10 Questions with ... Therese Romano

1. Inarguably, Therese, you’ve had one of the most remarkable and prolific stories in the history of Christian Radio. As daunting of a task as it may be with only 24 hours in a day, could you walk us through your radio career from start to present?

I started in mainstream radio in 1982. I worked at a couple of AC stations, a pop station and an album rock station before getting into Christian radio.

I entered Christian radio in 1987 at WWCM in Ypsilanti, MI. Two years later I moved to Santa Rosa, CA to be on K-LOVE. I did morning news and cohosted with Dick Jenkins. About a year later, I was offered my first PD position back at WWCM. After being downsized a year later, I moved on to RX107 in Chattanooga. They sold the station one year after I joined the team and I took a job at the main stream AC in town. In less than a year they switched to talk radio and I did a short stint as a talk show cohost.

In 1993, I moved out to Colorado Springs to do mornings with Jon Hull on The Word in Music radio network. That was a great time of growth for me. I was offered a position a couple years later to work at a record label, so I moved to Nashville where I worked at Reunion Records. If you’re still reading, good for you. After Reunion was purchased by Provident in 1997 and some major changes were made, I re-joined K-LOVE in Nashville at their studio there. I had the extreme pleasure of being the music director and working with David Pierce on the Morning Show. A couple of years later, K-Love decided to close that studio and move everything back to Rocklin, CA.

At this point, I went independent and started my own consulting company that focused on radio programming, song promotion and audio production while staying in the Nashville area.

In 1999, a potential consulting client in Birmingham, AL offered me the program director job at a relatively new Christian music station - Reality 101. One year later, the board decided to sell that radio station so I moved back to Nashville to continue working independently.

September 11, 2001 put an end to an independent record label for which I was working to recruit artists. So, I reached out to Mike Novak at EMF Broadcasting. Mike offered me the position of Program Director for ChristianMusicPlanet.com a website offering a variety of Christian music formats. After a year in Rocklin, CA, K-Love decided to dissolve ChristianMusicPlanet and I moved back to Nashville. That was 2003 and later that same year the former general manager for Reality101 and I started working on AllWorship.com. We launched the streaming website in 2004 and it still offers five worship formats for free - 16 years later.

Later in 2004, I also joined ShareMedia Services and started traveling to help host fundraisers for radio stations around the country. The focus of my career from 2004 to 2011 was working with AllWorship.com, ShareMedia Services and Mission of Mercy as their radio liaison and sponsorship drive on-air host

When the economy tanked in 2008 and 2009, opportunities for third-party ministries to access on-air time at Christian radio stations started to evaporate. This is when I started considering a move back to Christian radio full-time.

In September of 2011, I joined Life 101.9 in Waterloo, IA as the first female PD at a Northwestern Media owned radio station. In 2012, I move to Somerset, New Jersey to take on the PD role at Star 99-1. A little over two years later I moved to Jacksonville, FL to be assistant station manager for WAY Radio in Jacksonville and Brunswick GA.

I returned to to the independent contractor world as a fundraiser and Voice Tracker in 2015 with a move back to the Nashville area. Next was a move to Monroe, LA to work at Media Ministries Inc. I was the brand advancement director for both The Cross 88.7 and Power 92.7.

And, finally, in April 2018, I moved to Orlando, Florida to take the role as a weekend On-air host and utility player for Z88.3. My role was to fill-in on any day part whenever necessary due to illness or vacation. Plus, voice track on any one of our side channels and I also oversaw the development of our worship format that targets millennials called LivingWorship.radio. On March 3rd, I was offered and accepted the PD position at the Z.

That makes 34 moves. 9 states - some multiple times. And way more than you ever wanted to know.

2. What are some of the biggest, most important changes/shifts you’ve witnessed at Christian Radio over the course of your career?

Wow, there are so many. 1) The evaporation of live talent for VoiceTrackers and satellite services; 2) Vinyl/Carts to CD; 3) CD to all digital files; 4) CCM stations going from nearly non-existent when it comes to making an impact in their communities to being in the top 5, and even #1, in several markets; 5) We’ve gone from just playing what we perceive to be the Hits to trying to meet the needs of our listeners through the playing the RIGHT music and the stories we tell.

3. In your opinion, what was/is the “Golden Age” of Christian Radio?

I think the golden age of Christian radio has been over the past 10 years or so. More stations are making a greater impact in their community by doing research and meeting the actual needs of their listeners than ever before. More people are listening to Christian music radio and that means more people are hearing the gospel message. And in my opinion, that is the goal that we all strive for - taking Jesus to those who need Him most.

4. What’s kept you in Christian Radio, opposed to transitioning into another format…or another career altogether?

I think anyone who is ever worked in radio will tell you that it gets in your blood. It’s so hard to walk away from Radio and go to a regular 9-to-5 job. What I like about Christian radio, in particular, is that we have the best message that the world could ever hear and we get to share it with people every day. Every time we open the mic we have the opportunity to share Jesus with somebody. Is there anything better than sharing the Savior of the world with someone who’s never heard the Good News?

(Oh, and I don’t have a degree in higher education so I can’t get a job that pays more than $10 an hour outside of Radio.)

5. From your perspective, what’s working the best at the CCM format? Are there any areas of the format you still believe could use some improvement?

There is always room for improvement! The day we think we’re done growing and improving is the day we die.

I believe that one of the things we do best in Christian music radio is share life with people. Connect. Share stories and live life with our listeners.

The air talent are the glue that connect our listeners to the station. They can get the music anywhere but they come to us for a relationship—both with the people on the station and the God we serve.

I also believe that we need to start mentoring new, younger talent & leaders. I see a potential crisis ahead for Christian radio if we don’t raise up young leaders to take our place. Many of us have been around a long time but we will not be here forever. Who is going to take your place when your time is done at your ministry? Start making your plan now!

6. Who are the stations, programmers and jocks within our format whose work has stood out to you most in recent history?

I’ll start with the obvious, I believe that Dean O’Neal is an incredible program director who not only impacts the Z, but also makes an effort to mentor those who are serving at other stations. I also believe that Ellis and Tyler—the Z morning team—are serving our community in ways few Christian on-air talent do. They are rock stars.

I think Mike Blakemore in Atlanta is doing amazing things with the Fish. Beth Bacall in the afternoon show in Atlanta is killing it, too.

I am a big fan of Scott Herrold and Mike Couchman. I think they’re doing things in a very creative way that are impacting their communities for good.

I also enjoy listening to the morning team at WBGL in Champaign: Johnathon Eltrevoog and Lindsey Capperrune.

7. When you have opportunities to mentor up-and-coming talent, what are some of your most go-to pointers that you share, derived from your own experience?

Listen and learn. I struggle with thinking I have this thing completely understood and sometimes forget to stop and listen. I firmly believe that you can learn from anyone, if you’re willing. Find someone that you enjoy listening to and learn from them. Another thing I tell up-and-coming talent is that no one will care about your career and mission as much as you will. So work your tail off. Hone your craft. Find people that are willing to invest in your growth and learn from them. This is not a 9-to-5 job. If this is not a calling for you then you’re probably in the wrong place. Christian radio is putting yourself on the front line every day and you will be attacked but if you know that you are where God wants you to be then you will be able to endure any attack.

8. What are five of the most important songs at CCM radio over the past decade or so?

Wow, this is a hard one. I’ll do my best but I know I’ll leave some big ones off the table. I’m not sure that these are the “most important songs” but they certainly need to be included on the list that made a major impact throughout the last 10 years.

• TobyMac “Made to Love”
• Hillsong United “Oceans”
• Lauren Daigle “You Say”
• Cory Asbury “Reckless Love"
• Matt Redmond “10,000 Reasons”

9. What do you most look forward to with taking on the new role as PD at The Z?

Super-serving our community and learning from one of the best program directors our industry has ever seen. Dean O’Neal is not only brilliant, but is smart enough to continue to seek out knowledge and to grow in his craft.

10. What about The Z’s current status—both on-air and around the office—gets you most enthusiastic about being a part of what’s going on there?

Probably one of the biggest things that I am excited about is the opportunity to work with and learn from Dean O’Neal. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that he is in the building still and will pour his knowledge and wisdom into me. He has forgotten more than I will ever know. I also love this team. We are a real family. I don’t know of an air staff and support team that is more passionate about sharing Jesus with people in their community than the people at Z88.3.