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10 Questions with ... Steve Sunshine & Amy Byrd
June 1, 2020
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1. Could you take us back to the birth of “Mornings with Steve & Amy” 15 years ago? How did your relationship materialize, both personally and professionally?
We first met at WMHK in Columbia, SC when Steve’s co-host went on maternity leave. Amy had just walked in the door when there was a need for someone to fill-in. The previous co-host decided to stay home when her maternity leave had ended. Our relationship developed mostly by trial and error: “Oh, I won’t do that again!” Or…”Okay, I’ll do more of that!” The show survived Amy moving to Virginia and doing the show remotely with her there and Steve in SC for several years.
2. Was the chemistry between you two evident from the start? If not, when did it really become clear that the two of you were a fit?
We both think so. Amy spent sometime figuring out what was acceptable for Christian Radio format after coming from Country Radio. Naked Cowboy, for example. That was out. It helps that we’re both very different people. We had the advantage of contrast without conflict. Steve grew up in the city. Amy grew up in the country. Steve’s humor is very dry and Amy is the eternal optimist. The key was finding the places of contrast in our real-life personalities and creating slight exaggerations of them for the show.
3. How have you learned to best complement each other as a team?
We play to our differences, but occasionally switch roles to surprise the audience. Steve actually has a soft, gushy inside and Amy can be surprisingly cynical. We’ve found that a challenge for many team shows is either that they don’t have well-defined roles and it’s hard to tell who they are, or their roles are so tightly-defined that they become one dimensional caricatures. Also, some great advice someone shared is to do what it takes to make your partner look their best.
4. Your show started in Columbia, SC before moving to Austin. What was that transition like for you two? Did it go as you had hoped?
Launching a startup is always hard. Steve had been a part of two before this one. Moving a family is hard and moving two families is twice as hard! So there were challenges. There had been another Christian Radio station here on the same frequency that had become a blend of Christian and secular music. We got backlash on their behalf at first. Austin has historically been a hard market for ministries. (Although that has been getting better!) So it took some time to get established.
5. Did you have to learn to speak a new language of sorts, being in a new market?
Absolutely. Coming from the Bible Belt to “Keep Austin Weird,” we found that we were more free to be ourselves. Listeners here are generally not as easily offended. We also learned that it’s “queso,” not cheese dip, that salsa counts as a vegetable, and that tacos are an entire food group.
6. Who and what did each of you grow up listening to? Was radio an important part of your formidable years?
Amy: I don’t really remember many radio names growing up, but my mom really liked Rhubarb Jones on Eagle 106.7/Atlanta. She knew everything about him and maybe subconsciously it affected my decision to get in to radio.
Steve: Dan Ingram, WABC/New York, Cris Connor, WNAP/ Indianapolis, Larry Lujak WLS/Chicago, Steve Dahl, WLS and The Loop Chicago. I was that nerdy kid sleeping with a transistor radio.
7. Reflecting on your years together, what’s one on-air and one offair highlight from each of you, working together? Any specific moments that were simply unforgettable?
When Steve was trying to giveaway a cat and we decided to call Amy’s husband and ask if he would be okay with taking the cat. Steve tried to talk him into it by saying the cat was lovable, hygienic and of generally fine quality. Amy’s husband responded with “I thought I was all those things.” And he said no. Off-Air: The time Steve flooded the radio station when rinsing the coffee pot but walked away to do a break and never came back. Water flowed out into the hallway. And we had an artist coming in that morning.
8. Who are some other on-air personalities in the CCM format that you pay attention to, at least somewhat regularly?
Just to pick a few: Kevin and Taylor: great energy and chemistry; Brant Hansen: quirky, creative and thought-provoking; Wally: creative and way out of the box.
9. 9. What are some of the songs at CCM that have stopped you in your tracks over the past years?
A favorite for both of us right now is “Holy Water.” Love the line, “I don’t want to abuse your grace / Lord, I need it every day / it’s the only thing that ever really makes me want to change.”
10. Anything you look forward to taking on in the post-COVID era, whenever that actually is?
Austin has so many great places to eat. So, eating out. As far has the station goes, COVID-19 has been a chance to connect with listeners on a whole new level. We’ve seen it as an opportunity as much as a hinderance. We’re looking forward to getting back some day to large events like our annual Spirit of Austin Fest with thousands of people all in one place. Think we have taken things like that for granted.
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