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10 Questions with ... Murphy, Sam, & Jodi
April 9, 2012
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Murphy: WBRH (High school station) - 1984-1986 - Air talent
WFMF/WJBO/Baton Rouge - 1985-1989 - Air talent
KTDY/Lafayette, LA - 1989-1992 - PD/MD
KRVE/Baton Rouge 1992-Present (Morning Show Host/Cluster OM)Sam: I worked at KLSU/Hammond, LA in the news department when I was at LSU (1985-86). I went straight from college to doing news at WBIU, an Oldies AM in Baton Rouge. In fact, I had to take a day off of work to graduate LSU. I moved over to news and eventually I became PD/morning show partner with Murphy at KRVE in 1991 and that's where I'm still stuck today.
Jodi: Before meeting Murphy and Sam, I did commercial voice work for ad agencies in a few different cities. But I'd never worked for a radio station until I joined KRVE (96.1 The River). I was hired in 1997, and have been with these two ever since. I knew almost immediately that this was where I belonged.
1) Your syndicated show is now on 18 affiliates and you've recently expanded into multi-dayparts. Other than remembering not to say, "Good Morning," how has this impacted the way you do your show?
It's made the content better, because we have to be more topical, relevant and prepped. But, we still can't sleep late. Ha ha!
2) Since Murphy & Jodi are married to one another, how do you handle the pressures of your day-to-day lives and still do a radio show together? Do you keep your professional life separate from your personal life? Or are they one and the same?
We TRY to keep it separate, but it's not that simple! Our marriage is a big part of the show which is what makes it voyeuristic for the listener. Imagine working with your spouse...Could you do it? Every issue becomes a part of the show, whether it's a fight or the sweet notes on the bathroom mirror. And poor Sam is always stuck in the middle!
3) What makes your show unique over other syndicated shows?
It's not two dudes in the morning with the bubble-headed giggle box. It's a female targeted show led by a female. Jodi's husband, Murphy, and Sam are just along for the ride! The show is never scripted and it's not about birthdays and trivia contests.
4) How do you prep yourselves for your daily show?
Wouldn't you like to know! But truly, we get serious every morning about having fun. Every show balances hot topics and our personal arcs.
5) You've been doing AC radio together for a decade now. And now you're expanding into other formats? You've recently added your first Country affiliate. How did that happen?
There's a misconception that Country radio is good ol' boys on John Deere tractors. When in fact they're targeting the same 30-something female in the SUV next to you. The hot topics of the day are the same whether the next song is Blake Shelton or Katy Perry. We deliver the show and the station chooses the music.
6) Do you allow your affiliates the option to provide their own music programming and how does that high tech process happen?
Yes that's part of the show being custom. Our specialty is content, so we leave the music up to the affiliates. Our OM, Emilie Becker, won't reveal her high-tech digital secrets.
7) Who is the most memorable celebrity you ever interviewed?
How can we pick? No way we could agree on ONE!
Jodi has enjoyed the times we have visited with Simon Cowell. Murphy drooled over Betty White. Oh no wait... that was Cheryl Burke. Sam geeked out over William Shatner and wouldn't stop calling him Captain.
8) How do you stay in tune with your audience?
We are the audience. And thanks to social media we're in constant contact with the listener.
9) What advice would you give people new to the business?
Don't learn how to be a "DJ", just be a real person. Strong content is better than the best read liner card.
10) What is the one truth that has held constant in your career?
The one constant in our career is our ability to adapt.
Murphy: Never stop learning.
Jodi: No matter what has changed, I'm always myself. I believe that imitation is suicide.
Sam: Granted it was hard to give up carts and LPs, but these computers seem to be the wave of the future.
Bonus Questions
Do you have any good stalker stories? Misty requests? "Fatal Attractions?"
The scariest stalker story we have is from when we were on in Pensacola. Jodi was getting letters every day from a prisoner who swore up and down that he was going to marry her... as soon as he got out and "disposed" of Murphy. At first we had a few laughs but when the letters continued we had to contact the Warden at this guy's prison. Sure enough we never heard from the guy again. We don't know how the Warden took care of this and at that point we didn't really care.
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