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10 Questions with ... Wally
July 6, 2021
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1. Please tell us about your career journey?
I started in mainstream radio right out of college 28 years ago. I had the benefit of being hired by and trained by Tommy Kramer and John Frost. I learned so much from them in such a short amount of time. I am not sure if they will claim me or not, but I am who I am today because of what I learned from them early on.
I moved around the country doing rock radio, but it was my time at Radio Disney that really helped prepare me for Christian radio. You had to work clean and the kid in the car was actually your audience.
I eventually came to a crossroad where my job was in direct conflict with my faith. That is what led me to Christian radio where I could do what I loved, but this time with a bigger purpose. Once again it was John and Tommy who played a role in getting me here. They told me there was only one Christian station that would take a chance on a rock jock from the mainstream world and that was WayFM, and they were right then and are probably right about that today:)
I have been at WayFm for almost 15 years and just signed a new deal that should allow me to end the on-air part of my career here.
2. Share the most challenging part of your career.
The most challenging part of my career is humor. The God stuff is easy. It happens and if you are smart you get out of the way and let God do His thing. Humor on the other hand is tricky in this format. Comedy is so subjective and people’s sensitivities are so heightened these days that it is hard to be funny and not accidentally offend someone.
3. The best coaching advice you've ever received was…
Tommy Kramer has been my coach in some fashion for 28 years. He has given me a ton of advice masquerading as heartfelt programming edicts:)
One of the best pieces of advice that we try to use daily is, every break should reveal something about you to the audience. This doesn’t mean that the break is all about you. Each break should reveal something to the audience that they do not know or they should hear something that reinforces what they do know about you. That is how you build a connection with your audience.
4. How do you continue learning and growing?
Watching or listening to funny things, whether it is a comedian or a sitcom I love to see how people see the world comedically. I also pay very close attention to how funny people say what they say. I think it may have been Jerry Seinfeld who expertly explained the difference between a comedian and a comic. A comedian says funny things, but a comic says things funny. There is a subtle, but distinct genius in that differentiation.
5. What’s one thing you wish you’d known about radio when you first started?
That one day it was going to stop being just about radio. Today you have so many masters to serve and digital metrics to chase on socials it can be hard to keep the focus on what is coming out of the speakers. I love technology and I love what digital allows us to do but, there is only so much time in the day so, make sure you are doing what puts the most points on the board.
6. Tell us about someone in our industry who you really respect and why?
I know he is not on the radio side per se, but it would have to be Darren from the band We Are Messengers. He is such a straight shooter and not just in a “tell you what he doesn’t like about something” way. He is honest about his own short comings, and we have had some brutally honest conversation on and off air about life. His openness never ceases to amaze me. That is what I try to do every day on the air but for artists that is much harder to do. This is a business where sometimes appearances seem to matter more than truth, but with Darren you get the hard, unfiltered truth and I respect that.
7. What would surprise people most about you?
That I had nothing to do with Todd getting “restructured” from WayFm (that is a little joke just for you Todd).
That the show is not all about me even though my name is on it. I love working on team shows. I know the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I, just like any talent, am a product of the people around me. Betty Rock and Gavin help me be better every day by being great at their jobs and sometimes even baby-sitting me a little. I am a bit of ADD kid, and they keep me focused. They also genuinely make me laugh and that makes me enjoy coming in every day.
8. What’s on your nightstand?
Definitely not a book, I am not a reader. I love TV. So, all my remotes are there as well as a ring from my soda because I never use a coaster.
9. What are you most excited about this year?
As things start to open back up, I look forward to listening patterns getting back to normal. It has been tricky learning what to put where so that the content lands with the listener. Things that used to work in the 8am hour now work better in the 9am hour or vice versa. The kicker is, just when you think you have it figured out it changes again.
I also want to travel out of the country again with our ministry partners. I love helping them and the truth is, it realigns me as well.
10. What do you do for fun?
I kind of mountain bike every week. I say kind of because I know someone will call me out for having and e-mountain bike. It is a bike with a battery that helps you pedal and it is glorious. I do not care what the purists say. It minimizes the things I hate about mountain biking, climbing up hills, and maximizes the part I love, going downhill fast.
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