10 Questions with ... Kayla Blakeslee

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Kayla Blakeslee has several years of broadcast experience in news, sports and entertainment. She hails from Union City, Pennsylvania and is a proud Pennsylvania State University Alumni. Kayla’s worked for the Big Ten Network, 1380 ESPN, K105FM, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and, presently, at WOWO 1190AM/107.5FM. She has covered everything from awards shows to elections and has interviewed everyone from Vice President Mike Pence to country music sensation Luke Bryan. Kayla has always enjoyed her work and feels truly blessed when it comes to her career.

1. What got you into radio in the first place? Why radio?

I originally started out in television and was hired at WOWO to be their “social media specialist” and to create the station’s video presence. The very day I started, the News Director at the time put in his two weeks. Shortly afterwards, I was asked if I wanted to take his anchor slot, and I jumped right in and never looked back.

2. You've just added Program Director duties for WOWO to your News Director and anchoring duties (so you're busy- thank you for taking the time to do this interview!). Not to give away your plans for WOWO, but what, to your ear, makes a great News-Talk radio station? What are you listening for in the news content, in the talk shows, in the overall sound of the station?

To me, a great News-Talk radio station has the ability to capture the heartbeat of the community and share it with its listeners. Sometimes journalists/hosts/anchors get lost in the day-to-day of the “news,” and we tend to get lost in the social media thunderstorm. Instead, a great News-Talk station should strive to be a friend of the community by being informative, yet entertaining: not necessarily giving listeners what they “should” hear, but what they “want” to hear.

That’s what I would like to hear in WOWO’s content overall; us talking about what people are caring about or will be caring about. I want WOWO to be “easy” to listen to, and a station you “have to listen to,” because if you don’t, you might miss out on something.

3. How important are digital and social media for you and your radio station? is it, in your vision, supplemental to the on-air material or a separate and equally important product? How much time, effort, and staff, in general terms, should a station devote to the non-broadcast part of the business?

I think digital and social media are huge. I always say that radio is in a bit of a “transition period,” and if you aren’t willing to jump on the digital train, you’re going to get left at the station. Bottom line: The way people consume information has changed. Iit needs to be convenient, and, unfortunately, the expectations of convenience also constantly change. Therefore, it’s a tough transition period. But, still, every company, whether radio or a bakery, needs to get on board.

With that said, digital is a big part of my vision for WOWO. To me it’s equally important as our on-air product, and just as much time should be dedicated to it. In the past, it’s been all about “what’s on-air,” and websites, for example, were ignored. However, in today’s world, most people hear a News-Talk program they like, or a host that’s entertaining, and what’s the first thing they do? They Google it! They Google the show, they Google the host, etc.

I have spent countless hours coming up with a social media strategy/plan for WOWO, and Federated Media has provided me with a lot of support. I actually have plans of implementing it this month, and everyone on the WOWO staff is going to have a role. To me, it’s almost common sense: We already have the content, and we are pumping it out constantly, so let’s add fuel to that content fire. Ryan Kahn says it best: “Content is fire, and social media is gasoline.”

4. As a news director as well as a PD, one of the things you have to do is know what's important to your listeners. So... what's important to WOWO's audience? How much of it is local and how much of it is national or international? What's the right mix?

This is the million dollar question… What is the right mix? I think the reason this question is so challenging to answer is because there’s not necessarily a right answer. However, to try and answer it, I ask myself, multiple times a day: Who does this impact? Who cares? Why should listeners care? These help me narrow down the ultimate answer to the million dollar question.

It’s also really important to stop talking one in a while and listen to our audience. For example, right now our audience seems to be a bit fatigued by the “negative” news and the news surrounding the “spectacles” regarding the Trump administration. I keep hearing how depressing and ridiculous it all is. Therefore, we have been a bit more hyper-focused on local/positive content.

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with relevant/useful local content that’s positive. However, when the news cycle calls for coverage of a terrorist attack in London, bombings in Syria, or a new healthcare bill, you can’t ignore it. It’s just that at the same time, we always strive to make sure we are still finding the positive. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly might have been a big seller in the past, but as I said before, lots of listeners are starting to get fatigued by it.

5. You took a detour from radio/TV to establish a news show for the Ohio Department of Transportation. What led to that opportunity, and what were you able to take away from that experience?

That detour was an amazing experience, one I would never trade. I took the detour and left WOWO because my husband, (who was in radio at the time) got offered a “dream job” in Columbus, Ohio. Simply put, I supported that, we packed our bags, and away we went. It was difficult for me at first because I loved WOWO and it was a big part of my identity, but it allowed me to spend the next year as a consumer/listener in a larger market.

I was fortunate to get hired at ODOT as their Multi-media Specialist in their Communications Department by their Press Secretary, Matt Bruning. Matt had spent 20 years in News-Talk radio at WTVN and let’s just say, we had a lot in common.

While at ODOT, I was tasked with coming up with making the agency more “human.” That’s when I, along with my co-workers, started ODOT’s very own news program called “The Loop.” I did everything from script writing and hosting to editing and filming. I’m proud say, even after leaving, the weekly program has lived on and still airs.

The job was valuable because it allowed me to be on the other side of the media and see it from a Public Information Officer’s perspective. It forced me to learn how to appropriately control the narrative. After being there for about a year, WOWO called, and let’s just say, my husband supported that, we packed our bags and once again, away we went.

6. Who are your influences, inspirations, and mentors in the business?

My father, who has never spent a day in radio, has been my biggest influence when it comes to being an employee and in management. He, along with my grandfather, were small business owners in my hometown of Union City, PA. Growing up, I was a sponge. He might not know this, but through the years, I soaked up one major lesson - to be a good leader, one must have a servant’s heart. One must be more concerned with making their employees and business successful than they are with their own personal successes. Simply put, I live by that, in everything I do, I try to do it with a servant’s heart.

My husband, who has spent almost 20 years in radio, has been my biggest inspiration. He began his radio career by just walking into a station in Little Rock, AR and said he would work for free. Why? Because he was that passionate about starting his career in radio. When I met him the passion and expertise just oozed out of him. It was part of his DNA. I wanted to be that good and that passionate about something. I like to think, because of him, I have been able to develop the skills and motivation I have today. He always pushes me to do and be better. I think we make a good team together, off and on the microphone.

I have also been surrounded by some seriously talented people. I call Jon Zimney, (PD/ND at one of our sister-stations in South Bend, IN) my Mr. Miyagi. He taught me how to “wax on, wax off” all things news. I credit most of what I know about news and programming to him. Charly Butcher, the host of Fort Wayne’s Morning News: I compare him to Albert Einstein. I am lucky to work with him. He’s a radio genius and I’m confident I will never stop learning from him. Truly my list of mentors is endless and I feel like I am working alongside some of the very best.

7. If you hadn't gone into radio/television/media, what do you think you'd be doing now?

What a good question;, I actually have no idea. I always just wanted to cover sports or news. I do however have a passion for DIY. I am obsessed with flipping flea market finds, so perhaps running a shop of my own flea market flipped treasures.

8. Of what are you most proud?

My marriage. As I said before, my husband spent about 20 years in radio. Some people might clash with their significant-other working in the same field (at one point we both worked under the same roof), but not he and I. We are true teammates, and 100% transparent with each other. I don’t feel like I could do what I do without him.

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _____________.

…my co-workers…and coffee!

10. What's the most important lesson you've learned so far in your career?

I have learned that people/employees/listeners just want to have their voices heard and feel valued. I discovered this years ago after reading Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” (If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it.) I really learned it when I became a News Director. Bottom line, if we can make people feel important and valued, in a sincere way, then we will all win.