parents supported all of my interests and encouraged my creativity. My wife is very supportive and understanding of my unpredictable hours. I am also very grateful to Rich Zaber who first hired me, Matt Weesner who taught me a lot, and Jeff Sanders from whom I continue to learn."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "In a day when you can immediately buy a recording of a concert as you leave the venue, a station airing back to back live concerts would take it a step further. A daily/weekly concert line-up can be sent to the e-mail database and listeners may vote online for their favorite concerts. With the new HD stations and additional internet streams, perhaps someone is already doing this."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Creativity in content is the key. When those two elements are combined, you can hold the attention of a person of any age. Engage people in thought and they will react to your passion. Whether it's imaging, commercials, promotions, shows, or an entire station; if it entertains, reaches listeners emotionally and gets your message across, it will achieve results. I am also a big supporter of giving back by visiting high school speech classes and educating them on radio. I bring along some materials and let them build audio art of their own. They love it and I'm always impressed how it re-invigorates me."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "If we all change that question to "How will I remain relevant?" - radio will remain strong. Take personal responsibility to embrace new technology in a way to benefit listeners, programming, and sales. I am intrigued by the popularity of podcasts and excited to see support for iPods with built in radios. Online listening through station websites is quickly becoming not just a luxury, but a necessity."

Title: Online Program Director for the Chicago cluster of Clear Channel communications

Who is David? "Born and raised in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, home of the WGN-AM Transmitter, I used to stay up late at night scanning the radio dial while watching the tower light blink and hope that someday, I'd be there. My love for music, audio and tech has always played a key role in my life. During my high school and college years I was a club DJ and drifted away from radio as I was focusing on TV. Then, one fateful visit to see long time family friend Aris Hampers in Grand Rapids Michigan changed it all. After touring his studio and watching the magic of radio I immediately changed my major and have been re-married to radio ever since. My first job was a technical producer at WLS-AM, then moved on to become a producer on the Roe and Garry Sow (WLS-AM) which eventually became the Roe Conn Show, where I produced the "best of" cd's and the imaging for the show. During my time at WLS, the duty of webmaster was added to my role and in 2005 I was hired by Clear Channel to manage the radio station websites."

What would your dream job be? "Expanding my role as Online Program Director to add PD duties of a single station to really make the web and traditional radio mesh together to evolve radio into something we've never seen or heard."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I would do a disservice to all of my role models to only name one, but to name the top would be; Roe Conn, Garry Meier, Aris Hampers, Jonathan Brandmeier, Steve Dahl, Rick Gillette, Darren Davis and Mark Driscoll."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I believe the niche formats of satellite radio has made this question slightly null, but I think a true dance format hasn't been fully explored or given enough time to succeed and I also believe a "chill" format could perform well on terrestrial radio. I believe in 10 years or so, chill will be the new smooth jazz."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio needs to become the place they go to find their new music. We can't win the war against iPods, but we can certainly fight. Radio is going to need to find a way to lower spot load, play more new and local music, cut the clutter and do what the younger demo wants. Get to the music. Formats in general are going to need to evolve. Pick 20 iPods at random and you'll be hard pressed to find one that has a single format on it. Radio as an industry need to become more like an iPod with expanded playlists, less imaging, more dead segs, and less useless talk. When a jock turns on a microphone, what comes out of their mouth must be worth the listeners time to listen."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "In order for radio to remain relevant, the websites of the radio stations, along with on-demand products such as videos, podcasts, downloads, etc must be always top of mind. Radio stations need to start thinking of themselves as a website with radio station attached, not a radio station with website attached. The days of radio station websites with bios of jocks and nothing but "where we'll be" and "here is what we're doing" should be over. Radio station websites need to become hubs for the listeners. Jocks posting blogs, pictures, videos, etc. The website needs to be about the listener, and not so much about the station. The social networking aspect of the worlds most popular websites need to be implemented into radio. Can a local radio station website compete with the likes of MySpace and Facebook? No, and we don't expect to take them on, but we have un-tapped resource of loyal listeners that will gladly use our websites for things other than streaming the station and reading about how a dj grew up in Toldeo and worked his way all the way up to their current station. While people do care about the bio of a jock, there is a reason the "Lollipop" video has been viewed over 800K times on YouTube. Any radio station that offers a video on demand product should be backselling the heck out of the fact that you can watch that video anytime they want on the website. And if the station doesn't have a video on demand product, they should create a page that embeds the YouTube video. Internet advertising continues to grow and the AE's need to make sure that they are well versed in the internet advertising standards and all the products and features of their radio station websites because that's where it's headed...frankly....we should be long there by now, but we're getting there."

Title: Operations Manager for Emmis Austin Radio, including stations KDHT-FM (Hot 93.3 - Rhythmic CHR), KLBJ-FM (93.7 KLBJ - Mainstream Rock), KROX-FM (101X - Alternative), KBPA-FM (103.5 BOB-FM - Adult Hits), KGSR-FM (107.1 KGSR - AAA), and Program Director for KDHT-FM (Hot 93.3).

Who is Chase? "Chase was born on September 30, 1982 in Youngstown, Ohio. He graduated Salutatorian from Struthers High School, and attended Youngstown State University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. While in Youngstown, he was hired by Program Director Tom Pappas and started in radio at the age of 15 at WHOT-FM (Hot 101 - CHR). At the age of 18, he worked for Clear Channel in Youngstown, Ohio at WAKZ-FM (95.9 KISS-FM - CHR) where he was responsible for assisting in the programming of WAKZ-FM and creating and producing imaging for all seven of Clear Channel's Youngstown stations. In 2002, he was hired by Program Director Chris Edge as the Assistant PD/Imaging Director/Afternoon Host for WDCG-FM (G105 - CHR) in Raleigh, NC. After Chris's departure in 2003, Chase held the Program Director responsibilities for G105 under OM Chris Shebel. In 2004, he was hired by Clear Channel Regional Vice President of Programming Don Cristi as the Director of Programming for Clear Channel Tulsa, and Program Director of KTBT-FM (92.1 The Beat - Rhythmic CHR). In December 2006, Chase took on the duties of Operations Manager of Emmis Austin Radio's five FM stations, and Program Director of KDHT-FM (Hot 93.3)."

What would your dream job be? "It's hard for me to name one position as my dream job. It's changed a lot over the years because I consider myself a constant student and I'm always interested in the new things that I learn. 5 years ago, I would have never considered being a Market Manager, but as I've watched how some of my mentors handle this position, it's something I would be very happy doing. My heart has always been in programming, so I aspire to be a VP of Programming for a major broadcast company. I have even thought about becoming an owner someday. Short answer: my dream job is in the continuation of great content development, regardless of the medium."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I have been extremely fortunate to have great mentors in my personal and professional life. Personally, my mother and grandfather have contributed the most positive forces to my life. Professionally, there have been several great influences. Tom Pappas (former PD of WHOT/Youngstown) who gave me my start, Chris Edge (former PD of WDCG/Raleigh, and now Digital Media Account Manager for Emmis Austin) who brought me to Raleigh and launched my management career, Don Cristi (RVPP/Clear Channel Tulsa) who gave me amazing insight into management and the responsibility of managing multiple stations, Scott Gillmore (VP/Market Manager Emmis Austin) who wasn't afraid to hire a "kid" that he had faith in and allowed me grow both personally and professionally, Jimmy Steal, Val Maki, and Rick Cummings (Emmis Senior Management Team) who are the best leaders and team members in the industry, and have bread a supportive growth environment for me, our company, and the entire industry."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I think that question is somewhat flawed. A format, in its traditional connotation, is a genre of music, personality, or a mixture of both that is tailored to a specific life-group. Programmers tend to have this very inside view of our industry. The format is not the important question, the content is what matters. Anyone can spout off what they think the perfect music recipe might be, but if the iPod generation has taught us anything it is that our perception of the perfect format is far from the individual listeners' definition of perfection. If you're asking me what "content" I can't believe nobody has done, that answer is more simply stated "user generated media." I think the great minds of our industry get this and are working on it. I aspire to be part of the solution that truly puts interactivity and pull-content into the hands of the audience, despite the delivery platform."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "I'll restate the basis of what I said in question 3, give them control! Develop content that is interesting to this life-group and allow them to interact with it. That doesn't mean create the content you think they want, it means ask them what they want, and allow them to take part in its creation. Radio has been so focused 25-54 (and to a lesser extend 18-34) for so long that we've alienated the future generations of radio listeners. If we don't have brands that offer content to the youth audience (under 18, or imagine pre-teens!), how can we expect them to use our brands when they are of age in our targets? It's the reason the retail industry's spending targeted at kids has grown from $100 million in 1990 to $2 billion in 2000, and is well beyond that today. They know if they form the habit when they are young, they'll continue to use the brands as they grow up."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "I'm starting to feel like a politician as all of my answers are circling back around to two common themes... content and control, period."

Title: Assistant Program Director and Afternoon Drive Host, KIPR-FM

Who is Tre' Day? "Travis "Tre' Day" Rowan began his radio career in 1996 right out of high school and straight into the pros. The name "Tre' Day" was actually given to him by his basketball teammates after hitting 11 three-pointers in a single game. While a full-time student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Tre' worked his way up from an internship to a full-time position at KIPR (92.3FM). The Little Rock market embraced Tre' very quickly and it reflected in the ratings. No matter what the air shift...Tre' brought his time slots to #1 each and every time. Tre' also brought his academic status to #1 of his graduating class with a 4.0GPA throughout college, earning the honor of Summa Cum Laude...an honor that Tre' is most proud of. Tre' knows radio programming well. Tre' was the music and production assistant for two stations (KIPR & KOKY) from 1998-2002. Currently, Tre' is the Assistant Program Director of Power 92 - Lttle Rock and the host of the #1 rated Afternoon Drive show in Arkansas..."Take it to the House," which Tre' hopes to have syndicated soon. "Take it to the House," can be heard from anywhere in the world, from 2-6pm CST, by logging on to his website: www.TreDay.com!

Tre' has also recently endowed his longtime Scholarship Project at the University of Arkanasas at Little Rock with over $10,000!!! The money is raised on his birthday each year with the TreDay.com Celebrity Bowling Bash. Scholarships target high school students in Arkansas looking to pursue a degree in Mass Communications. Tre' Day has also donated the equipment for two new audio production studios at UALR, which are available for all students to use.

The Man - Up Close and Personal: Tre' is 6'1", 190 lbs. Tre' grew up in an Air Force family, moving all over the United States. In his spare time Tre' loves to travel, work out, play sports, surf the internet, write poetry, produce voice packages and hang out with his the love of his life, his wife Spirit.

The Future: Tre' hopes to take his production company, Everyday All Day Productions, to another level with many more clients. He is currently looking to become a Program Director in a mid-level / major market and continue his successful career."

What would your dream job be? "Running my own hip hop station in a top 5 market, U.S. or Overseas! Running my own NFL or NBA team would be nice too!"

Who has been your greatest influence? "In radio, "Broadway" Joe Booker, Bobby "BC" Collins, Rich Nickols, Mark E Mark Edwards, Ryan Cameron & Mark "Chillin'" Dylan. In life, my family. "

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "In Little Rock, a Spanish speaking format is needed badly and has great growth potential. I maybe wrong but, I think Reggaeton type stations maybe the most added format several years down the line in the U.S."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "By really focusing on the internet and better usage of Cell Phone tools like texting. You must learn and do what the young people do."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "By keeping talent LIVE & LOCAL in as many day parts as possible, using all of the latest technology to your station's benefit, and you have to stay in the streets...being involved in the community has to be a priority, in my opinion!!!"

Title: Director of Engineering, WABC / WPLJ Citadel Broadcasting New York City

Who is Alex? "I started out in radio when I was a junior in high school in Sacramento, CA. My high school had a "radio and TV" program that had everything except a license and a transmitter, but we did have a few studios and some loudspeakers. I would call around to radio stations to beg for promo CDs and got invited to KFBK/KGBY, where they let me hang out in the studio and pull CDs and carts one night a week. One night I met the Chief Engineer of the stations as he was there moving cars around so they could repave the parking lot. He ended up hiring me part-time and had me come in after school to help build studios and do remotes.

I moved to Santa Barbara, CA for college and sent out exactly one resume to the alternative rock station I liked and was again hired as a part-time assistant engineer. We were purchased by a company owning stations in the Oxnard-Ventura market and the Chief Engineer and I ended up moving five stations into two new facilities in two markets. I eventually badgered the former Chief Engineer of these stations into hiring me at the Y-107 trimulcast in Los Angeles as the Assistant Chief Engineer. In a few years I was promoted to Chief Engineer of what was then Viva 107.1, owned by Big City Radio. When that company dissolved I looked around for a few options and joined Clear Channel New York as Chief Engineer of 103.5 WKTU in 2003. I ended up rebuilding most of the WKTU studio facility and helped get the Whoopi Goldberg show on the air. In January 2007 I accepted the position of Director of Engineering of WABC and WPLJ. One of my goals in radio was to take care of one of the big, legendary AM stations, and I think WABC counts. Starting out in the business I used to hear stories about Pirate Radio and Scott Shannon and now I'm working at WPLJ. It's been an amazing experience and a challenge every day."

What would your dream job be? "I want to expand upon what I'm doing now to oversee more stations either on a regional or at a corporate level. I would like the opportunity to work with other engineers to elevate the technical practice in broadcasting. The number of services we now maintain and the complexity of the systems we maintain has increased dramatically in the last few years. It used to be one station, one transmitter. Now it's the main analog service, the main HD service, two HD multicasts, streams for some or all of those, artist/title data sent three different ways, and a host of datacasting services, multiplied by several stations in a cluster. All of that "stuff" needs skilled technical talent to install, maintain, and monitor it. Radio needs to find and develop that talent, then give them the resources they need and a reason to be passionate about their work. I'd like the chance to do exactly that on a larger scale."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Broadway Bill Lee. Watch him do 20 minutes of great radio and you'll realize why we do any of this."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I would say an eclectic rock/new music format. We need to accept that there is a group of people that has tastes that are not accounted for in mainstream programming and they're not listening to your competition, they're just not listening to the radio. They find new music on MySpace or go to indie rock shows and just listen to their iPod. This is happening with a younger generation now and we need to bring them back into the fold somehow. We need to find programmers who understand how to go out on a limb musically without sounding forced or being too cool for the room and create a channel that makes people go "hmm, what's that?" every now and then."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Stay in closer touch with youth culture. I've been to plenty of rock shows where an entire theater is full of young people who know every song but maybe one station is going to play one track from the artist, if that. Some of these bands become huge, some don't. Radio people need to be musically adventurous themselves and also have the ability to realize what's going to have mass appeal and what isn't."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "It's about content. We've been creating content forever but we only had one distribution channel. Now it's a matter of multiplying our efforts so we're "always on" with websites that are worth going to on a regular basis, mobile content, podcasts, multiple channels, streams, and whatever else comes next, all while not neglecting the regular services that our listeners expect every time they hit the button. The important thing is to put the right amount of effort into all of it, and that takes resources that may not be there yet."

Title: Program Director of KKOB-FM (CHR) and KMGA-FM (AC), Albuquerque, New Mexico (Citadel Broadcasting)

Who is Justin? "Born and raised in Yakima, Washington, which is also where my radio career began at the age of 12. I was spending my Saturday's following around my favorite station, KFFM, to remotes. After the jocks realized they weren't going to get rid of me, they began teaching me the business. Lisa Adams, now PD of KVMX in Portland, Oregon, taught me how to run my first board. From then on, I was hooked. I spent my school vacations at the radio station, from 6am-6pm. I pulled carts, answered the request line, and covered segues when the jocks needed a smoke or bathroom break. On my 13th birthday, the GM gave me my own show. It was a Friday night, and from 10pm-Midnight "Jammin' Justin" made his debut. From there, I was given a regular shift. 6am-1pm on Sunday. I ran syndicated programming from 6am-12pm...but for one hour a week, I was live! By 15 I was doing a couple of live shifts each weekend, and covered overnights during my summer break. At 16 I became the night jock, doing 6p-10p each weeknight live. I also started my own Mobile DJ service, 10-18 Productions. At 17 and 18 I was doing Afternoon Drive, and getting school credit for it.

When I graduated from High School in 2000, I was promoted to Music Director, and Assistant Program Director shortly thereafter. When then PD Kramer left, I was made Interim Program Director. I never found out if I was being seriously considered for the position, because I left for a new gig. At 19, I made the jump from Yakima (Market #198) to Salt Lake City, Utah (Market #32), where I was APD/MD/Afternoons at KQMB (now KSL-FM) for nearly 4 years. In October of 2005, at age 23, I got my first set of PD stripes at KSII El Paso, Texas. From there I moved 3 hours up the road to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I'm currently Program Director of two great stations, CHR/Mainstream KKOB-FM and AC KMGA-FM. Although radio is the major part of my life, I'm also a licensed pilot. I also enjoy cooking, traveling, and watching TV. There's nothing better than mindless entertainment!"

What would your dream job be? "For me, it's about location. I love the Northwest, so becoming an OM in Seattle or Portland is my ultimate goal. Somewhere in California would be great, too!"

Who has been your greatest influence? "Outside of radio, my Mom & Dad. They didn't know anything about this crazy business, but they supported my decision to pursue a career in it. Inside of radio, it would be a couple of my first acquaintances in the business. Keith Taylor (KFFM Mornings), Lisa Adams (KFFM Middays), and Dale Carpenter (KFFM General Manager). Two of the three are no longer in radio, but at the time they all helped me to understand the radio business as a whole, teaching me about the 'bad' aspects as well as the 'good.' They taught me from the beginning that there's a lot more to it than pushing buttons and talking on the air."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "One that I'm looking forward to is a 90's format. I don't think we're too far away from somebody busting out the Ace of Base!"

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We've got to find a compelling combination of live and on-demand content. I think radio is doing a fairly good job of embracing new media. Mentions of the station website, text messaging, etc, is at least helping us to speak their language. But radio is becoming too generic, and the only way we're going to attract the younger listeners is to give them things that their iPod can't, like locality. A voice tracked jock talking about "Thousand Dollar Thursday" isn't going to cut it anymore."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "I think we have to go back to the old way of thinking. Stations should each have their own PD. Remember how GREAT stations sounded when the guy or gal in charge got to spend all day coming up with ideas for their 'baby?' We also need live, local talent all day long. TALENT is the key word. If it's just someone reading liners about a car dealership remote, then an iPod or a burned CD is definitely more appealing. And, we've got to keep our websites fresh and compelling. It's now very likely that potential listeners learn about us from our websites before even turning on the radio. The site is just as important as the imaging we're putting between songs."

Title: KIIS-FM Mid-Days, Monday - Friday 10am - 3pm KUSS-FM Nights, Monday - Friday 7p - 10p KHTS-FM, KYLD-FM Weekends

Who is Sisanie? "Sisanie Reategui is half Mexican and half Peruvian. She is fluent in Spanish, and was born and raised in Orange County, CA where she attended Los Alamitos High School. She then moved to San Diego, CA for college. In May of 2007, she graduated from San Diego State University earning a Bachelor's Degree in Art with an Emphasis in Multimedia.

While Sisanie was in school, she was very active with dance, gymnastics and cheer. She discovered broadcasting in high school and by the time Sisanie got to college, she knew she had to get her foot into the door of this industry. She started interning for Clear Channel - Top-40/KHTS at the age of 19 and has worked hard to get where she is at today. While living in San Diego, sister- country station KUSS gave Sisanie her first chance to be on- air in September, 2004. KHTS also hired her on-air in December, 2005. As she worked part-time for both stations she also worked for San Diego's Clear Channel production department, voiced/produced many spots, commuted to Los Angeles on weekends for a part-time on-air shift at sister-station, 102.7 KIIS-FM and voice tracked shows for top-40 station XL106.7 in Orlando when needed as a fill-in jock. Sisanie did all this, while still attending SDSU full-time.

She has now been doing Mid-Day's at KIIS since July 2, 2007. She is absolutely thrilled to come to work every day. Her show immediately follows Ryan Seacrest's Morning Show, Monday - Friday from 10am - 3pm and Saturday's from 10am - 1pm. Along with her on-air duties, Sisanie helps her Music Director, Julie Pilat with scheduling music in Selector for KIIS. In addition to working full-time for the L.A.'s #1 Radio Station, Sisanie also voice tracks for three other major market stations.

Recently, Sisanie was hired to voice track Nights at KUSS/San Diego. She is on Monday - Friday from 7pm to 10pm and is so excited to work for the radio station that originally gave her the first chance to be on-air. Sisanie also voice tracks weekend shows for KHTS/San Diego and KYLD/San Francisco.

When Sisanie is not working she enjoys spending time with her family especially her 2 nephews and niece. Sisanie loves to work out at the gym and enjoys the nightlife of Los Angeles and San Diego. She loves to discover new sushi restaurants around town and really likes to snowboard in the winter and surf in the summer."

What would your dream job be? "Right now, I'm living my dream job! I never thought that at my age I would be working for the #1 Radio Station in Los Angeles. I would like to continue in radio and eventually become a Music Director and or Program Director. Hosting on television would be cool too."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Definitely many of my co-workers have been great influences on me. My first Program Directors in San Diego, Mike O'Brian - KUSS, Jimmy Steele - KHTS and Music Director for KHTS - Hit Man Haze showed me the ropes of radio. KIIS-FM's Program Director, John Ivy and Music Director Julie Pilat are amazing bosses and I love being their student. I really admire Ryan Seacrest and his dedication to all 900 of his jobs. I would love to follow in his foot-steps too."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "House Music is a format that could be explored. Think about how many top-40 and Hip-Hop songs have house beats, like Timbaland, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake; they all mix in hard house beats into their songs. House, Electro, techno, etc. should be something that people are educated on. If properly introduced, I believe more people would like this type of music and this could definitely be a successful format if created in the right market."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "With technology like iPods, iPhones, etc. advancing so quickly now, radio may sometimes have a difficult job attracting younger listeners. As for top-40, we are so hot right now because of artist like The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. Our younger listeners are more tuned in now more than before. The attraction should always be with the music first, staying on top of what is hot, etc. Younger on-air personalities can be a plus as well, because we actually may live the lifestyle of our demographic. Promotions can play a big part in this as well, if radio focuses on having fun giveaways that younger audiences enjoy like iPods, Nintendo Wii's, concerts, trips... obviously that will attract them."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Like I mentioned above, the digital world can work against us sometimes. What the digital world doesn't have is the ability to be LIVE. No matter what, radio is LIVE well in major markets at least. But if someone is in their car listening to a CD or iPod, that's fine I guess, but if they know that Alicia Keys is going to be on with Ryan Seacrest in the morning and they are a huge fan, they will tune in. If they know they can win tickets to her concert, they will tune in. If they know that they can get their bills paid on the: 10s seven times a day... they will tune in. So to answer your question, artists, promotions and on-air personalities will keep radio relevant in a digital world."

Title: WLZX Lazer 99.3 Program Director/Music Director/Middays

Who is Courtney? "In the spring of 2001, I fell into radio during my final semester at Virginia Tech in a desperate attempt to fulfill an internship requirement. Blacksburg's independently owned classic rocker, WBRW 105.3 The Bear, was looking for an intern and I jumped at the chance; and, since I was the only one willing to work for college credit I landed the gig. There, I jumped into the pool without water wings and loved every second of it. During my tenure with WBRW and New River Valley Radio Partners I was an intern, the afternoon drive sidekick, a promotions assistant, a news chick, the cluster promotions director, the midday gal and, in the end, the Program Director of active rocker WBRW. I left in the summer of 2004 to return home to Virginia Beach, Virginia to work, albeit briefly, at mainstream rocker WXMM 100.5 Max-FM. That same Christmas, I accepted the MD/Music Director position at active rock WLZX, began working in that capacity in January of 2005 and was elevated to Program Director in November of 2006."

What would your dream job be? "Music Supervisor for a major production company."

Who has been your greatest influence? "My greatest influence is an amalgamation of a host of different characters. During my time at New River Valley Radio Partners, I had the absolute pleasure of working for Ron Walton and with Robbie Raggs. As President of NRVRP, Ron ruled the roost with a six shooter and a pack of Marlboro Red's, encouraging his staff to create at will. His fiery leadership will resonate with me always. As the most memorable radio dude that has ever come and gone from Blacksburg, Robbie is and was my first and only mentor. He is the master of theater of the mind, the guru of goof. He can be topical, playful and giving yet rambunctious and controversial. He's all the dichotomies anyone could ever be; but, he is one of the greatest personalities I've ever worked with and I'm proud to have created great radio with him. Terry Jaymes. I had the profound fortune of striking up a friendship with Terry when L&T signed on with WBRW. He truly makes me think about the bigger picture and the struggle of creative types such as ourselves; the war of art, if you will. Danny Buch. The first time we met at R&R in Dallas I was completely taken aback by his passion for his work. I wish I had half his energy. Danny is one of the most inspired - yet maniacal - individuals working in the business today. He's a gem. Gary Zenobi. As the current General Manager of WLZX and Springfield Rocks Radio Group, Gary has given me all the chances in the world: the chance to become a better person, a fair and complete manager, an independent thinker and a creative programmer."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "All Thievery Corporation, all the time."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We can attract younger listeners the same way we attract adults: by being touchable, topical and relatable. If you speak their language, you know how to find them and they know how to find you, they will come."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "It's clear the industry has some big strides to make in the next ten years; hopefully, the NAB's Radio 2020 initiative will be a great catalyst to get us all heading down the same path. Once we're all on the same digital page, the battle still comes down to content. Who's your customer? What do they want? Do you know how to find them? Do they know how to find you? How can you deliver your product to them in an entertaining and compelling way? Remaining relevant - in an AM, FM or digital world - is all about awareness. It's about accessibility. It's about creating a product that your audience wants and creating a product that will keep that audience coming back for more."

Title: Program Director/Afternoons, WTYD, 92.3 The Tide; Program Director, WBQK, 107.9 WBach

Who is Amy? "I started doing college radio in Santa Cruz, CA because I thought the mix tapes I made for friends, weren't reaching a large enough audience (although the 3am shift I started out at, wasn't exactly a huge step up). While in college I started interning at a few stations throughout the Bay Area. I was lucky enough to snag an internship at KFOG in San Francisco, which ended up turning into a part-time job once I finished school, and I ended up staying there for a couple of years. While at KFOG I heard about a new station that Tom Davis was starting up in Virginia with Bruce Hornsby. I was hired on as Music Director and eventually was promoted to PD."

What would your dream job be? "I would love to be the PD of a well respected major market station some day. I want to find a way to increase the amount of independent music on commercial stations and abolish the need to play only a few hundred "safe" songs. I understand that things are this way for a reason, but I think there is a way to make this work while still maintaining good ratings. A balance needs to be found. I want to turn passive listeners into passionate listeners. I want to gain respect from listeners who have started depending primarily on sources outside of radio to discover new music."

Who has been your greatest influence? "The folks I started with at KFOG- Haley Jones, who is incredibly creative and has taught me a ton about the business in general; Dave Benson, who taught me to think more like a programmer and less like a music snob. Tom Davis, because no idea is too outlandish for him."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I've always been interested in finding a way to combine the programming mentality of public radio with the business mentality of commercial radio and making it truly successful. I think once someone cracks the code, it will change radio forever."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "By expanding their playlists, as well as accepting that traditional radio promotions and gimmicks, just won't cut it anymore. We all know how many sources are out there now for people to discover and listen to music. Younger listeners aren't afraid of technology and will turn to these sources if they are not getting what they want from terrestrial radio. Before music blogs, iTunes and the plethora of options available today, I don't think people knew exactly how much music was out there. You had to work a lot harder to discover independent music. Today it is all at our fingertips and programmers need to adjust their way of thinking in order to stay relevant to a younger audience."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "For stations that have the budget to do so, I think it's important to make as many options available to listeners as possible, in order to connect with the station. Whether it's streaming, creating an HD side channel, podcasts, blogs, interactive websites... stations need to embrace all of these opportunities and I think most are doing a great job so far."

Title: Content Director at WFUV

Who is Rich? "Rich McLaughlin recently re-joined WFUV-FM in NYC as Content Director, where he is overseeing the launch of the station's brand new web and HD Radio service focused on independent music. He also produces and hosts "This Is Only A Test," the pilot program for the new service. Prior to joining WFUV, Rich was the Program Director for Alt Nation and Left of Center, two radio stations heard on Sirius Satellite Radio. He was with Sirius for nearly seven years, helping to create several of the company's radio stations before its' national launch in 2002. Rich also hosted a weekly music show on Left of Center called Cooking With Pappy, and interviewed artists ranging from Yoko Ono to R.E.M. to Courtney Love. Rich was born in the Morris Park section of The Bronx, and was raised on Long Island. He graduated from Fordham University in 2001 with a major in Communications. It was during his time as a student at Fordham that Rich first worked at WFUV in the music and sports departments. Rich is married and lives in Westchester."

What would your dream job be? "R.E.M.'s official biographer"

Who has been your greatest influence? "I've had a few major influences in my career. However, the two most important influences have been Rita Houston and Meg Griffin. Rita Houston, WFUV's Music Director, showed me the ropes at WFUV when I was a student at Fordham working at the station. It was the experience I gained working alongside Rita that gave me the confidence to pursue a career in broadcasting. Meg Griffin gave me my first opportunity in the business after I graduated from college. She brought me to Sirius Satellite Radio to assist in the programming of her two channels. The integrity and strength of character Meg has shown throughout her career is a great example to me as I continue to build my own."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I come from the world of satellite radio, where just about every format is, or has been, represented. There's a channel on Sirius called Faction that I really enjoy. It embodies what the action sports lifestyle is all about. Musically it ranges from hard rock to hip-hop. The on-air staff is filled with professional skateboarders, surfers, freestyle skiers, etc. I'm not holding my breathe for that format to show up on the FM dial, but it certainly speaks to a lifestyle and young audience."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "This is a major issue because so many younger listeners have turned their back on radio after being ignored for so long. Plus, changes in technology have shifted younger listeners away from radio. For starters though, radio needs to do a much better job of developing programmers who can relate to their audience more effectively. Right now many stations geared towards younger listeners are being run by programmers who are out of touch with that audience."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Radio will remain relevant as long as the content is unique and engaging. Radio is no longer only competing with itself, but with the Internet, iPods, etc. I do think music radio is slowly moving in the right direction in this particular area. Stations finally understand the importance of the Internet as a necessary tool for success. The radio frequency is just one, of what should be several, outlets for radio stations to show off their content. If radio continues to learn how these different technologies can work in unison, it will remain relevant in a digital world."

Title: Operations Manager for a 5 Station Cluster in Billings, MT owned by New Northwest Broadcasters, LLC.

Who is Kyle? "I started in radio when I was 15 as a Promotions Intern for the Citadel group in Spokane, WA. After working my butt off and pretty much annoyed everyone for a year for free, I was given the opportunity to do the live overnight shifts on the weekends for KAEP. Worked and honed my on-air skills I worked my way to Nights on the weekends! In 1999 my mother passed away, I was 17 and a senior in high school, I needed a full time gig so I would have health insurance, the night time show opened up on our country station, so I applied and I got it! Part of my gig was to produce some station imaging using the MJI plug and play kits. My Operations Manager at the time who was Ray Edwards thought my production skills exceeded those of most and promoted me to Cluster Imaging Director, where I stayed until 2003. From Spokane I moved to Raleigh, NC and was the Production Director for Krash Productions. In 2004, my former Operations Manager, Ray Edwards, was the Vice President for New Northwest Broadcasters headed up by Pete Benedetti, wanted me to move to Billings, MT where they owned 5 stations and I was to be the Corporate Imaging Director and produce all 37 Stations in our company, Program Director for the CHR station and do an afternoon show. This was my first Program Director job and was nervous, but the station has done very well, #1 or #2 18-34, and #2 or #3 12+ ever since. In 2007 I was promoted to Operations Manager and in 2008 was promoted once again to Corporate Webmaster, so I wear A LOT of hats, but LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!"

What would your dream job be? "I'm in it! Not everyone gets the opportunities that I have gotten and I feel blessed everyday. What other job gets to entertain people everyday, and have the opportunity to help people advance in their careers?"

Who has been your greatest influence? "Wow that's a tough one! Since I've worn so many hats in my career there have been so many that have impacted me.

So here's a list! Haley Jones, who was the person who hired me as an intern. Ray Edwards, who knew where my passion and talent was. Krash Bassett, the man who taught me everything I know about imaging. The whole staff at New Northwest Broadcasters, this company is unbelievable! From Pete Benedetti, Trila Bumstead, Tom Oakes, Joe Benedetti, everyone has believed in me and taught me so much from every side of the business, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to work for such great and talented people!"

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Spanish Hip Hop...?? Bueller...Bueller..."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio needs to stop thinking just "Radio". There are so many opportunities out there to attract and keep young listeners. Radio is so much more these days than "hey, caller 5 wins tickets!" Of course there are the prize pigs who will call every time, but c'mon. I was at a local indoor football game recently and sat behind about 20 high school kids, and every single one of them had their cell phones out texting people, you want to know how to attract young listeners? Start using the technologies they use to better your product and sales."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Have your jocks create a daily blog on the website, post podcasts, integrate text messaging into your contests and promotions, get a twitter account, do something that the younger/technologically savvy listeners can use and interact with, get YOUR content on to their mp3 players or whatever they use to not listen to you."

Title: Associate Producer, The Preston and Steve Show.

Who is Marisa? "I have been working at WMMR for almost six years - I was going to school at Suffolk University in Boston and took an internship in the promotions department between sophomore and junior year. The morning show intern at the time was leaving to get brain surgery so I offered to take his spot - and I have been waking up everyday at 4:30 in the morning ever since. I ended up transferring to Temple University to work [for free of course] with "The Philly Guys" who, after 2 years and a few personal changes, were replaced with The Preston and Steve Show. Initially I had no real job position with Preston and Steve, I was just there to help the show get acquainted with the new studio, but eventually they fell in love with me and could not go on without my presence (at least I like to think that!) and now I am the 6th member of the show.

To fill whatever personal life I have outside of working every hour of the day, I try to go to concerts - Jimmy Buffett shows especially. I am a Parrothead, tailgating with baby pools and blenders at 10 o'clock in the morning. Other favorites are Bob Dylan and Foo Fighters - oh whom I played Hungry, Hungry Hippos with in February! I also love Philly Sports; Phillies, Flyers and of course the Eagles - think Buffett tailgates in 30 degree weather! I watch the Food Network a lot, but it only makes me hungry not a better chef. I love surprises and never answer when someone asks "What do you want for your birthday"? My current is philosophy is that a cold Stella Artrios makes any day of the week better."

What would your dream job be? "I am living my dream job. I meet great people, even some of my favorite celebrities, and everyday there is something new and unexpected. Every bit of pressure results in a rewarding payoff that I get to share with hundreds of thousands of people every day. The next thing I have to look forward to is retirement."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Chuck Damico, the current Assistant Programming Director of WMMR. When I first started he was board-op for the morning show 6-10 then Promotions Director from 10 till whenever. He taught me all the technical skills he knew, but I gained the most by watching his daily interactions around the radio station. I still learn from him every day!"

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "All cover songs all the time."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "It's so hard to compete with iPods and the internet, stations should create streaming links to post on MySpace/Facebook sites. Or bring back the Walkman."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Our show has scored big with Podcasting - by posting on iTunes we have gained listeners around the world. As for live feeds, streaming is key. It becomes habit for listeners to get to work and open the stream before checking their e-mail."

Title: Director of Marketing & Promotions for Clear Channel Raleigh, WDCG/WRDU/WKSL/WRVA

Who is Carly? "When Clear Channel Raleigh Marketing Director Carly Laskey joined G105 in 2004, she brought a revolutionary approach to marketing a female targeted CHR...something that had not seemingly been done in the format before. That approach? Giving women what they REALLY want. From t-shirts that women would actually WANT to wear, to chotchkies they would actually want to use, to one of a kind designer purses, little black dress parties, top of the line shoes, her approach to marketing the G105 brand to women seemed to be ripped out of the pages of today's most popular fashion magazines. The results helped catapult the heritage CHR to the top of the ratings and made their promotions among the most imitated in radio across all formats.

Introduced to radio marketing while managing music event and pro sports promotions at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, the University of Florida Marketing grad got her first taste of radio promotions while helping heritage CHR WFLZ promote their summer show. Connections made during that experience led to her landing a post as a Promotions Coordinator in Clear Channel's Tampa cluster, where she worked with the now-defunct WSSR. In 2003, when the Modern AC spun the format wheel, she was instrumental in coordinating the marketing surrounding the launch of new urban WBTP while she added responsibilities at sister AC WMTX to her plate. She joined WDCG in 2004 as Promotions Director and was upped to Cluster Director of Marketing in just under a year. Under her watch, WDCG pioneered the Pick A Purse promotion and the Little Black Dress party, which have been duplicated nationwide."

What would your dream job be? "Being a mom :) "

Who has been your greatest influence? "Definitely my parents. My father is a brilliant businessman, and an even better dad. My mom is my best friend...she is my biggest supporter and the best shopping buddy! In radio I've had the good fortune of working with so many talented and all-around good people, people that have taught me about the business and about the kind of person I want to be. To name a few that stand out...Randi West, Toby Knapp, Rick Schmidt, Bob Dumas and Kristy Knight. These people have not only influenced my life, they have changed it. I am better in every way because of them."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Girl FM"

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We need to study what it is that has given Disney a monopoly in this category. We need to target them in a way that they don't feel is obtrusive, and in a way that won't make mom and dad worry about the content they're being exposed to. The invitation has to come from the audience...we need them to invite us into their creative space and when they let us in, we need to really listen to what they say they WANT -- or HAVE -- to have and then deliver it to them, rather than it being as it is now, US assuming what they want or US telling them what they HAVE to have. This demo can see right through it, much like 18-34 females can do when they're hit with messages from some CHR's today telling them what it is they "have to have," when in reality it's the furthest thing from what they really do want. If we can find the way to let them get involved, through promotions they're passionate about with rewards they really want -- and if we can let them feel they really do own a piece of the brand, we'll win them over. They want to be won over. We can do it if we're willing to listen to them and not to what we think they want."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "It's all about content. Free, local, tangible, real, believable and super-serving content from real personalities who are connected with the communities they serve, who can tell you about American Idol in the same breath that they tell you about a tornado warning that was just issued in Wake County, NC while live from an appearance at the local mall. Being local, and being live, real, and in touch with the local community...with amazing content...if we can do these basic things, we'll always be relevant no matter how the delivery platform evolves."

Title: Imaging/Creative Services KCBS FM and KROQ FM CBS Radio

Who is Jake? "I started in radio at the age of 15...interning at KUBE in Seattle...worked my way up to board op...then on -air...the production and imaging....in 1999 i was hired at KFNK (a suburban Seattle/Tacoma signal) as operations manager...there i did all the station imaging...selector...rotations ..... left in 2002 for KISW and KNDD to be the imaging director....went to WHFS in Washington DC in 2004....after the format flip in 2005 was hired for imaging at KCBS FM and KROQ....today i also do imaging and voice over for live 105, imaging voice for WABB in mobile AL...the imaging and voice over for KCBS FM HD-2 (ampradio.com)....in the last year i imaged the sign-on's of WXRK in New York and WYSP in Philly......"

What would your dream job be? "Well working here for Kevin Weatherly has always been my dream job.... and being a part of radio in such a large market like LA...... in radio, I'd like to keep developing great brands ....and build new brands on the internet....."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Def Kevin Weatherly...now, and well before i started here....Mike Tierney (now PD of WXRK) who was my first PD at KUBE in Seattle....Dave Richards, Phil Manning, Lisa Worden, Eric Powers, Jeff Federman (no im not just saying that cause he's my GM)....Dave Numme, Chris Ebbott, John Michael."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "A younger version of JACK FM...core of the station is 90s based....rap like Tupac, Dr Dre, and LL...from alternative to Green Day, Nirvana, Weezer...many of the same principals of JACK...but targeted to people in their 20s to early 30s...."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Be a great radio station! jocks who understand their core young listeners...hiring young people that actually wanna be at the radio station....and are knowledgeable and love the music and lifestyle they playing and living....their lifestyle and vibe need to be as much as part of the station as the music is....."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "I think radio has to be a integrated in the online world...great radio stations need to be easily available on the internet...and soon , on cell phones/mobile devices....but the product has be exciting...of the moment....creatively still needs to come out of the speakers....cause that's what we are really here to do... anybody can make a their version of a well programmed jukebox on i Tunes.... but young listeners def wanna listen to the radio...they still wanna hear about what's going on in the world and have people they can relate to ... tell them about new music... and whats going on in their town....local radio needs to have that connection....Jocks need to be the stars of their town...promotions have to be of the moment cool....and create buzz..."

Title: Music Director / Internship Coordinator, WPGC 95.5 FM

Who is Talya?" Born and raised in Washington D.C. Attended private school in my elementary and high school education. Attended Drexel University in Philadelphia. Graduated in June 2005. Held several internships during my college years: Fox 5 televison station in DC (sales and Creative Services department)....WPGC 95.5 (promotions department and later hired during college to work in promotions) ...MTV Networks for TV Land and Nick @ Nite as production assistant intern in the creative services department.

Hired at WPGC in 2005 and has been climbing the radio ladder since! (Started as programming assistant, to assistant music director, to music director.) Have worked and been trained under the industry's best (Jay Stevens- Senior VP of Programming Content of Radio One, Reggie Rouse - VP of Urban programming of CBS Radio, Program Director of WVEE and WAOK in Atlanta, and Skip Dillard OM of WBLS and WLIB in New York. I continue to learn and grow in the industry!!!"

What would your dream job be? "With the uncertainty of radio's future, I would like to be one of the people that re-define radio to a level where it will continue to exist for years to come (especially with the daily growth of the digital world and new age technology)"

Who has been your greatest influence? "Any person who as a vision and take every step necessary to make it happen in spite of adversity. Any individual who takes a talent and flips it into a brand. Any individual who takes something that seems impossible and makes it possible."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "A new version of the old school.... People 30 and over are being displaced. The current version of the old school (Example: The Old Jays, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Patti Labelle etc) is becoming too old. People 30 and over grew up on music moguls such as Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Queen Latifah, Mc Lyte etc. There is not a new version of this old school momentarily."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Embrace the latest technology early...Accepting that radio is not the only source to get music (especially new music) first... Selling the concept of satellite radio (I.E. XM and Sirius) under the umbrella of mainstream radio..... Sell the concept of having new music and variety in music while staying within the basic concept radio was built upon.... Continue to groom young, up and coming on air talent, board ops, MD's etc to keep a young edge, sound and presence through your airwaves. Station should also continue to have a strong and innovative sales team that can sell the creative concepts and ideas of programming department to maintain the attraction of young and older listeners."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "The web is a major factor in the longevity of radio in the future. Stations websites should be able to compete with top brand websites by providing up to the minute music, fashion, news, pop culture and video content information... The web should serve as the visual projection of your radio station. It should visually reflect the sound, concept, and brand of your station."

Title: Program Director for WXTB in Tampa, KYRK in New Orleans, & WTZB in Sarasota.

Who is Doubledown? "(6/19/06-Present)-I am now the Program Director for WXTB- 98 Rock in Tampa, KYRK- The Rock of New Orleans, & WTZB- The Buzz in Sarasota. I oversee the day to day operations while developing the future vision for these rock brands. Programming, Marketing & Promotions, Internet Strategies... you name, I do it.

(6/6/05-6/12/06)- Executive Assistant to Marc Chase-Senior Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel's Southeast & MidSouth Regions. This job was designed to help an up and coming programmer learn how to do radio on a huge level. It was in essence a master's degree program in all aspects of radio.

(6/2/03-5/28/05)- PD at Clear Channel's 100,000 watt WRAK in Albany, GA. The move to small market radio has allowed for extensive and rapid growth to better learn the art of radio broadcasting. One man show would be an understatement, (programming, music, imaging, talent development, promotion, engineering)... circumstances continually arise in which demands the need to learn at an accelerated pace.

(1/22/03-5/28/03)- Worked as an Account Executive for WQTM- 740 The Team, Orlando's Sports Leader. Initiated and developed compelling campaigns to add value to the station clientele.

(4/17/02-5/28/03) - Worked as a swing shift/weekend on-air personality with WJRR Real Rock 101 One. Received extensive on-air live, voice-tracking, spot production, event appearance, and board operation experience to build the foundation for my career."

What would your dream job be? "It's hard to answer this question because being the Program Director of these brands is already hitting close to the pinnacle of our business. I got into radio to move people; through music, commentary, and public works. My job could only get better if I were in a position to affect more people that I do right now."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I have to give credit to so many people for leading me along this amazing journey. John Richards, my GM from Albany Georgia was a huge mentor to me. Brad Hardin, my current OM has helped tweak my talents and skillsets to where they are today. But I would have to say that Marc Chase, my former SVPP has influenced me in the most profound of ways. He taught me that there isn't anything that we can't achieve, when we have the right mindset and people who believe. Spend an hour with him, he's incredible."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Hot Tambourine Mixes. :) Actually, Old School Hip Hop. I realize that Hip Hop Brands do features, but we are getting close to having a library that can facilitate a lifegroup."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We don't do a good enough job of being where young people are; online, onhand, and in their pocket. Young people have one common interest that crosses all demographics and lifestyles... they are consumed with the next thing. Right now, in young people's mind... radio is not the next thing, it used to be. Through innovation, we need to turn our radio stations into audio brands that transcend our delivery system."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Our audio needs to be available on a wide variety of platforms. Right now, radio is known as a separate and exclusive medium. We need to look at what we do differently. We provide entertainment, music, reflection and a place for the community to talk to each other. For the most part, we deliver our products to the marketplace with our signals, and that's it. Just like in the world of economics, there isn't one correct answer to fix or change the movement of a medium. It will take many changes from different angles to remain relevant in a market barraged with messages and products. Fortunately for us all, radio still dominates the audio product landscape; but unless we get better at thinking about what's next, we may not be honoring the "30 Under 30"... because there won't be anyone young enough."

Title: Network Program Director for SOS Radio, Las Vegas

Who is Scott? "96.3 WDVD/Detroit- Planet 96.3/Detroit - Air Talent; 93.1 DRQ/Detroit - Engineer & Promotions; 100.3 The Kross/Tulsa - Program Director & Morning Talent; 106.9 K-Hits/Tulsa - Air Talent; 92.9 KBEZ/Tulsa - Air Talent; 90.5 SOS Radio/Las Vegas - Program Director & Morning Talent"

What would your dream job be? "I love my job at SOS radio. I've always thought it would be fun to work in the format labs of a company that creates and tests new formats & technology channels for radio. I'd love to help build targeted lifestyle stations for youth. There's a ton of potential in mainstream CHR/rock & Christian formats. I'd love to test market some new business models that could help these formats take off."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Garett Michaels & Alex Tear were my biggest influences in radio. They hired me at Planet 96.3 when I was in high school. They really took the time to coach me as an air talent & programmer. I remember sitting in Garett's office after hours, grilling him on music scheduling, sale & and how to sound better on the air. I was probably annoying, but I soaked up everything Garett and Alex shared with me!"

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I'm not sure that many companies have found the ideal Mainstream CHR/Old Skool mix. I'd love to see the research on a lifestyle focused 18-34 CHR/Oldskool hybrid. Old Skool doesn't have to be a dance format or an oldies station. We've lost the nostalgia on our CHR stations and we don't have many career artists anymore. A 29 year old knows exactly where she was when The Beastie Boys, Vanilla Ice & Tone Loc released. We focus so much on singles that we forget about mentoring new artists for CHR. Itunes & Napster have changed the consumption models of music. It's really affecting the labels and it's going to trickle down to us in radio. (It's like music Reganomics.) I think we could do a better job mentoring our markets to build career artists. Radio has the best shot in the music industry to help this turn around."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We need to create formats specifically for teens. They crave new music, but our 25-54 stations aren't keeping their interest in radio. When I worked in Tulsa, we did a teen targeted 12-24 radio station with very few resources behind it. The feedback was unreal. We didn't put much money into it, but our concerts, events, social networking and streaming were off the charts. It all became viral. We hired college students with solid communication skills who knew the culture. We trained them in house by voicetracking overnights and they took our street team & social networking to a new level. I'd like to see more companies launching special internet streams for youth and use HD 2 channels to experiment. Recruit at colleges and let the students speak into your station. Invite teens for focus groups & street teams- you'll be surprised at all the great ideas. Teens are early adopters, so they may be our best shot to bring HD Radio to the forefront. We just need to build a business model to support teen targeted radio. Our future 25-54 P1's depend on it."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "We have to look outside the analog radio world. We're not just in the radio business anymore. We're in the content business. We need to intentionally look for new ways to get our brands incorporated into other forms of technology. (Cell Phones, HD channels in other markets, local & cable TV, mp3 devices, viral video, social networking.) We also need to brainstorm new business models to make our webstreams & HD feeds profitable. I believe analog radio will still be relevant, but we need to do a better job meeting our listeners where they are. They have a lot of options, so we have to focus."

Title: Director, Community Outreach, Emmis Communications, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Who is Sarah? "Sarah Harris is a social entrepreneur who daily finds ways to harness the resources of the private sector to support positive social change. Sarah founded and now leads a nationwide Community Outreach program at Emmis Communications that creatively leverages the promotional power of radio to support the public education and mobilization efforts of nonprofits, corporations, foundations and government agencies. Sarah weaves components of programs together in a way that works for everyone. A local nonprofit seeks to enlist residents in anti-crime efforts. City government has resources, but needs help activating the community. Radio regularly engages local audiences and is always looking to sell its services. Enter Community Outreach with a program that taps available city money for a communications campaign. Through a combination of on-air messages and local events, the radio station enlists residents to join the nonprofit's crime prevention program. The nonprofit mobilizes the resulting volunteers into a collaborative effort that reduces neighborhood crime. Beginning in Indianapolis where she incubated the idea, Sarah has since spread Community Outreach to New York, Los Angeles, Austin and St. Louis. Emmis loves the program because it not only provides a rapidly growing revenue stream, but also helps elevate the contributions its stations make to their respective communities. Scores of organizations are now better able to accomplish their social missions as a result of creative partnerships that harness the power of radio via support from corporate and government entities. These efforts have demonstrated her heartfelt conviction that there is no trade-off for companies between doing well and 'doing good'. Prior to joining the Emmis team, Sarah held a variety of positions within the media, ranging from the local ABC and PBS affiliates to K-12 and university-based television stations. Through these early exposures, she experienced first-hand the power of media to shape, inform and inspire people and communities. Sarah's work has put her in a position to be tapped for an elite community leadership program and invited to speak on several occasions about her experience using media to shape community partnerships. Sarah holds dual graduate degrees in philanthropy and public affairs from Indiana University and a B.S. from Butler University. Outside of Emmis, Sarah enjoys working with organizations such as the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana and Joy's House where she can test her evolving understanding of how community leadership and collaboration promote positive social change. Service to such worthwhile efforts keeps her energized and helps keep her in direct touch with those who are less fortunate.

As Sarah has made her journey from small town Indiana to social entrepreneur, she grows ever more certain that major societal issues can best be addressed by finding the common ground at the intersection of business interests and community needs."

What would your dream job be? "My dream job would be leading a media-based cause marketing and strategic philanthropy communications firm providing integrated marketing solutions to a variety of clients. Our services would begin with strategic consultation and end with program evaluation - offering everything needed in between from crafting the strategy, to building the partnerships and executing the plan."

Who has been your greatest influence? "John Griffin. Griffin is a respected colleague, mentor and friend. Griffin taught me how radio can really make a difference for clients; and therefore our communities. His example taught me to take pride in my work, always strive for my best performance and to push for the best in those around me. Perhaps most importantly, he taught me how to get things done!"

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "For my husband, all Prince all the time!"

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio can and should do more to attract a new generation of listeners. One way is through increasing user-generated content. As evidenced by You Tube and other online phenomena's, young people are creative, entertaining and looking for outlets to channel their voice. Rather than relegate this generation to use only newer tools and platforms (such as the internet and multi-featured cell phones), radio needs to embrace this high level of engagement and harness youth creativity for fresh content."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "In the same way marketing campaigns must adapt for changing client needs, radio must also adapt its delivery mechanism and approach to content to remain relevant and competitive in a digital world. Radio needs to utilize new and different portals to make accessing radio easier. Every device that has an audio component should have a radio tuner. The industry is shifting in this direction, but needs to move quickly to capture the listening habits of today's tech-centric, media-savvy consumer."

Title: Assistant Program Director/Music Director (KTWV/Los Angeles - 94.7 The Wave)

Who is Blake? "I started as a phone op at KFMB-FM (Star 100.7) in San Diego during my spring breaks/summers when I was 13 years old. That's when I first got the radio bug. I made my way to Los Angeles to work as a Programming Intern at KBIG/KOST. I quickly moved around the company, and began working in the Promotions Department; also helped as a board op in the Programming Department where I was doing the brutal 2a-9a shift. After a few years as a production and programming assistant, my climb continued and I became the Programming Coordinator for KBIG. Recently, after working for Clear Channel, I left KBIG and now work for KTWV (CBS) as the Assistant Program Director/Music Director."

What would your dream job be? "If I was faster...a few inches taller and had another 50lbs on me...I'd be trying out for the NFL - Next best would be a Program Director"

Who has been your greatest influence? "Besides my little brother - My mentors have been my greatest influence. Starting with Jhani Kaye, Dave "Chachi" Denes and currently Paul Goldstein - I joined KTWV since last August (2007) and in the time that I've been apart of The Wave, Paul (Programming Guru) has already made me a better player in the game."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "A request based format - via the internet/text. I've seen programs that are doing some cool web page requests for maybe a specific day part or hour - and I've seen stations that have done it for a day or a weekend. We have so many options to choose from now - and we can buy/listen to what we want...when we want. I believe to have a listener controlled station with the right technology in place could be a huge success. I'd be curious to see how it would hold up in a market."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Really looking at how younger listeners live - being apart of everything - If I had the opportunity, I would have my stations branded all over video games. The Grand Theft Auto series would be a perfect - especially for a younger demo station. You listen to "Fake Radio" in the game - with online play why not incorporate streaming to the game. Now when there not at home playing they can still turn on the station they were just listening too."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "We have to evolve with the digital world and the rapid development of new technology. Every newly released cell-phone, MP3 player and online program will have the ability to access online content. Additionally, streaming car radios are coming soon - you're no longer going to be fighting for every person listening in their car locally - it will be global. We must become an intricate part of the new cross-platform devices that our introduced to the public, and not think of it as someone cutting into our piece of the pie - but using it to our advantage."

In this week's Ross On Radio, we asked Edison's 2008 30 Under 30 honorees what format was missing from the radio. See their answers here.

Title: Program Director/ Promotions Director WCLU, Glasgow, Ky.

Who is Meg? "I was born in Alabama and moved to Kentucky in 1999. I began my career in radio with a program my high-school held in the mornings on a local AM station. I began working for WCLU in 2003, and also began volunteering for Western Kentucky University's student-run radio station, Revolution 91.7, that fall. After 4 years at Western, I was promoted to full-time here at WCLU."

What would your dream job be? "I'd love to host a syndicated show. I would also enjoy being able to produce shows or programs for the USO... and I wouldn't mind taking Ryan Seacrest's job, either."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I certainly wouldn't be here if it weren't for the guidance of my General Manager and mentor, Henry Royse; however, I would have to say the greatest influence on my life has been my grandfather, Albert Roberson.
As long as I can remember, he has been into amateur radio. I recall being three or four years old and going with him to HAMFest or being able to sit in his radio room while he contacted people across the world. I remember being totally mesmerized by it all--that he could sit in a small room with a microphone and reach people on the other side of the world. I guess you could say I was "bitten by the radio bug" at a young age. He introduced me to the world of radio, but beyond that, my grandfather has always been an inspiration to me. He grew up in poverty, and yet he retired as a computer programmer for the United States Marines. He taught me that nothing in life is ever out of reach--that you can achieve whatever your heart desires as long as you're willing to work for it. He suffered a massive stroke about four years ago. He could have just given up after that, but instead he chose to learn to walk, to talk, to read all over again. He has always been and continues to be the strongest and most honorable person I know. My only hope is that one day, I'll be able to live up to the standards he has set."

What is the one format that you can't believe that no one has done? "I'm not sure on that one. I think there's been such an influx of new formats lately--Jack and Jayne, to name a few--that we've all been focusing on pushing to be the first with something new instead of being executing what we're already doing with more precision. There's a station in my town that runs the Jack format, and there's nothing special about it (except a vast play list). There are no DJ's on the air, just liners in between stop sets. I understand that the excitement surrounding these formats was that we all thought we'd found a way to compete with mp3 and CD players; however, we lost sight of the fact that we were eliminating the one thing we have that a music player doesn't--on-air personalities. Removing them seems to make a station cold, distant, and devoid of authenticity. I'd like to see a format that could incorporate "oldies" as well as current songs--but without sacrificing DJ's or other content. If executed properly, I think that a format with a large play list could be a success, especially if marketed as something that is "family friendly." With that sort of label, you're reaching out to a pretty large demographic--so you're bound to bring in more listeners, and (in turn) more revenue."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "I think that we need to stop treating them as some sort of unreachable demographic and start viewing them as people. I think that we should try to cater to their interests more--and not in some generic way. We can't simply rely on Top 40 or Alternative formats to bring in the listeners; we, as respective stations, need to think about ways to make what we're doing relevant to our traditional listener base--as well as to a new generation of listeners. One of the stations I program is an Adult Contemporary station, and since I've become PD, I have tried to shake things up a bit. I've added more upbeat songs and really placed an emphasis on playing new hits and spending more time on show prep. I've gotten great feedback, too. I've heard from moms, young professionals, and kids--and they've all loved it. I think that offering people something genuine and unique is going to attract listeners, regardless of their respective ages. Anyone can play a Britney Spears song and spend the next twenty minutes reading the latest gossip, and I think that spending so much time talking at this younger generation is what's turned listeners off. I think that if we talk to them, if we work to build a bond with our listeners, then they're going to keep tuning in."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "We have to embrace our respective communities; we've got to show our listeners that we are real people--that we're real members of the cities and towns in which we live. I think the greatest reason for my radio station's continued success is that we serve the community--we'll host remotes at Little League games or get involved with local fund raising events. I think that striving for that sense of community is going to be radio's saving grace. People can get forecasts and music from just about any artist online. If they want inane chatter, then there are thousands of pod casts just waiting for download. As broadcasters, we've got to realize that what we can give the listener is much more than that. Each and every day, we have the chance to make a personal connection with our listeners. That personal connection is what is going to keep them coming back for more."

Title: Assistant Program Director/Music Director/Night Personality, WKKT, Charlotte.

Who is Ryan? "I grew up in Aberdeen, WA, the oldest of two (brother, Jason). I was raised by a single mom. My dad is my best friend and was never far away growing up. He was and has always been there for me and anyone else that has needed his help. Radio was an accident. I grew up wanting to play professional baseball. I ended up refereeing professional wrestling for 3 years. I have been on the air for 8 years (Aberdeen, Seattle, Spokane, and now Charlotte). I love it! I never thought I could get paid to have so much fun!! My brother, Jason, unfortunately didn't get to see most of what I have been able to accomplish in my career. He died in a tragic accident on March 4th, 2002. The saddest part is... he died 5 days before HIS daughter was born. Luckily for my family, Jason left us with a beautiful little girl who just turned 6 years old. Her name is Taelor and I can help bragging about my niece. I am HER biggest fan! When I am not on the radio... I love golfing, playing baseball, and listening to ALL sorts of different music! I enjoy keeping up with sports from all over the country and COOKING!! I LOVE TO COOK!! Ask me what I've made lately...

I started as an intern at KXXK-FM in Aberdeen, WA in the winter of 2000. I worked my way into a fulltime position and from there into Afternoon Drive host. In June of 2004 I became the Program Director of KXXK, at 21 years old. Jumping back a little bit, in December of 2003 I began working weekends at KMPS-FM in Seattle. I commuted every weekend from my fulltime position in Aberdeen during the week, to work on the weekend in Seattle. It was 7 days a week for a long time. I was the PD at KXXK until April of 2006 when I left to accept the Middays/Music Dirctor position at KDRK-FM in Spokane, WA. I held that position until December of 2007. I started my current position, APD/MD/Night personality at WKKT-FM in Charlotte, NC in January of 2008. So far, my career has been one hell of a ride and I've loved every minute of it!"

What would your dream job be? "Programming WSIX or KMPS! ...really, just programming a great station in a competitive market."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I have had a lot of great influences from the beginning... Jaye Albright (Albright & O'Malley), Becky Brenner (KMPS), Cary Rolfe (KWNR), John Paul (KUPL), and most recently Bruce Logan (WKKT). I couldn't pick just ONE. They have all helped me mold my programming philosophies."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "24/7 Requests and Dedications. I would love to see a station that had a 10,000 song library and was live 24/7. No real playlist... jocks wouldn't really know more than 3 or 4 songs ahead of time, what they'd be playing. The music wouldn't have to be genre specific either. It could be a request for the Bee-Gee's into a dedication of some slow Usher song. Not a high TSL station, maybe it's strictly a Cume station. Okay... maybe I'm wishful thinking! Hahaha..."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "I think the music is the fastest way to attract a younger audience. It's about benefits to them and/or their lifestyle. We are living in a "what's in it for me" world. We simply need to give them a reason to put the radio on. Creating compelling content, having a great music flow, and giving your station its own identifiable personality are all ways to attract a younger audience. We also need to be on top of the technology available to us. We need more than just web pages. In addition to the web, we need to get creative with the way that text messaging and ring tones are being used."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Again, I think we need to get beyond just having a website. What are you DOING with your site? Also, content on your website should extend past just your genre of music. We need our websites to be a place that listeners can go and surf around and check out; not just scope a jock bio a couple pics and leave. Ringtones are another way to reach people. Your morning show could have their own set of ringtones. You could have a ringtone page on your website. Text messaging is yet ANOTHER way to reach people. In the world of the Iphone and Blackberry... why can't stations send out traffic reports, weather reports, concert info, and contest info via text messaging? Text contests? Deal or No Deal does it... American Idol is all over the texting when it comes to casting a vote."

Title: Program Director/WFLZ, Gulf Coast Regional Director of Interactive Services

Who is Tommy? "December 10th, 1980, it happened... I popped out! Born in Erwin, TN, I was blessed to have family in the radio business. My father and uncle both worked at the hometown radio station (WEMB) since they were in high school. Needless to say, I didn't have any trouble getting my foot in the door. I took advantage of that opportunity at age 7 and they put me to work! My first experience solo was pressing buttons for a major league baseball game broadcast. Of course, when I was that young, it was just for fun. It wasn't until age 15 that I officially got a job there and worked part-time until the day I graduated high school.

From high school graduation until now, it's been a blur. After the ceremony, I packed my car and moved to Knoxville, TN immediately to attend college at The University of Tennessee and host the night show on WTXM-FM. Within a year and ½, I was promoted to Assistant Program Director and afternoon host. In August 2000, I received an amazing offer to become Program Director of WVSR-FM in Charleston, WV. At age 19, it was an offer I couldn't turn down.

My time in Charleston was short as it was only four months later that Clear Channel Radio called my name and I became Program Director and Afternoon host on WKXJ-FM in Chattanooga, TN. Since January 2001, I have been with Clear Channel. I spent three years in Chattanooga before being promoted to WQEN-FM in Birmingham, AL as Program Director and Afternoon host. It was during my time in Birmingham that I began picking up additional responsibilities with other stations in the cluster and assisting Program Directors in smaller (and some larger) markets. In March 2006, Clear Channel promoted me once again. This time, I was off to hang with Mickey Mouse in Orlando, FL as Program Director of WXXL-FM. Orlando was another short stop on my whirlwind tour as it was a short nine months later that Clear Channel Tampa and WFLZ-FM called my name. A year and 4 months later, I'm still blessed with that role along with the role of Regional Director of Interactive Services for the Gulf Coast Region."

What would your dream job be? "Head Coach of a Division I college basketball team!"

Who has been your greatest influence? "My father, no question about it."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "A better of mix of the best variety from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today so you can listen longer while you work! ...Oh wait."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Actually TRYING to attract younger listeners would be a nice start."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Creating better content."

Title: Program Director KMXB/KKJJ, Las Vegas

Who is Justin? "Just like a lot of people in the industry, I started in radio at a young age. When I was 14 years old and in 8th grade in 1994, I began volunteering at a Christian radio station on the campus of the school I attended. The first time I broke the mic, I was hooked on radio and knew that this would be my career. In 1996, I was 16 and Max Miller at KOSO in Modesto, California hired me on a part-time basis as an on-air personality. I was so excited to be apart of the station that, instead of hanging out with my friends after school, I was at the studio every night working or just hanging out. As soon as I graduated high school, I was promoted to full-time Midday talent and eventually Production Director and Assistant Program Director. In 2000, I moved to Greenville, South Carolina and took a job at WFBC/WORD as Production/Imaging Director. One year later I was lucky enough to obtain a job at KMXB. During the last seven years in Vegas, I've been Imaging Director, Production Director, Music Director, Assistant Program Director and finally elevated to Program Director at 25 years old. Now at 28, I'm PD of both KMXB Mix 94.1 (Hot AC) and KKJJ 100.5 Jack-FM (Adult Hits). I've had the time of my life here at Vegas and feel extremely proud to work for such amazing stations and the best radio company in the country."

What would your dream job be? "Someday I hope to own a media company complete with a radio cluster, advertising agency and production house."

Who has been your greatest influence? "It's hard to name just one person who's had the greatest influence, so I'll name the top 5. Max Miller (my first PD), Tom Humm (my current GM and the guy who gave me my 1st shot at PD), Charese Fruge (who I learned so much from as her APD), Guy Zapoleon (I've never even met him but I've based a lot of my own programming philosophy from his writings) and my father (who taught me good work ethic)."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Hasn't everything been done already???"

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "We need to do a better job of embracing technology like web, text messaging, HD Radio, etc. Radio companies need to allocate more budget to hire tech experts and creative people to produce unique and compelling content for these new delivery systems. Making our station's more interactive, more on-demand and creating listener social networking in the digital arena will make us "sexier" to younger demos."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Radio is still the general public's main source for finding new music. We can't lose that distinction to the internet or any other medium. Music programmers need to constantly focus on music trends and artists. "Safe" radio and waiting for other to "warm a song up" won't work in the future. Just like Arbitron, music callout can no longer be trusted 100% due to the bad methodology. Stations that make music decisions based solely on chart positions and callout will never own their artists and will eventually fail. All of the content on your station, web-site, HD Channels should be delivering something unique and compelling. It sounds pretty obvious, but radio will remain relevant by delivering relevant content and entertainment to the masses."

Title: Co Host of the Wendy Williams Experience

Who is Charlamagne: "Little is known of Charlamagne's past other than the fact he was raised on a dirtroad in Moncks Corner SC. Rumor has it that he's not even from this planet, but is an alien living amongst us sent here to piss the world off. It's pointless to try to figure him out or ask him questions about his past because virtually every answer leads to new questions."

What would your dream job be? "Well my REALITY job, I call it that because it's only a dream when your mind is conceiving it but in actuality you have already achieved it. That's what you call 'Acting As If' you have to act as if what you intend to manifest in life is already a reality. If left undisturbed in your mind and in the mind of intention simultaneously it will germinate into reality in the physical world. So my REALITY job it to have my own syndicated talk radio show ie: Michael Savage, Don Imus, Russ Limbaugh, Mark Riley, Michael Baisden where we discuss issues affecting the world, but my show would be different from theres because I'm a young, radical, African American male who has politically incorrect views and potentially dangerous rhetoric. I can already hear Bill O Reilly throwing jabs at me referring to me as the militant midget......"

Who has been your greatest influence? "That's a broad question. I look upon everyone who's ever played any role in my life, as having been sent to me for my benefit. If your speaking from a strictly radio standpoint my influences are Star from Star and Bucwild, of course the Queen of All Media Wendy Williams, Howard Stern, I'm influenced by the aforementioned Russ Limbaugh, Michael Savage, yeah that's a broad question you would have to ask me specifics....."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "That's easy because I speak about it all the time. And Urban AC Hip Hop Station!! Hip Hop is damn near 40 years old!! A station playing all the old school hip hop records along with the R&B joints that was bumping back then the New Jack Swing records I really believe that would kill the game right now. It would also give a lot of older hip hop artist new life because their respective catalouges would start to sell more and they could possibly be out still doing shows. Another plus is a lot of jocks who grow out of the 18-34 demo targeted by most hip hop stations wouldn't have to still be on still trying to sound young they could just graduate to these Urban AC Hip Hop Stations and make room for younger jocks at the younger hip hop stations."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "It's simple...you have to stay young. 18-34 is just that 18-34 the jocks on your station from part time to full time should be within that age range. Your promotions people should be within that age range, as far as programming you need someone a little older but who can still relate and will listen to his APD, music director, and his jocks who are still in that 18-34 age range because they are going to keep him abreast of what's really hot in the streets. You must be what it is that you're seeking, you need to put forth what you want to attract. You want youth then put the youth at the forefront of your station. I hate hearing promos running on stations and jocks talking and their using the oldest slang in the book. I'm like kids don't speak like that now! That's how you talked when you where that age! It's easy to tell whose out of touch and doesn't have any youthful energy around them......."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "Radio will always remain relevant because it provides the people with a voice a direct line to the community that digital can't. A good personality will always accomplish what the music can't and that's keeping the people intrigued....."

Title: Reporter, anchor, and editor at KYW-AM, Philadelphia

Who is Ian? "Ian Bush is an anchor, reporter, and editor at KYW Newsradio. One of the youngest airstaffers in the station's history, Bush was promoted from the ranks of desk/production assistant in August 2005, at age 23. He also co-hosts the popular 'Tech Tips 101' podcast and designs graphics for KYW1060.com. Bush is a 2004 graduate of Villanova University. A proud Wildcat, he served as News Director at the campus radio station, WXVU-FM. Most recently, he won an Associated Press award for his radio documentary, 'Voices of Reading (Pa.),' the first for the station. He earned his master's degree from Villanova in May 2006 -- and had the distinction of being the first to graduate in the school's new master's program in communication. He got his start in radio anchoring local news as afternoon program host on WDIY-FM in Bethlehem, Pa., an NPR affiliate, while at Notre Dame High School (Green Pond) and as an undergraduate at Villanova. But the radio bug bit early: Bush recalls defying his parents' go-to-bed orders by sneaking an AM radio under his pillow. He tried to find something new to listen to every night, but quickly developed favorites, like Yankees baseball broadcasts, the late David Brudnoy, and CBS Radio's all-news stations. An only child, Bush attempted to amuse himself by broadcasting political news on a karaoke machine to the Lego town that took up most of the basement. In grade school and high school, he'd try to spice up afternoon PA announcements with time checks and weather updates -- 'I'm surprised the kids didn't beat me up,' Bush says. Bush is a decorated swimmer, and still enjoys paddling about in the pool when he's not trying to figure out which button to press in the studio."

What would your dream job be? "I've thought about a lot of things, from running catamaran trips off the coast of Curacao to a sovereign funds specialist splitting my time between Wall and Fleet Streets to working in the Foreign Service in sub-Saharan Africa while still, somehow, keeping cool in a suit and tie. I am quite seriously perched on the edge of my seat to see what Google might have up its sleeve to "revolutionize" radio like it did the web - and it would be a treat to be a part of that. But for now, working at one of the storied all-news stations in the country is the only job I'd pick."

Who has been your greatest influence? "My goal leaving college was to work on-air at a powerhouse all-newser like KYW by the time I reached age 30. To do so at 23 took a lot of luck, some right-place-at-the-right-time karma, and managers and co-workers who really supported me. Many of their names could fit in this space - not to mention the countless cross-country voices I got to hear as a child every night, sneaking my AM radio under the pillow (HOW will today's youth DEAL with the effect of IBOC on skywaves of 50kW clears?!). But I will say that I've been motivated by - and this isn't a cheap shot at getting a raise - our director of programming, Steve Butler. Not only does he know news, but he's also a brilliant programmer. He's managed to tweak the all-news clock to maintain a fast, yet steady pace and provide the appropriate staffing so that it's fresh and interesting when you tune in two, three, four...and more times each day. (And you should hear the promos he comes up with). I always hope that one day, if I ever get the management bug, I'll be able to accomplish for some station the sonic experience he's helped make KYW. It's the product that he and our staff have perfected that really makes me want to get out of bed - perhaps not in the morning, but at some point every day."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Yikes, with HD, satellite, and Internet radio - is there any unexplored frontier? In our Philadelphia ratings race, we're sometimes fighting for the 1-2 spot with WBEB-FM, the Jerry Lee-owned AC station. Maybe if we mixed soft rock hits under the news... I suppose I'm surprised no one's tried to take the "short spot" idea to the next level. Sure, on the terrestrial FMs, you hear three-second ads every once in a while (in Philadelphia, it's "I hate Steven Singer!"). But what about a whole station based on changing up the traditional spot model - with one advertiser sponsoring blocks, even a day of tunes in exchange for short, unobtrusive messages that don't interrupt the music long enough for you to change the dial. The name repetition would be sticky, it would give people a reason to stay tuned (music keeps going and going and going), and the station itself likely would get some press and recognition itself out of the deal ('Oh yeah - that's the one with those short little commercials'). We've done the 30s, 60s, 10s for so long now. Is it a case of "if it ain't broke..." - or is it why go out on a limb when this "seems to do just fine?" Stations will have to do better than "fine" to cut through the competition in the coming years. At the same time, I've always been a firm believer of the content as king: if your voices and what they're doing with the listeners' time clicks, than the station in turn won't have a problem. That takes exceptional people - and radio is lucky it's got such a large pool of talented folks."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Too often we concentrate on "how do we get young people to listen?" when the question we miss is "what are young people doing instead of listening?" The answer's quite simple: they're out living their lives in a world chock full of distractions. That means we need to be where they are. Sure, that means - for some Urban/CHRs - that bars and clubs are a must. Same for them and other stations at sporting events, concerts, community events. But "being where they are" doesn't always have to be so literal. Because radio is where they are. We already have that leg up: like a good friend in the passenger seat, we have a captive audience - when we're given the opportunity. And when we are, we have to shine: it's all about making the most of that live and local connection, which has always been radio's most under-played strength. For an all-newser, it's the word of mouth that -- hey! That station does traffic reports every ten minutes. They are where I am...and maybe I'll stick around through some commercials to hear the headlines (and to see if this jam is going to clear anytime soon). For the talker, it's having a good host and production team that's got its finger on the pulse of what young people care about and actually want to talk about (and hear other people talking about). For the music station, it's the reminders through promos and remotes and good, funny bits, and - yes - the music itself (imagine that) that is such a good mix I won't even think about pressing play on my iPod. "If you build it, they will come." If you make good radio, they will listen."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "By keeping on its toes. Staying ahead of technology. Every car rolling off the production lines now should have an HD radio installed as a no-charge factory accessory. No option - just automatically included. Let's make those radio industry lobbyists earn their paychecks. Every station should be streaming, and shouting out that web address every chance it gets. Speaking of which - that web site has the potential for rich, interactive content, and should be treated as such. Can you be a portal for people's total Internet experience? (KYW is an all-news station, yet our web site has everything from video game podcasts to movie reviews to YouTube video searches to Dr. Phil's tip of the day. You can search our page or the entire Internet with one click. See traffic, weather. Oh yeah - and get the latest local, national, and global headlines. All by typing in kyw1060.com. One site covers most of your Internet needs - and it's got a local flavor, so why not make it your home page? That has to be the mindset.) Radio has always been a whole bunch of things to a whole bunch of people, wrapped up into one neat little frequency. Now its reach is even greater - it can be more things to even more people. That doesn't mean we can forget our original mission: we must continue to innovate to be as good, as immediate on the web as we are on the air while not letting our air product suffer for it. Then we can truly be wherever the audience is, and we'll be a trusted, friendly, go-to source, no matter through which medium they choose to experience our content."

Title: Director of Support and Training/Internet Services for Saga Communications

Who is Jim? "I'm originally from Steubenville, Ohio I got my start in radio at my hometown radio stations (WCDK/WEIR) sacrificing my Friday nights and weekends to run ball games and local programming at the young age of 16! From that time I caught the radio bug and have been hooked ever since. My career has taken me to some great stations and companies over the years including, WOVK/WWVA in Wheeling, WHOK/WLVQ in Columbus before finally crossing the street to WSNY/WODB/WJZA at Saga Communications in Columbus in 1999. I have been very fortunate to learn and grow with a great company and work with some of the most talented and respected individuals in this industry. I'm looking forward to the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead!"

What would your dream job be? "Running my own Radio/New Media Company"

Who has been your greatest influence? "My current General Manager, Alan Goodman. Alan knew he was taking a big risk hiring a 20 year old "rookie" with no internet experience from small market Ohio (I know because he told me my first day). Over the years I have learned so many things from him, not only about the radio industry but about business and management. I am very fortunate and humbled to work and learn from someone who saw the potential within me that I didn't even see."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "A 'Classic' Rock/Country Hybrid"

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio is going to have to focus on a more "out of the box" mentality. The younger generation has grown up spoiled, used to more and more options and not having to settle for just a few limited choices. Drive through your favorite fast food restaurant. No longer do you just see burgers and fries. You see more options than ever before and even more added every day it seems. As an industry we're going to have to add to our menu of options. The beauty is that this is now possible with the addition of HD Radio which will allow us to expand on our current formats or add new ones to offer more choices that appeal to those younger listeners looking for more variety."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "It's a new world and our industry needs to embrace new technology and not be afraid of the possible erosion it can cause to our product. If we are going to succeed in the new digital world it's essential that we use the technology to improve the benefits of what radio already does. The function and the benefit of what radio "is" doesn't have to change. But it can be delivered in a high quality, more efficient and exciting way if the new technologies are embraced."

Who is Rob? "I was born and raised in Western Massachusetts, graduating Ludlow High School in 1997. After high school I did a brief stint in college always knowing what I really wanted to do. My mother and father ran a professional soccer team named the Western Mass. Pioneers, they needed an announcer...I auditioned, got the job, then enrolled in the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. I took my first "real" radio job running Red Sox games, and cutting tags for spots...they even called me the "Night Production" person. I always wanted to be on the air, and the opportunity arrived for me here at WMAS. I left a full time job with benefits for six hours a week on the air. After a few months of doing overnights the opportunity arrived for me to do a 2-7pm Saturday shift. In April of 2001 the break I had been waiting for finally arrived. Keith Stephens our afternoon guy got a job at WKLB in Boston, and I was named MD / Afternoon Drive host. Everyday gave me more and more responsibility eventually leading to where I am today. When I'm not working, I try to spend as much time as humanly possible with my wife Melissa, and my 10 month old daughter Kaitlynn."

What would your dream job be? "I'm pretty happy at this point in my life and I love my job, but I always wanted to own a lobster boat, so when the days get long...I imagine myself doing that."

Who has been your greatest influence? "Without sounding cliché, my Grandmother. When I first started doing overnights, she would sit up all night with a little radio, and give me a critique session the following day."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "I would love to see a format where the 40 most popular records in the country are played every other hour...maybe call it...'Top 40'."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "By taking a step back, and remembering what turned us on to radio. I remember seeing my first live broadcast, and saying that's it...that's what I want to do...getting out more, and being relevant to them is key."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "One thing that the other options don't provide is the ability to keep things local. People want to hear their local weather, traffic, news, etc. Something can also be said for local contesting."

Title: President of McVay New Media

Who is Daniel? "Recently recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of the top five innovators in media, Daniel Anstandig oversees new media clients at McVay Media as well as radio stations in AC, Hot, AC, and Christian. Among the clients Daniel has consulted are Wall Street Journal, Clear Channel Radio Interactive, Regent Interactive, Delmarva Broadcasting, recording artists Jewel and Jim Brickman, Mental Floss Magazine, The White House Commission on Remembrance, International Publisher Glencoe-McGraw Hill, JonesTM/TM Century, and various AC, Hot AC, and Christian broadcasters around the country. Daniel's experience includes stints as General Manager, syndicated Program Director, and various on-air stops. In 2001, Daniel was named the '#1 Young Entrepreneur' by Youngbiz (Young Entrepreneur) Magazine. Daniel is also on the Board of Directors for Radio Conclave, a 501C(3) serving to grow the radio industry."

What would your dream job be? "At Disney, there are "imagineers," who are responsible for innovation, park modernization, and new business development. If there were an official position in the radio industry as an "Imagineer," that would be my dream job. As a consultant, I have had the opportunity to work with many clients in this capacity. My hot-button is the convergence of digital media with traditional radio. Currently, I am serving clients--primarily in the radio industry--as a programming and new media consultant. I work with clients modernizing their approach to achieving ratings and revenue. Every day, I wake up energized, enthusiastic, and thankful for the work I get to do and the people I get to work with."

Who has been your greatest influence? "I have been blessed with wonderful mentors and friends early in my career: Mike and Doris McVay, Sue Wilson, Dave Reese, Cornelius Gould, Randy Carver, Bob Weinberg. My Grandparents, Myer and Shirley, were my greatest influences growing up. When I first took an interest in radio, I was nine years old. My grandparents encouraged me to get more involved. I started working at the John Carroll University radio station when I was 12, and they never missed a show or radio station function. When I was 14, I started an Internet-Radio company with the help of my Grandfather. He helped me to sneak into "dot com" networking meetings in Cleveland and patiently coached me as the company grew. Every kid should have grandparents like Myer and Shirley--or as I called them, Pop-Pop and Grandma. Mike McVay has been a tremendous mentor. I've learned a lot from Mike about the need for continual learning, new challenges, and most importantly, diplomacy. I enjoy being surrounded by smart and ambitious people. Over the last two years, I have been blessed to work with Rockie Thomas and Sean Lozensky at McVay New Media. Rockie's sales/marketing experience and track-record as a trend-setter in new media has been a terrific addition to our team. Sean brings an eye for detail and technical expertise that has helped us build out new technology and software for clients. They have become a large part of my daily work with clients, bringing new perspectives and systems related to revenue development and technology for new media."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "100% Community-Based User-Generated Radio."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "I believe that 'charity starts at home.' That is to say that if we want to attract younger listeners, that means getting more younger people involved on 'this side of the speakers'.

Radio will attract more younger listeners if we:

1. Hire some of radio's youngest fans.
2. Get more competitive and intentional about recruiting young talent, who are currently lured away to digital companies.

The problem is NOT that there are fewer young creative people. The problem is that fewer young creative people make it through the entrance door of radio. When AOR started, programmers like Tom Hughes and Lee Abrams broke the model by finding DJ's that didn't sound like DJ's. What's the 2008 equivalent of that? Spend a few minutes on popular "crowd-sourcing" sites MySpace.com or YouTube.com, and you'll see it. It's the handiwork of thousands of imaginative, personal, authentic entertainers. Don't get me wrong--there's a lot of wheat to separate from the chaff. That said, there's a lot more auditioning "wheat" than media has ever seen before. Now, more paths of expression are available to creative talent. We have to invite the most consistent performers to the radio business.

Many thanks to Edison Media Research for the privilege of placement on this year's 30-under-30, with some of the brightest young talent in radio!"

Title: Executive Producer of the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Syndication One

Who is Tazz "Daddy"? "Tazz has been involved in radio for almost 2 decades, starting out as a part time co-host for "Kids Corner" on WXPN-FM, the University of Pennsylvania's radio station before he entered junior high school! As his skills and experience improved, Tazz was given the responsibility of Production Assistant for the show. At age 13, he and the show received a prestigious Peabody award for excellence in children's programming, making him the youngest African-American to receive the honor. In the late 90's Tazz secured a position at WPHI, Philly 103.9, as the Associate Producer of the "Home Team" morning show. With the support of its fans, the show was named the #1 non-syndicated morning show by the Jenny Jones show. Shortly thereafter, Tazz received his MBA from Temple University, having completed an accelerated course of study with honors. After his success at WPHI and several other stations, Tazz decided to work independently on several radio projects. He started one of the most successful Internet radio stations in the business and started a web design, voice over and production company. Even today, his promos and comedy bits can be heard on stations across the country. Tazz's talents eventually lead him to Dallas, where he worked as the #1 Night host for KKDA. Having retired from on-air work, Tazz has concentrated his skills on the "Rickey Smiley and Deez Nuts" Morning show, as its Executive Producer, leading the show to victory in over 15 Markets! Tazz's love for children has earned him numerous awards and recognition, including the Philadelphia Mayor's award for community service, numerous citations from schools and Universities, special recognition from former President Clinton, as well as the Boys and Girls clubs of America. In his spare time, Tazz works on other aspects of his entertainment career. He's written 2 books, including "The Handbook" - a guide to understanding Urban Radio. Tazz enjoys performing on stage as a motivational speaker and standup comedian. He also is a main contributor to Urbaninsite.com and heads their production room. He and his lovely wife Oshena, own a Media firm and Production house called Code-Blu Media. In addition, Tazz founded Urban Radio Coach, LLC, to guide up and coming talents through the radio industry."

What would your dream job be? "I really enjoy doing what I'm doing now. My dream job is to consult and coach the next generation of up and coming talent. As much as I love this industry, many people have taken on a "look out for number one" mentality. I want today's talent to know to that there is someone they can turn to. So in pursuit of my dream, I've started Urban Radio Coach, LLC. We offer products and consulting at affordable prices."

Who has been your greatest influence? "My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the business, I'd have to say that my Uncle, Kernie Anderson was my biggest influence. He has been a GM in more major markets than anyone I know. When I was a child, I got to watch how he led and inspired his staff to greatness. He encouraged me to major in English, which helped me to become a better talent."

What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done? "Okay! CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THERE ISN'T AN OLDSCHOOL HIP-HOP FORMAT?!?!?! Please forgive me for yelling, but when you have people who are 25-44 who grew up on hip-hop, why wouldn't you devote a format to them? I would throw in some Run-DMC, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Some SWV and TLC and keep it banging! The Movin format does hip-hop (lite) for soccer mom's but I'm talking about an anti-Soulja Boy format here without the pop princesses."

How could radio do a better job of attracting younger listeners? "Radio needs to be a portal for everything pop-culture. So many times, radio tries to compete with other forms of media instead of embracing them. On the RSMS, I make sure we talk about what's hot on I-Tunes, the latest funny bit on youtube, and who should be next to go home on American Idol. It is what being plugged in is all about."

How will radio remain relevant in a digital world? "We still have the advantage if we position ourselves correctly. We must use our station and show websites to give folks instant access. The phone lines are not enough. Neither is email. We are a part of the microwave generation. People want instant gratification in every aspect of life. The station and its website must work as a cohesive juggernaut to provide content relevant to the target audience. The station that gives them exactly what I've outlined in question 4 and more will always be relevant."

Edison Media Research has announced the honorees of the second annual "30 Under 30"--its nationwide search for 30 promising talents under 30 years of age in the radio industry. The 30 Under 30 will be honored at "Conclave 2008: At The Crossroads" to be held June 26-29 in Minneapolis.

Edison's 30 Under 30 was started in 2007 as an effort to both celebrate the accomplishments of young broadcasters and to help the industry attract and retain talented young professionals. The Somerville, N.J.-based research company received hundreds of nominations for this year's slate of honorees.

1. Tazz "Daddy" Anderson: Executive Producer, Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Syndication One
2. Daniel Anstandig: President, McVay New Media
3. Rob Anthony: Program Director/Operations Manager, WMAS, Springfield, Mass.
4. Jim Bezak: Director of Support and Training/Internet Services, Saga Communications
5. Ian Bush: Reporter/Anchor/Editor, KYW, Philadelphia
6. Charlamagne: Co Host, Wendy Williams Experience, WBLS, New York
7. Justin Chase: Program Director, KMXB/KKJJ, Las Vegas
8. Tommy Chuck: Program Director, WFLZ Tampa, Fla./Gulf Coast Regional Director of Interactive Services
9. Ryan Dokke: Assistant Program Director/Music Director/Night Personality, WKKT, Charlotte, N.C
10. Meg Dowdy: Program/Promotions Director, WCLU, Glasgow, Ky.
11. Blake Florence: Assistant Program Director/Music Director, KTWV, Los Angeles
12. Sarah Harris: Director, Community Outreach, Emmis Communications, Indianapolis
13. Scott Herrold: Program Director, SOS Radio Network, Las Vegas
14. James "Doubledown" Howard: Program Director, WXTB, Tampa, Fla./ KYRK, New Orleans / WTZB Sarasota, Fla.
15. Talya Johnson: Music Director / Internship Coordinator, WPGC, Washington, D.C.
16. Jake Kaplan: Imaging/Creative Services KCBS/KROQ, Los Angeles
17. Carly Laskey: Director of Marketing & Promotions, Clear Channel Raleigh, N.C.
18. Marisa Magnatta: Associate Producer, The Preston and Steve Show, WMMR, Philadelphia
19. Kyle McCoy: Corporate Webmaster/Operations Manager, New Northwest Broadcasters, Billings, Mont.
20. Rich McLaughlin: Content Director, WFUV, New York
21. Amy Miller: Program Director, WTYD/WBQK, Williamsburg, Va.
22. Courtney Quinn: Program Director/Music Director/Middays, WLZX, Springfield, Mass.
23. Sisanie Reategui: Midday personality, KIIS Los Angeles
24. Justin Riley: Program Director, KKOB/KMGA, Albuquerque, N.M.
25. Alex Roman: Director of Engineering, WABC/WPLJ, New York
26. Travis "TreDay" Rowan: Assistant Program Director/Afternoon Drive Host, KIPR, Little Rock, Ark.
27. Thomas "Chase" Rupe: Operations Manager, Emmis Austin, Texas
28. David Snoble: Online Program Director, Clear Channel Communications, Chicago
29. Chris Thomas: Program Director/Middays, WLVQ, Columbus, Ohio
30. Joshua Wilkey: Founder and Chairman, WilkeySouth Media Brokers/ President, Countrywide Broadcasters

"We were pleasantly surprised this year both by the wide variety of people and talents represented by this year's 30 Under 30 nominees, and by seeing so many new names at a time when new talent is so crucial to our industry," said Edison Media Research VP of music and programming Sean Ross. "It was a very difficult field to narrow down. We appreciate the thoughtfulness that our nominators brought to this process, and we're looking forward to seeing everybody in Minneapolis."

Special thanks to Cyndee Maxwell and her team at Radio and Records for helping us reach out through their wide readership to attract as many quality nominees as possible.

All winners will receive free tuition to this year's Conclave to be held on June 26th in Minneapolis. They will be honored at a special luncheon on Saturday, June 28th where each winner will be awarded. The 30 will also be profiled online at www.30under30.net.

Last year when we launched the first 30 Under 30, celebrating the 30 brightest young stars under the age of 30 in broadcasting, we had no idea what to expect, or how fantastic the response would be. In fact, we had no idea it would be the "first" 30 Under 30 at all. What we got was beyond our expectations--hundreds of quality nominees, a wonderful event at the Conclave, and as the icing on the cake, Bob Eubanks himself instructing the "30" on the finer arts of "whoopee."

So it is with great pleasure that we announce the start of the 2008 Edison Media Research 30 Under 30. Once again, the fine folks at the Conclave will be hosting this event, and all 30 award winners will be invited to attend the Conclave and our special award luncheon on June 26-29 in Minneapolis. This year, we invite you to look deep within your stations, clusters and corporate offices for the next generation of bright young star--the folks who will be carrying the torch for great radio for the next several decades. Remember, we aren't just interested in the under-30 broadcasters who are already stars, but those with potential to be the great young broadcasters of the future.

As such, it will be your job to find them and let us know how great they are! Though Larry, Sean and I have met a lot of smart, wonderful people in radio over the past few years, we can't know everyone--so we need you to step up and tell us why your nominee(s) deserve to be amongst this year's 30. For our part, we are going to be doing our best to make the 2008 30 the most diverse group imaginable, and we hope to get a wide assortment of men and women in programming, sales, marketing/promotions, sales and engineering. Don't assume someone else will nominate that rising young star you know--take it upon yourself to write us and tell us why they are great--and will become even greater.

To help us reach out to as wide a variety of potential nominees as possible, we've enlisted the help of our friends at Radio and Records to help us find talent in all the various formats and disciplines they cover--so expect some phone calls from your favorite R&R writers and editors soon. Nominations are open now and can be submitted simply by clicking here and filling out the entry form. Remember--we want your young talent to be recognized as much as you do, so take the time and sell them!

Nominations will run from now through the end of March. Feel free to nominate as many young broadcasters as you wish--we'll read them all. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the Conclave in a few months!