You can catch Carson every weeknight on 104.1 KRBE from 7 pm to midnight with Lauren. In the past he has worked at 95.3 Party WPYO in Orlando, 93.3 WFLZ Tampa and 98.5 WKRZ in Wilkes Barre. Today he talks to the mikemcguff blog via email about the radio industry and what someone needs to do get behind the microphone.mikemcguff: How did you get your start in radio?
Carson: Penn State college radio. But, believe it or not, Penn State did not have an "on-air" campus radio station back in the late nineties. The "radio station" was set up to provide background music for the on-campus cable "menu channel." The menu channel scrolled a list of meals the dining commons were serving up that day. My first radio job was to host a one hour morning (breakfast) slot three times a week on the menu channel. LOL mikemcguff: Is radio something you always wanted to do?
Carson: No! I kind of fell into radio at Penn State. I had been pursuing a chemical engineering degree. My junior year I gave that up when the engineering workload started infringing on my time for radio. My parents were not pleased with that decision... LOL
mikemcguff: I'm sure you have some funny stories about the business...
Carson: The radio station I worked for in Tampa was a bit of a loose cannon. I have MANY stories that I wouldn't dare repeat in print. LOL!
mikemcguff: What advice do you have for someone coming up in the business?
Carson: Be prepared to make difficult sacrifices. Radio is more of a lifestyle that a job. You're life will not be normal. If you want normal go get a 9-5 paper pusher job.
mikemcguff: Should you stick to just the music formats you personally like?
Carson: Absolutely! If you are not into the music you play listeners will be able to tell. This is true with anything in life. If you are not 100% into what you are doing for a living, it will show.
mikemcguff: You are a great personality on air, how does one develop that?
Carson: Learn to accept yourself and be yourself. All the good and bad stuff...When you are on the air don't think, "What would a funny radio DJ say here." You need to think, "What is my natural reaction?" Too many people get into the radio/TV business to escape themselves
and not to be themselves. You cannot be successful if you are not authentic.
mikemcguff: How has the radio business changed since you've worked in it?
Carson: It really hasn't changed much at all. Things have changed A LOT for the people that worked before the 1996 Telcom Act, but I was starting about that time.
mikemcguff: What other changes do you expect are ahead?
Carson: Unfortunately the bean counters are in control of radio right now. Everything is over-researched and too thought out. Hopefully that will change down the road, but it probably won't happen until radio is left for dead. I think the next big push will be radio stations programmed to project attitude and not programmed through research. The music at a lot of clothing stores in the mall are programmed with attitude first and concern for customer familiarity last. This, of course, is why they sound so cool.
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