Corey Deitz: Long-Time Radio Guy

Corey Deitz has a popular morning show on 100.3 The Edge (KDJE) in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has worked for several years in radio all over the country, including WRVQ (Q94) in Richmond, Virginia, where his show was one of the first "zoo" formats in the country; WFYR in Chicago; WLTF in Cleveland with the "Corey, Jay and Desiree" show, and where he also worked for a "moronic" program director; and KLOU in St. Louis, where he had a "psycho" program director and did the morning show because John Records Landecker rejected that gig. He talks about how radio used to be fun, how deregulation and consolidation affected the radio business, why he got fired despite being successful, what makes a successful radio show, how 9/11 affected radio, why he and Jay Hamilton redid their show, how people responded to him in Little Rock, what he thinks about larger markets vs smaller markets, and more. He's also written several books, created jokes for Comfax and Dialogue joke service in Toledo, Ohio, and writes the About Radio website.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG102.mp3

Jenniffer Weigel: Multimedia Ace

Jenniffer Weigel talks about her work at the Chicago Tribune, for which she writes a column and appears on WGN-TV; how she got into radio; what it was like to work with Jonathan Brandmeier and Steve Cochran; her father, sportscaster Tim Weigel; her grandfather John Weigel, who founded Weigel Broadcasting; if her family's media involvement helped her own career; the lack of women in radio, her books, theater work, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG101.mp3

John Records Landecker: still having fun

John Records Landecker became famous at WLS-AM, and is now at WLS-FM. He names who he told off in the introduction of his book, Records Truly is My Middle Name, and talks about his blind dad, a German Jew who came to the US in the 1930s, drinking and drugs, his great upbringing at the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor, how Jay Leno allegedly stole his radio bit for the Tonight Show (which he called a "super coincidence"), how Jan Jeffries, VP of programming of Cumulus, brought him back to WLS-FM, Don Wade at WLS-AM and WIBG in Philadelphia, his experience at CFTR in Toronto and why he came back to the US, why his WLUP/The Loop gig didn't go so well, his success at WLS-AM, why he got a gun and numbered tattoo, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG100.mp3

Gene Honda: fun sports voice guy

Gene Honda is the public address announcer for the Blackhawks, White Sox, DePaul, Big Ten basketball and hockey tournaments, the NCAA Final Four, the Chicago Marathon, and more. He also does voice and TV work for PBS and WTTW in Chicago, After School Matters, and worked in cable TV. He talks about his radio career at WPGU in Champagne-Urbana and WLAK in Chicago, and his brief movie career, which included "The Dilemma," (for which he ironically had to audition to be the Blackhawks public address announcer), and "Opportunity Knocks," in which he played a Japanese businessman who said words his mom wouldn't translate. He also talks about Blackhawks and White Sox players, his friend Ozzie Guillen, and his dad, who was a chief architect for Marina City, River City, and Prentice Women's Hospital. And there's even more!

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG99.mp3

John Gehron: Respected radio boss

John Gehron is the COO at Accuradio and has built a good reputation at the numerous radio stations he's worked at, including WLS, where he became well-known through Garry Meier and Steve Dahl's show; Oprah Radio on satellite; Clear Channel's WNUA; CBS in Philadelphia and WCBS in New York; WCCO in Minneapolis; and WRKO in Boston. He talks about the future of online radio, consolidation, personalities such as John Landecker, Norm N Knight, Dick Heatherton, Charlie Greer, Ron Lundy, and Dan Ingraham; the East Coast vs Midwest radio scene; voicetracking, ABC management, and payola; diaries vs the PPM rating system; and American Radio Systems, which owned radio stations that he and others sold to CBS.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG98.mp3

Rick Gieser: sports radio and more

Rick Gieser has just been elected as a village trustee in Carol Stream, but also does a lot more: he's the producer of Sports Central on WGN radio, was the first morning show producer at WSCR/The Score with host Tom Shaer, does public relations for Zanies, where he has met a lot of comedians including Drew Carey and Jeff Garlin, and does PR for Monster Jam, Disney Stars on Ice, Woodfield Mall, and Ringling Bros Circus. He talks about his radio career, which started in an Amtrak train car at WDME in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, and included time at WNDE in Indianapolis and WFBQ with the Bob and Tom Show. He's done a lot and has plenty of photos to prove it at his Facebook page...friend him and find out! He also brought delicious doughnuts from Sweet Mornings Cafe, which I guess you could say supplied the "craft service" for this podcast :p

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG97.mp3

Rick O'Dell: Smooth Jazz online

Rick O'Dell, creator and host of Smooth Jazz Chicago.net, talks about how he got his broadcast name (his real name is Ralph Nozaki), how Japanese was his first language, the memo his elementary school sent out when his family moved to La Grange, his career at WNUA (where he worked for almost 20 years), WPGU, WAUR, and WCLR, what he thinks of terrestrial vs online radio, Mitsuwa, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG96.mp3

Pat Cassidy: Nice News Guy, nice career

Pat Cassidy, who's the morning guy at WBBM Newsradio in Chicago, talks about his sweet career, which includes several years at WBBM, where they seemed to hold his job while he joined Erich Muller (Mancow)'s show at WLS; 25 years at WMAQ; and various gigs at WGLD, WBMX (where he was the only white guy), WNIS, and WEXI (where he was a music program director). He also talks about what he calls "the most embarrassing incident of all time" for the first time publicly, why he went to WLS, what Mort Downey was really like, the future of news radio, if an agent helps, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG95.mp3

Update: I interviewed Pat right before he retired, at the end of 2021. You can listen to the interview at the link below. 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG179.mp3 

Christopher Michael: Radio Passion for 45 Years

Christopher Michael talks about why he created a pseudonym (for his real name Gil Peters); his long career in radio, which started in Kankakee and continued at WCLR, WKQX, WYEN, WZBN-WKZN, WMAQ, and WGN; what it was like to work with radio legend Paul Harvey; why he loves radio; how he dealt with numerous firings; advice he has for aspiring broadcasters; how he created his company, Sound Targeting, and his method for getting clients; what he thinks of the radio biz; the weird people and experiences he's had in radio, and more.

We also talk about the breaking news story that we both worked on (which earned us first place for Best Spot News in the 2010 Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association Journalism Excellence contest, and first place for Best Live Coverage of an Event in the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Awards).

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG94.mp3

David Jennings: Longtime news guy

David Jennings has been doing radio news for many years including the Virtual News Center; WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut; WTOP in Washington, DC; WDAS in Philadelphia; and WGN, WMAQ, and WLS in Chicago, where he worked with Steve Scott and also did a talk show with Carl Jeffers. He talks about his Brooklyn roots, getting his start in radio, what he thinks about the lack of black people in news, what a radio manager said about his voice, how many grades he skipped in school, popular New York radio talent, his notable news moments, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG93.mp3

Steve Dale: Beyond Pets

Steve Dale is known all around the media for his advice and passion for pets, but he's had a lot of other experience in radio, including WCFL, WLS, WCLR, WGN, WYCA, and WLTD (now WCGO) with Fred Winston, Larry Lujack, John Landecker, Wally Phillips, Roy Leonard, Bob and Betty Sanders, Dean Richards, and even was part of a "secret project" to change WCFL's format and got fired in an elevator. Plus, he's been a restaurant critic for Crain's Chicago Business, a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services, followed Oprah and entertainment for People magazine and USA Today, and has written books and many other articles.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG92.mp3

Sherman Kaplan: living well in radio

Sherman Kaplan talks about his long radio career, which
started in Ohio: as a music disc jockey at WAEF in Cincinnati, as "Mike Sherman the Night Creature" at WSAI in Cincinnati, then in Columbus, Charlotte, and WBBM Newsradio in Chicago, where he's been for over 40 years. He talks about job security, culture, travel, being a restaurant critic, his favorite restaurants, getting hired by Drew Hayes to do the Noon Business Hour on WBBM, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG91.mp3

Mitch Rosen: Sports Radio Boss

Mitch Rosen is the program director of WSCR "The Score" in Chicago, and has worked in Chicago radio for several years, including at WGN and WLUP "The Loop" with Eddie Schwartz and Kevin Matthews, and as a program director at WMVP-AM 1000. He talks about what it takes to work in Chicago sports radio, why he thinks sports radio will remain popular, his experience with Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox, hosts at The Score, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG90.mp3

Hector Soriano: Brandmeier Audio and Bike Guy

You can hear Hector Soriano on Jonathan Brandmeier's show on WGN Radio in Chicago, where he is also in charge of audio. He also worked with Brandmeier in Los Angeles at "Arrow", aka KCBS, and at "The Loop" WLUP in Chicago. He talks about how he started working for Brandmeier, why he likes Chicago more than LA, his bicycle repair gig, what he thinks of Spanish radio, and more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG89.mp3

Jimmy "Mac" McInerney: Busy Radio and Podcasting Guy

Jimmy "Mac" McInerney does the hugely popular Forcecast, for which he's interviewed several famous people connected to Star Wars, including George Lucas, Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, and Dave Filoni (director of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"). He's also been working in radio for several years, including WCKG and WLUP "The Loop" for Jonathan Brandmeier's show in Los Angeles and Chicago. He currently does production at WERV "The River" (formerly WKKD, where weather guy Tom Skilling started out) and where Mitch Michaels is on the air. Two other podcasts he's involved in are Snyde Remarks Radio with his wife, Wendy Snyder, and Bondcast, which is about James Bond. Plus he's got production gigs on the side. He is a very busy guy!

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG88.mp3

John Carney: Doing Talk Radio Again

When I interviewed John Carney last year, he was at Fresh FM in St. Louis. Now he's at KTRS doing talk radio again. He talks about interviewing celebrities, the beer biz in St. Louis, why he left Fresh FM, why he likes talk radio so much, schools in St. Louis, working without a contract, and more. He's a great interviewer so his show is really good.

Download this episode by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking (on a Mac) on the link below.

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG87.mp3

Alan Cox: FM Talk Star

Alan Cox has a very popular afternoon drive show on WMMS in Cleveland, and he talks about how he got there from Chicago, where he was on the air at the now-defunct WKQX (Q101). He also talks about his career including working for Jonathan Brandmeier, what he thinks is good talk radio, how he preps, his career in Pittsburgh and Michigan, comedy, the radio biz, why it's good to have an agent, how he got his WMMS crew, Chicago vs. Cleveland, Lake Erie vs. Lake Michigan, and a lot more.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG86.mp3

Greg Brown: Created to Be in Radio

Greg Brown is celebrating his fifth year at WLS-FM in Chicago, and talks about how he got his start in music radio, which has included suburban stations and big stations in Chicago, such as WJMK, WTMX, and WKQX. He also talks about how he's kept a positive attitude through firings and format changes, his longevity, team spirit, and more.

Download this episode by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking (on a Mac) on the link below.
http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG85.mp3

Anupy Singla: from TV News to Indian Cooking Star

Anupy Singla was a reporter for Bloomberg News, WGN-TV, and CLTV, and has now launched a successful business around Indian food, including her popular cookbooks Vegan Indian Cooking and The Indian Slow Cooker, products at Williams-Sonoma, classes, and a lot more! She is going to be a huge national star (i.e., will probably do national TV), so it was nice of her to do this podcast before she hits the big time :)

Download this episode by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking (on a Mac) on the link below.
http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG84.mp3

Java Joel Murphy: Wired on Radio

Joel Murphy (aka Java Joel) is on the air in Cleveland at 96.5 KISS-FM, and is also the Music Director at 106.5 The Lake in Cleveland, afternoon talent on 94.7 Hits FM in Montreal, and an all-around fun guy. He talks about his start in New York and his Chicago career, which included an interesting run at 103.5 KISS-FM, a short one at WCKG, his infamous interview with Justin Timberlake, getting fired, living in uber-suburban Wheaton, then getting hired in Cleveland by Kevin Metheny, the awesomeness of Julian Nieh and Jay Niice, and more.

Download this episode by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking (on a Mac) on the link below.
http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG83.mp3