"Radio Is Part Of Me… What I Was Made For"

Eighty-nine days. That's how long Christie Matthews' retirement from radio lasted.

Not that anybody was counting. Okay, maybe one person.

When she stepped down from a hectic, high-pressure role as OM for the six-station Saga/Jonesboro, AR cluster, which included day-to-day programming and an airshift for Country KDXY, it was May of 2016. Matthews was convinced it was time for a break – time to try something new. "I took that leap, and I prayed really hard about it," said Matthews. "I can honestly tell you, I feel like God told me to go do something new." Her new calling, she believed, was Dir./Business Development for the Jonesboro-based, MF Block, Strategic and Transportation Specialist family of companies.

Matthews had invested 18 years with the Jonesboro cluster, and they with her. Like many of today's radio vets, she got into broadcasting at a very young age. After successfully programming KDXY, Matthews added cluster OM stripes in 2013. Heavily involved in the Country format and well-respected, she was a frequent member of the Country Radio Seminar (CRS) Agenda Committee. Knowing that the majority of CRS attendees still hail from small and medium markets, Matthews championed CRS panels focused on specific challenges to those market sizes.

To be clear, Matthews’ decision to step away from the biz was all hers. I say that, because in recent months, we've seen other high-profile radio vets announce their "retirement," sometimes in sudden fashion, which made the skeptics among us wonder if, in 2017, "retirement" is the new "reduction in work force."

During my 10 years or so writing about Country radio and the people who work in it, I've been fascinated with what happens when people leave the business, only to return to it at a later date. As we know all too well, some leave radio involuntarily, and – out of necessity – end up changing careers. Others walk away on their own, curious about what “civilian life” has to offer. Of those who come back to radio, I always wonder: did they miss it? Do they listen to radio differently – or at all – while out of it? Does the time away change how they view the business, their role in it, and how they approach the job?

Matthews was kind enough to endure my endless curiosity. I first hounded her days after she returned to Saga/Jonesboro in September of 2016, albeit in a different role. She returned to her midday show, but off the air, she joined the station's sales team rather than jump on the programming merry-go-round again. Before chatting with me, Matthews wanted to settle into her revised radio environment. Now, 10 months later, she shares her perspective.

First question: did you miss radio during your 89-day retirement?

“I did. I’ve never been divorced, but I kinda feel like that’s what it must feel like; it’s a separation of something that you love dearly, and things change – you change. I think I mourned it. There were a lot of tears driving back and forth to my new job. I think a lot of that had to do with me being tired. I should’ve just taken a vacation, which I was offered, but at that moment, I truly felt it was time for a break and to move on. You go through life and feel like you’re doing the same things over and over, and you feel like nobody cares, but they do. They’re just as invested as you are. Sometimes, it takes that little separation for you to realize what you’re doing really does matter. It gave me a fresh perspective to realize that radio is part of me – what I was made for – it’s my purpose, and that’s part of the plan.”

So, what about radio listening? More, less? And, were you able to turn off the PD instincts and listen like an average citizen?

“I actually did get to listen like a listener. Being able to just hear what I’ve been doing my whole life – it was really cool. I’d always thought that our station sounded good. I also found that we still have really amazing songwriters that are putting out good music. There were some of those new things that, even I – after being in the business after all this time – didn’t know, songs I didn’t know, and artists I didn’t know. It was interesting. You think you know it all until you get away from it. I listened to a lot of formats. I’ve always been focused on Country since programming The Fox, but we have other formats in our group – a Hot AC station, a Classic Hits, a Sports format. I had the chance to scroll across the dial and listen to other formats and see how things were being done on other stations outside of my own wheelhouse. Pop music is huge right now; I always equate music in Pop today to how it was when I was a kid in the 80s. It’s cool and fun – I really enjoy it.”

But, that motor in a PD’s head – the wheels that keep turning, and the constant fine tuning. Could you ever turn that switch to the off position?

“That part didn’t go away. I wonder if people ever take the time to do an out-of-office listen – like when you’re sick at home – and hear your own station. That is so important, because there are so many things going on on-air that people are missing. I didn’t completely stop listening as a Program Director. I think that once you've done that, we’re trained to listen to those things.”

You returned to the station and your airshift, but also joined the sales team rather than settle back in to programming. The sales part is sort of like a career change in itself, right?

“Being back on-air was such an easy transition – it was just like riding a bike. Being able to say I had listened like a listener, it made me change a few things I was doing as an on-air personality. I had no idea that I would end up in sales – the ‘dark side,’ as many air talent call it. I remember saying things like, 'You couldn’t pay me twice my salary to do what you do.' I will say, it is pretty nice to have some say in what your salary is, because, for the first time in my life, I’m on commission, and if that’s not a motivator to hustle, then I don’t know what is. When I went into sales, a lot of folks said it’s got to be easy for me, because I’d been around for so long. Being on the air since 1990 in this market has made it easier to get my foot in the door, but it’s not a guarantee – it’s not going to help me close a sale, but it sure is an advantage. Many of the clients I’ve been calling on, I’ve known for years. So, it does help to have a name that they recognize, and they’re open to seeing you. But, the rejection is still there. The same advice I would give a Program Director is to prepare. When I moved to the sales forum, I continued to immerse myself, and instead of learning the latest Music Master software, I read articles and webinars, and I watched what my clients’ industry was doing or going through. Before I go visit a client, I research their business; I don’t want to come in and not know a thing about what they do, because they’re busy, and you get a very small window to make an impact. It’s exactly the same as preparing for a show.”

In hindsight, you've managed to orchestrate a happy ending to your experience. Do you feel that you’ve come back to radio with a healthier attitude and a different perspective?

“If I had to go back and do it over, I probably could’ve taken a couple weeks off, come back to my GM and said, ‘I need to take something off my plate,’ and it would’ve been fine. But, I’m glad it ended up the way that it did and I took the 89 days, because it wasn’t just about my professional life, it was about me. I finally got to say, ‘Okay, Christie, what do you want to do? What do you want for the rest of your life?’ Call that ‘midlife whatever’ – I needed that moment and that break to really re-evaluate what my goals were. It was scary as hell to come back and do sales. Thankfully, it turns out that I’m pretty good at it! I’m having a great time, and I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been, just getting the freedom of knowing I’m getting the best of both worlds. I’m still doing a midday show – which is my passion – I love Country music, and I love that connection with the audience. But, I’m also not saddled with the day-to-day – that two-page task list every day. With programming, I was always an advocate of what’s in it for the listener. Our sales department was about how something is going to grow my client’s business. Once everybody agrees that ‘this is your job, this is my job,’ then we’re all working for the same goal. I know that doesn’t happen everywhere, but it happens here. I couldn’t be more pleased with it.”