“TUNE IN WEDNESDAY” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! Francis Currie is one of them! As our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Francis, thank you!

Francis and I’ve never met but in a way we have really – I guess this happens when people believe what you believe. And we both believe in radio!

Francis, thanks for loving radio so much and congrats again on being chosen as ‘one of radio’s best consultants’ in a poll conducted by US trade magazine Radio Ink in 2011 (delighted to discover you were the only non-American on the list

Before I forget: Francis is writing a book on radio – get a sneak peek into it by signing up your name here! << Click!

And before we go ON AIR with Francis, just so you know, he and I will be very thirsty after Francis’ session at the biggest radio event in Europe – Radiodays Europe in Barcelona!  Don’t be shy, say hi and let’s all go out together – oh my!

Your radio girl.

Lenja

Francis, why RADIO?

Radio really has always been, and continues to be, the sound track to my life, both personally and professionally.  What could be more powerful than that?  Of course we all know that radio is portable, personal and powerful, and that it’s a constant companion that’s always there to entertain, stimulate, challenge and inform.  But even more than that, it is a positive and integral part of everyday life

Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times.

Phew!  That’s a tough one.  It really depends on my mood, and the radio station format that I am working with.  Songs that make me turn the radio up today include:

• U2 – One
• Bruno Mars – Just the Way You Are
• Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera – Moves Like Jagger (Francis, I hope you like this version

And if you ask me tomorrow I’ll have three different songs for you …

When and how did you fall in love with radio? When did you heart get trapped?
I can’t even remember when my love affair with radio started. By the time I was six years old I was already passionate about it, and had a small portable radio that went almost everywhere with me.  Since those early days radio has been my constant companion.
I grew up in a rural town in the UK, so radio was not only always by my side, but it was also my best connection with the bright lights and the big city beyond my own world.  Still now, as an international radio consultant, I get a great kick out of hearing new radio stations and working with new radio people in new markets.

Who was your inspiration – was it a radio DJ, consultant, copywriter, PD, GM etc.?
For me, both as a listener and a radio professional, radio has always been about the music and the people on the radio.  And it is still about what comes out of the speakers.  All the rest of the backstage stuff is just there to improve the output and improve the listener’s experience.  With radio more than any other medium I think you can spot a fake – that’s the power of the human voice – and I have always been drawn to those presenters who talk to me authentically, and who share their passion for music and their interest in the world with the listener.

What advice would you give to young people that are now falling in love with radio and want to make it in radio!?

Radio can be demanding – especially at the moment – so follow your heart.  If radio’s your thing then always keep the passion and the vocation.  And when you land that radio gig, don’t let it turn in to just another job.  You need to care and to commit to make it work. If you want to make it in radio then get interested in people and start figuring out what makes them tick.  It’ll help you whether you end up on-air or behind-the-scenes.

What are your first memories of radio?

I have three:

Listening to BBC Radio 4 on my mother’s kitchen radio.

Cycling around the countryside, listening to music radio with a mono earpiece plugged in to my tiny transistor radio.

Listening to BBC Radio 1, Radio Luxembourg and French radio after bed time, excited about the world beyond mine.

Tell us your favourite radio story (that happened to you or that you’ve heard and just stayed with you).

Did you hear the one about the Programme Director who was watching a Real Time Focus Group about his Morning Show?  The plan was that whenever he had a question to ask the group, he would text the Moderator who would then ask the question on his behalf.

One of the main topics for investigation was whether the Morning Show should be replaced, so the Programme Director texted through quite a few questions about this:

• “How much would you miss Mr X, the current Morning Show host, if he left?”
• “How would you feel if the current Morning Show host were replaced by TV & radio Presenter Mr Y?”
• “Would a new Morning Show host make you listen more frequently or stay listening for longer?”

As the Real Time Focus Group continued, the Programme Director became more and more irate as the Moderator ignored him, and didn’t ask any of the questions.  Then the PD himself received a text message that made his heart stop.  It was from the Morning Show host.  The message was a single word in capitals: “WHAT?”

As the PD felt a powerful blast of dread, his heart started beating again, faster and faster, and he slowly realised the full horror of what he had done.

The Moderator and Mr X shared a first name so they were next to each other in his phone address book, and the PD had actually been sending all his questions about the future of the Morning Show to Mr X, whilst he was live on the air!

Needless to say, both the PD and Mr X had a lot to discuss after the show …

And the moral of this story?  I will never ever confuse the Moderator & Mr X ever again – nor underestimate the power of a simple text message!

A coffee with Francis? Mobile: +44 (0)7770 82 85 30
Francis Currie Consulting
P.O.Box 243
Cirencester
Gloucestershire
GL7 9WY United Kingdom

Scan with your smart phone for address and contact details.

Dear radio friends,

Her name is Angel. Well, not really. Her name is Malak which means Angel in Arabic. A 17 year young girl from Amman, Jordan, who came into my (virtual Facebook) life and brought back some of the radio magic.
It’s ironic how she feels inspired by me when it comes to radio, well, if she only knew what wild fires she ignited in my radio heart!!! If she only knew!

A brave new radio project is to be released to the world because of her and we believe it will help young people like her as well as the whole radio industry to a brighter future on the right frequencies of life!
Below, I give you Malak’s radio heart, unedited and raw.

Maybe her words will remind you of what you have forgotten or were forced to forget – why radio is such a beautiful medium! A friend once said: “There is no romance in radio anymore!” Therefore, my friends, it’s time for a RADIOlution!

Malak, the ON AIR sign is shining bright just for you!

For every little girl, a friend is either a doll, a cartoon character, or even an imaginary friend. But for me, my childhood best friend has always been a square – simple machine called ” Radio”. My passion for ” Radio” first began when i was ten years old, and i remember how much i used to love every single song that was played on it especially the ones were played at the mornings while i head to school in my dad’s car.

I remember how through the time, each day i came back from school, and right before i change my clothes or even put my bag in the closet, i ran towards the “Radio” and turn it up loud until i stop hearing my parents fights or complains, whenever there were music i dance and sing with it, and if there were a radio show i try my best to listen to everything they say, or as usual i imagine myself a radio presenter holding my hair brush as a microphone those moments were the best memories i ever had.

One thing that made me want to be a radio presenter is that i believed as a child only wonderful and great people with wise minds are allowed to be ” On air “, their voices and words are strongly wonderful that magically reaches my house, my dad’s car and of course my deep heart.

Through the years, so many people asked me why do i love radio so much, and why it’s more important for me than a TV, they have been wondering how an Arabian little girl is fascinated by foreign songs and radio presenters but at the same time she has no idea about radio broadcasting itself! Or why she laughs when a radio presenter does when she doesn’t even know his name ?

My simple answer was, there are some people who has a great love and passion for a religion but at the same time they don’t even know where it came from, what it is, and who are the people who worked hard to make them know about it. It just makes them happy whoever their god was.

So is this little girl she’s just magically in love with Radio, she loves it and everyday this passion grows up until finally she realised that one day she wants to make everyone feels that magic. So to become a radio presenter has became one of my goals in the future as well as becoming a woman who will make a difference in this world, make it a better place with giving each person the chances he or she deserves, and so many more dreams that i like to call ” Goals”.

For me radio is just one form of listening to a variety of music, which is something i love to do. It keeps me updated to the latest music, and it plays the best hits. All that and more is what radio means to me.

To sum up, i just love everything about ” Radio” every single song, every radio show, every presenter, every deejay, every news, every sound, and even those short commercials it contains! It’s my perfect world that i can travel to whenever i need to share my feelings as when I’m sad, or happy, mad or bored, exhausted or excited, depressed or hopeful, somehow it always makes me feel much better no matter what the situation is. And for me, i can always forget an image i saw on T.V but i can never forget a sound went through my ears to my soul and mind.

Shokran Malak,

Yours.

Lenja

p.s. I would like to thank Greg Dukeson, the PD and morning guy from Amman’s HD FM 104.2 , who helped me with a surprise for Angel … to show her the heart of their radio station and have her as a guest! So sweet Greg, thanks!!

p.s. 2 The latest Angel’s radio poem:

(R)emove the pain, forget them all.

(A)radio sound can brighten your soul.

(D)ance to it’s music, feel it’s beats.

(I)t colors your life, it shares your dreams.

(O)ver again i’ll repeat; Radio is all that you need.

By : Angel

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! Rod Schwartz is one of them! As our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Rod, really, thank you!

We’ve never met but it feels as if we have (as if it was me on the phone all those years back in ’79- check the photo on the left).
To tell you the truth Rod, I don’t know when was the first time we “met” and it doesn’t really matter. You and your amazing 2000+ Radio Sales Family @ the RadioSalesCafe just came to my life one day and I’ve had this laaaaarge radio family for more that 2 years now! Not to mention “meeting” your daughters Rebecca and Heather who seems as much in love with radio as you (and are the perfect “hosts” at the RSC) and your lovely black labrador beauty Belle. Our white lab Dodi would love her.

Rod is the one who always sends us great slogan ideas for the MyRadioFashion Tees and soon Rod (in just 6 days) all your ideas will shine in their glory! I promise! Thank you for everything you are doing for the radio stations but mostly for smaller advertisers who are lucky to have you (tell me would you willingly let yourself be kidnapped by the Slovenian radio sales family?)

About Rod: “He creates masterful, money-making radio commercials and campaigns for radio stations and advertisers.”
Grace Broadcast Sales (owner/creative director) – producing radio features and commercials
Pullman Radio stations KQQQ/KHTR – advertising sales consultant;
RadioSalesCafe.com – administrator, frequent contributor
RodSpots.Wordpress.com – radio advertising blogger
PalousePics.com – avid photographer

Let’s get ON AIR with Rod!

Rod, when and how did you fall in love with radio? When did your heart get trapped? “Love” is a bit strong, I think (I reserve that for persons). But after spending 2-3 years in radio sales I received some training from the legendary Jim Williams which forever altered my perceptions of the value of radio as an advertising medium. Jim knew how to infuse us with BELIEF in the power of Radio.

Who was your inspiration – a radio DJ, consultant, copywriter, PD, GM etc.? Closest thing to a radio mentor was my second boss at KAGE-AM/FM in Winona, MN, Len DeSomer. Besides being a supportive manager, he was a great copywriter (cut his teeth at J. Walter Thompson) and producer; I tried to emulate his warm, friendly, engaging delivery style.

Why RADIO? All other factors being equal, Radio’s advantages (intrusiveness, pictures in the mind instead of on a screen, affordability, flexibility) make it the best choice for local advertisers serious about growing their businesses.

Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times: I love thousands of pieces of music, across many genres, not just pop. Big band swing, straight up jazz, classical, choral, movie soundtracks… Hard to pick just 3, but for the sake of an answer this evening, let’s say: Saint-Saens’ Symphony No. 3,
Handel’s Messiah
Beethoven’s Ninth
Tomorrow, who knows?

What are your first memories of radio? I grew up listening to Chicago powerhouses WLS and WCFL in Chicago during the golden days of Top 40 Radio. I got my first radio when I was in 6th or 7th grade, I believe; it was a black Zenith 9-volt transistor radio. I used to tuck it under my pillow and fall asleep to Dick Biondi, Art Roberts, whoever the night jock happened to be at the time.

Tell us your favorite radio story, Rod! I have many favorite radio stories – and they all have to do with client successes. For instance, last month we heard from a radio station client that parlayed two of our health and fitness campaigns (under $200 investment total) into a $34,000 annual with a local hospital. Or this email I received from a Realtor® client of mine locally, who’s been running a campaign I designed for him for just under a year now:

1) Got a listing with a seller that pretty much knows every Realtor in Pullman. He knows that he will take some heat from his friends but the campaign convinced him to go with me. As he called it “Kick ass campaign.”
2) Had an older buyer come in yesterday (knows my in-laws) but has been working with another agent in our office say that he wants to work with me because of the radio.

The thrill I feel every time I hear from a client who’s had success with a campaign remains undiminished, even after 38 years! (this gives us goosebumps)

Rod, respect!

Yours,

Lenja

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! Palle Bo is one of them! As our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Palle, really, thank you!

Before Palle became all famous after receiving this RADIO AWARD (photo by AdamLehn.dk) for the best RADIO COMMERCIAL in Denmark he was one of the greatest chat partners about radio. I bet Palle and I could easily brake all time records being all smart about radio advertising (has this ever been attempted I wonder?!?)

Just kidding, RADIO PEOPLE (true radio people) will never ever go all famous on you and Palle is one of these that has little radio sets flowing in his blood and they are all set to the frequency of a warm human being.

He approached me after I held my presentation (hosted by Stefan Möller) “7 diamonds of effective radio ads” at the Best European radio conference – RADIODAYS EUROPE 2010 and said: “I do that too. I throw pencils and pens at my attendees as well!” And from then on we just clicked and stayed in contact ever since. He is one of the first ambassadors of My Radio Fashion T-shirts and slowly we will need to send him a new wardrobe!!! Palle, you truly are a RADIOGURU and your 25th anniversary in radio proves that you have helped hundreds and probably changed thousands of lives!

Let’s get ON AIR with Palle.

What are your first memories of radio? Listening to the one chart show on Danish national radio (when that was all there was here) and writing down the song titles in my small notebook week after week. I was 7 or 8 and got the titles all wrong. Funny to read now – but very important to me at the time.

When and how did you fall in love with radio? When did your heart get trapped? I grew up listening to Radio Luxembourg and was totally hooked. At a very young age I started fooling around with cassette tapes and a small pirate radio transmitter in my home town (with absolutely no listeners apart from a few friends). And as so many others I had a small mobile discotheque.

Palle, tell us your favorite radio story. I remember being at a remote dressed up in a gorilla costume – and lock myself out of my car… It was a long walk back home.

Which My Radio Fashion T-shirt are you? I TRIED RADIO AND IT WORKS!

Who was your inspiration – a radio DJ, consultant, copywriter, PD, GM etc.? As a radio DJ I was very inspired by Luxembourg and then English, Dutch and US-radio. My biggest heroes were Steve Wright (BBC), Veronica and Radio 538 in The Nederlands and in US-radio: Z100, WPLJ and most of all Jeff & Jer from San Diego. Only to name a few.

When it comes to radio advertising, I remember, at a very young age, hearing an interview with my UK radio hero, Tony Hertz. He encouraged art directors (which I was working on becoming at the time) to do radio. This and Tony’s work was also a great inspiration for me. Many years later, I feel lucky to count him among my group of radio friends.

Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times. Any songs with a good start and a nice talk-over-bed.
Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited,
Robbie Nevil – C’est La Vie, or
Johnny Hates Jazz – Shattered Dreams

I loved playing those back in the early 90’s when I had most of my on air time. But to call them my top 3 of all times might be over stating it a bit… As me again in a few hours, I might say something else.

Why RADIO? I can’t imagine working with anything else. Maybe because you can do so many things on radio that you can’t do in other media. Maybe because it’s difficult and therefore a challenge to do it great. I still feel that I can improve my skills every year, and I hope that I always will.

WE LiKE it a lot Palle! Thank you dear RADIOGURU!

Yours,

radio lady Lenja

p.s. About PALLE: “I’m the founder and owner of RADIOGURU, a full service production house that writes, casts and produces radio spots, as well as offering consulting services for radio stations wanting to improve their product.

With a 5 year background in marketing, I’ve worked 26+ years in the radio industry, starting out as radio host and then went on to work as Sales Manager, Copywriter, Producer, Director, Group PD and Managing Director at a larger Danish network, before founding RADIOGURU in 2006. I’m still the co-owner of 8 radio stations in Denmark.

My small claim to fame was when I did telephone pranks as a syndicated comedy bit. First at 25 local stations, then at the national public radio and lastly on a national tv-show about football (I was pulling the leg of famous players). I’ve released three CD’s with these pranks.

In this article they describe Nik as coming from those halcyon days and well, I got to tell you … the few times I met Nik this is exactly how he made me feel. He has this calmness about him, yet that kind of calmness that doesn’t merge on shyness or emptiness but quite the opposite – something draws you to him. Deeply!

One could easily call him a radio legend in the UK but he acts like a guy from next door who will talk to you about his radio passion in the most naturaly friendly way ever. I like you Nik, I do!

And oh yeah, MyRF team looks forward to your new weekend show on Absolute radio called Cafe 80s. So cool – finally we will have a great “soundtrack” to our PACKING SATURDAYS at the MyRF Radio Castle!

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! As our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Nik, really, thank you!

Today we are celebrating Nik, “the really great creative radio guy!” Let’s go ON AIR with Nik!

Nik, your TOP 3 radio songs of all times.
U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Phil Collins – Sussudio

What are your first memories of radio? I fell in love with radio when I was about 10, when got my first little portable radio as a birthday present. I used to listen to it every night under the duvet while my parents were sleeping! I was captivated by the DJ’s and the music they played. It seemed a magical world… and it still is to me!

Which My Radio Fashion T-shirt are you? “Radio is beautiful”!

What are your first memories of radio? Listening on my portable radio to BBC Radio 1 which was only broadcasting on Medium Wave back in the early 1980s!

Tell us your favorite radio story: There are too many stories to tell… and of course what happens in the studio, stays in the studio!

NIK & YOU:

Nik lives in London and runs a radio consultancy specializing in ‘creative programming’ working with great stations all over the world. You can find him in the following places online:

Blog: www.nikgoodman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodmanmedia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nikgoodman

Stay close Nik!

Your radio lady,

Lenja

“Thank God and Radio” & “Why I’m thankful for radio” … the person who writes such words is the pure epitome of TUNE IN WEDNESDAY radio stories! Eric Rhoads doesn’t need a big introduction with big pompous words. He is like radio. Intimate. Close. Friendly. Relevant. (and way smaller than Howard Stern – check photo on the left).

I was amazed how quickly he responded to my pledge to make this interview as if we have known each other or drank together on all NABs in the past X years (laugh).He seems like a guy who just is. Happy. In love with radio, painting and life. He says: “Radio may have its challenges, but it remains a viable and important medium. Sometimes it takes outsiders to remind us, “Thank God for radio.”

Thanks RADIO GOD for you, Eric.

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! So, as our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Really, thank you!

Today we are celebrating Eric: “Eric Rhoads is the publisher of Radio Ink a radio industry publication which has subscribers at most US stations and 38 countries”

Let’s go ON AIR with Eric!

Eric, what are your first memories of radio?
Listening to WLYV in Fort Wayne and hearing my favorite songs and then buying Ktel albums and playing them over and over and pretending to be a dj on the intros. I also have an audio tape somewhere where I recorded myself as a dj at about 10 years old on my dads old Wallensack tape recorder.

When and how did you fall in love with radio? When did your heart get trapped? I always loved listening to the radio and I was always fascinated with the local deejays in my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. I would listen to WLYV’s “Live Guys” in the late 1960s and early 1970s and also Bob Dell on WOWO.

Living in a town that could hear radio from many bigger cities I was in love with WCFL and Larry Lujack in Chicago, WLS and Bob Serrat, John Records Landecker, Bill Baily, Yvonne Daniels, JJ Jefferies and Fred Winston. IN Detroit it was CKLW and there were also influences from Indianapolis WNAP the first FM rock station I ever heard and from Cincinnati.

I about 14 met a kid (Charlie Willer aka Chuck Franklin) at an event who said he was a radio dj so I went with him to watch him do his show on a local college station WITB at the Indiana Institure of Technology (IIT) and after that I was hooked. He arranged to train me and get me on the air. I was in heaven. I loved entertaining and though I was somewhat introverted it all came out on the air. At the age of 14 I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and once I found radio I knew. It gave me purpose, helped me come out of my shell and it was something I could be good at.

Why RADIO? I ended up at several stations ( WITB Fort Wayne, WLYV Fort Wayne, WYYY Kalamazoo, Michigan, Y100 Miami Fort Lauderdale, 96X WMJX Miami, WQAM Miami, K104 (KIOY) Fresno (My first PD gig) and then New World Communications, where I went into programming with partner Jerry Clifton. In each of those experiences I was able to see the impact of radio on the lives of listeners. In some cases it was just the music motivation, but of course the talent had impact on the lives of many listeners. We all had telephone groupies and people who would ask us for autographs at events and appearances.

People became bonded to the personalities, which made the big difference when there were two or three great music stations it was the personality, which seemed to draw people in. Though radio has lost some of that magic by voicetracking, automation, etc. it still exists.

Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times.
Just My Imagination – Temptations,
Suite – Judy Blues Eyes, Crosby Stills and Nash
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
(I liked the last two because of their length you could escape the studio for 6 minutes to hit the restrooms!)

Which My Radio Fashion T-shirt are you? “I don’t need a nose job. I work in radio.” What can I say. I have a face for radio. I love the mystique of radio. When meeting my favorite radio personalities I was always disappointed. They never matched the image in my imagination.

So when I became a Program Director I never allowed the DJ pictures to be show or if we did we obstructed the view of the jocks face so we did not blow the magic. Though we did do personal appearances (we had to as a promotional tool) I always wondered if that did damage in the mind of the listener.

Tell us your favorite radio story: At Y100 Miami we were in a fierce ratings battle with WMYQ. I was 17 and it was my first job in radio. One weekend I was on the air and the building went dark. It was Friday night and it was a long weekend in the middle of a ratings period. We were off the air and had no generator. It turns out that someone had slipped into the KenAnn building (the round 1960s deco building at US1 and Oakland Park Blvd in Fort Lauderdale) and drained the oil out of the transformer in the building.

Our engineer brought in a little portable honda generator and because we could not use it inside we strung a line out the window up to the roof of the building and we managed to get back on the air and get a signal to the STL. I was literally standing on the roof, generator in the background, a single tripple stack cart machine and a mic and we stayed on the air the entire weekend from the roof. It turns out our competitors had hired some thugs to slip in and take us off the air. They never had anticipated we would find a way back on. Of course a transformer is impossible to get on a holiday weekend but our owner Cecil Heftel managed to find one and helicopter it in and get us back on the air by Monday.

That same weekend we discovered that someone went to the tower, which was 1000 feet with a trailer park under it in Hollywood Fl and had sliced all the strands of the tower guy wires….each wire was cut with only one small strand on each holding it up. Had their been any wind at all the tower would have gone down. Not only would it have taken us off the air probably for months, it would have killed many people.

The following weekend the competitor had a mystry power serge to their studio which blew out their control board. They were off the air but they found a way to feed a phone line into the transmitter and the jocks at their sister station KCBQ in San Diego went on the air. They had a set of WMYQ jingles and so they fed music and everything for three days via phone line and kept them on the air.

Both of the stations were being run by some pretty slippery characters at the time. I know one of them is dead now but I’ll not mention names. This was a true radio war and a rating point was worth a lot of money. It was pretty cool for a 17 year old though as I look back I realize how dangerous it was. There was one point where they actually discussed issuing revolvers for all the djs to protect themselves though it never happened.

We did end up winning the rating battle. Part of the reason was that we were the first in the USA to offer a giant cash prize. At the time it was unheard of. We gave away $50,000 if you answered your phone “I listen to the new sound of Y100″ and you could call anyone in town and they would answer that way. How could we not win when everyone was promoting for us.

ERIC for you: Publisher RADIO INK:
www.radioink.com, www.radioink.com/convergence, www.radioink.com/forecast

Thank you! Truly.

Lenja

NeeKo caught our hearts at the most wanted, needed and appreciated European radio conference RADIODAYS EUROPE In Copenhagen in March this year. She was the first to approach the MyRF stand and you could almost hear her radio heart beating like a maniac while looking at all those radio T-shirts. Look at this photo of NeeKo – aren’t her eyes so positive, alive and warm. Later we learned more about her and not just her eyes, her whole being is positive, alive and warm, plus it is made of molecules in the shape of little radios. As she says: “She is on duty, sharing the radio love, 24 hours a day”.

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! So, as our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Really, thank you!

Today we are celebrating NeeKo 21: “She is a music addict, radio lover who spreads positive energy among her listeners, always where she needs to be – at the radio studio.”

Let’s go ON AIR with NeeKo!

Tell us your favorite radio story (that happened to you or that you’ve heard and just stayed with you). So many great things happened to me during my radio shows, guys asking ladies to marry them, unknown singers being ” a pain in the a_ _” for the first time, me forgetting my name because I was so nervous, my friends surprising me on air, falling off my chair during the news and so on. Still, the first time I saw a radio studio, I couldn’t take my eyes off of anyone, I was mesmerized. I think I freaked them out … haha but well, I was a kid … actually I still am but with bigger boobs. I am a freaking mistery and I love that people actually like that and see me as their friend!

Which My Radio Fashion T-shirt are you?

Definitely the one with the following message: “Some people believe in God, I believe in music. Some people pray, I turn on the radio”.

When and how did you fall in love with radio? When did your heart get trapped? I think I was 12 when I first received my own red walkman with radio attached. I remember I used to listen to a certain radio station for one specific Dj who kept reading my letters or my messages on air, even played my favourite songs. He always made me smile even though I had a rough childhood so I said to myself: “one day, I would like to make other people smile just like this radio Dj”. After a while of hard work and lots of dreaming, I ended up working exactly at that radio station. Kind of cool huh?

Why RADIO? Because I am good at it, because it’s challenging, hard and beautiful at the same time. Because few people can actually be radio personalities. It’s an attitude that you can spread, that’s an incredible power! I am not sure everyone gets it or knows how big it is, but I feel like it’s my biggest accomplishment.

Who was your inspiration – a radio DJ, consultant, copywriter, PD, GM etc.? Every radio lover represented an inspiration, I can’t name one single person, I love and know lots of Dj’s and they are all unique and special in their own way. There is one though whom I appreciate and that’s the King, Howard Stern, but I also like Annie Mac, Ryan Secreast and Pete Tong. As you can see I don’t listen to a specific radio station, I listen to as many as I can or have time to.

Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times. Threee??? Oh, I am not sure I can name only 3, I am such a music addict. I’ll try..hmmm, let’s see:
Radiohead – Creep,
Skunk Anansie – Hedonism
Travis – why does it always rain on me

CONTACT: NeeKo is aradio Dj at Radio 21 Romania, doing a show every Monday until Friday, from 10 to 13. Find her on facebook.com/NikoRadio21 , Twitter.com/NicoRadio21 or radiogirl.ro

NeeKo it is a pleasure to know you and get “HIGH” on your energy and radio love!

Your,

MyRF family.

MyRF co-founder Lenja found Craig on Facebook. He immediately felt close to her radio heart because he was working with radio & young people (they are the ones we need to reach and plant radio love seeds into their hearts!!!!) Lenja immediately decided to make the grand opening of the “TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” radio stories with him.

“TUNE IN WEDNESDAYS” and the My Radio Fashion project is about celebrating radio, celebrating YOU – the radio people who shape it! So, as our friend Peter Waak would say: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD SOUND BETTER!” Really, thank you!

Today we are celebrating CRAIG T. POWER: “Craig is a passionate broadcaster, producer and outstanding guy who loves music and RADIO!”

Let’s go ON AIR with Craig!

Q1: When and how did you fall in love with radio? When did your heart get trapped? I believe I was around the age of 5 years old. I would spend hours listening to legendary broadcasters on the radio and would often imitate them, dreaming of one day being on the air and having an audience of my own! From that moment, my heart was trapped into the wonderful world of radio.

Q2: Who was your inspiration – a radio DJ, consultant, copywriter, PD, GM etc.? Tough question. I’ve had many inspirations over the years, one of whom was Andy Barrie (Talk Radio Host here in Toronto, Canada) whom I would imitate and record myself on a small tape recorder at a very young age, pretending to interview people, backsell songs, introduce songs and guests and speak to the world!! I loved it!!!

Q3: Why RADIO? That’s an easy one!! Radio is the only medium that is instant, conversational and a true one on one connection with your audience!! Radio is true theatre of the mind that can capture listeners, pull them in and keep them tuned; the power of radio, an aural medium, is limitless……it can tug at the heartstrings of the listener and allow them to create their own “visual” within their mind!!

Q4: Your TOP 3 radio songs of all times
My top 3 radio songs of all time would have to be:
Band on the Run – Paul McCartney & Wings
Cat’s In The Cradle – Harry Chapin
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
These songs have early memories for me when I was a young boy discovering radio and the power of radio!!

Q5: Which My Radio Fashion T-shirt are you?

This one. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IN GOD I BELIEVE IN MUSIC. SOME PEOPLE PRAY I TURN ON THE RADIO!

Q6: What are your first memories of radio? As a young boy, sitting with my father as he would place the headphones on my head and say “Listen to this song, what a great song! Listen to the DJ, isn’t he great?! That big deep voice, entertaining and he really knows a lot about the music!!” I’ll never forget it. Thanks Dad.

Q7: Tell us your favorite radio story. One day, as I was deciding whether or not to follow my dream of being in radio, my mother came up to me with a smile on her face, and said I have something for you. She handed me a very old cassette tape (Phillips Cassette, brown in colour) and said listen to this. I put the cassette into a tape player and low and behold, what I heard amazed me!!
It was the sound of a little boy, pretending to be on the air, conducting mock interviews with celebrities…….that boy was me! I looked at my mother who was smiling and had the faint glimpse of a tear in her eye, and she said to me “Son, you were meant to do this. Follow your dream, I will support you all the way!” And thus, here I am today.

Craig says: I am currently seeking a radio gig anywhere within Canada, or any English speaking country that would enable me to connect with an audience and show the world the true power of radio!
Get in contact with Craig: craigpower@rogers.com

Thank you Craig! SOUNDS GOOD!