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10 Questions with ... Susan Saunders
November 17, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Raised in the small town of Rochelle, two hours west of Chicago, I was learning TV/Radio production while still in high school through a unique 6 month “Live in your Illinois State Capitol!” career preview internship program. Having learned quickly that TV was NOT my passion, I pivoted fully into radio and was able to score a part timer position while starting college, at the legendary WZOK in Rockford. My BFA theater degree was put on hold when I was then recruited away to Madison, WI. to help launch a new country station - Hot Country 105 WYZM. My first full time job!!! The PD quickly changed his mind about starting a station while also doing mornings, so I was moved up from middays into leading morning drive at the age of 20. I had been bit by the morning bug, but working directly with crazy local owners as management wasn’t ideal, so I eventually jumped over to WZEE Z104, doing late nights under legendary PD Mr. Ed, before being asked back to WZOK for 4 amazing years as midday host. After mistakenly getting married to a stand-up comic who really wanted to move west, I said yes to an offer in Sacramento at Mix 96 - KYMX. Sadly for me, there was a surprise format switch to Soft AC right after the moving truck left us in Rockford. My expected new fun interactive afternoon show had suddenly been reduced to “more music less talk”, and PS now at night 6pm -12am. (Lesson-Should have put more effort into the details of the paperwork). So, I finished out my one year contract while now looking for the rare station that would let me, a woman, step in as their lead morning host. Many just laughed at me for asking the question. Thank you to PD J.Pat Miller and WBNQ’s consultant Jim Wood for saying “Yes, please!” The radio station and my morning show was #1 for the very first time in less than three ratings periods . It has been a pleasure to be back in my home state of Illinois since 1997.
1. You just celebrated 30 years in radio—congrats!! To what do you attribute your longevity and the great run?
Having started in smaller markets, I was blessed to have learned how to DIY a little bit in every department. So many new employees don’t ever get the privilege of that kind of training. You have to show respect and understanding to the full office team that makes your privileged position possible. Sales has always been my next biggest skill, so I work very hard to be vital and dependable to the sellers in our building. The local listening audience has also blessed me with a reputation for being a trustworthy voice for our community and I try very hard through public events and charity work to constantly give back to them. They need to feel that I serve them, not the other way around. When you are at a number one station and top morning show, you cannot take anything for granted, which means working twice as hard to be perceived positively when your competition has a very large target on you.
2. Did you always see mornings as where you’d end up?
When I got started, there were a lot of consultants trying out the “more music, less talk” concept for the first time. They were also trying hard to identify what “Jennifer” wanted, because they now knew from research that a larger female audience meant more ad dollars. I tried so hard get my female opinions on music and more into programming meetings about “What Women Want”, but they weren’t listening. One consultant told me that women HATED listening to other women on the radio, so I should talk half as much as my male counterparts so as not to sound like another nagging wife. Hmmmph....I just wanted on air freedom and I craved proving these idiots wrong, so I kept fighting for my place by filling in mornings and getting tape whenever I could steal the chance. Oprah’s success on TV showed me there was power in the female force.
3. Speaking of, you’re closing in on 23 years leading the morning show on WBNQ. Not many women are in the first chair—what’s that part of your professional experience been like for you?
It used to be so much more of a novelty with radio folks, but the audience didn’t blink at all in this community when I arrived. Bloomington-Normal is a pretty successful community with well educated-progressive transplants from all over the world living here due to our large insurance companies as employers. The first 10 years of the show was “The Susan and Fasig Show”, with Mr. Fasig providing news, sports, and being a responsive male voice opinionated co-host, which meant we had plenty of yin and yang for the audience. My running of the board, handling callers, and being the show’s producer as well as leader wasn’t important to listeners, only that we put on a good show. The only reason we aren’t still together as a duo was the national ownership company at the time went into bankruptcy and made ridiculous budget cuts, including my then promotions director/ co-host Fasig. That’s when being the leader became painful, because by keeping my job (still under contract), many in the audience assumed I had control over my co-host’s position and employment status. I was blamed for his departure when in truth, I had no idea it was coming, and was told over the phone while still on my second marriage honeymoon. Eventually, I have still succeeded in ratings and revenue with a variety of good and bad new show members coming through, it became easier to be respected. Now, EVERYBODY wants live female endorsements during drive time, so here I am!
4. What is it you love most about doing mornings?
The freedom to do 3-4 minutes on a topic. I haven’t worked a solo show in a PPM market, but what a challenge that must be to let your audience feel who you are and want to be your friend in such short bursts.
5. What does your co-host, John Davies, bring to the table?
John is currently producing the heck out of the show from the station studio since corporate sent me home in February to work remotely as per their COVID protocols. I’m using a Marti remote broadcast unit that John has to board op while also co-hosting and running our social media efforts. He is my fourth “first time full time radio job” co-host, but he arrived with a lot of useful skills already in place, including helping to create the large amount of video endorsements and appearances we are doing. He also created our first morning show “best of” podcast.
6. How have you folks been navigating the pandemic? In the studio…broadcasting from home…some combination thereof?
As mentioned above, we had to switch roles in variety of ways. My co-host is now running the board, and learning how to handle bit timing and a variety of jobs that I’m used to leading and controlling. I had to learn quickly how voice track the entire morning show from home for days when John was out, which is horrible FYI. Trying to put me on the phone with listeners failed miserably due to tech issues, so now we record zoom calls and play back the edited audio instead of having live guests. I really miss the ability to do a same day live guest for hot topics.
7. “Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. How do you keep connected to your listeners and the community in the midst of everything that’s been going on?
I started offering to join the drive-by celebration parades (mostly birthdays) with the WBNQ van, handing out candy and making social media videos. That was great fun seeing everybody socially distance but still being together. Now that I have gotten my share of antibodies from having a “schmedium serious” case of COVID in October, it feels safer to me to visit clients with a mask on and still do things like my annual “Favorite Things List” , which is video of holiday gift ideas from local businesses. Is it sold? You betcha! But after 23 years, these clients are now friends as much as they are customers. I try to pop in to patronize local clients as much as possible.
8. Which social media platforms best help you to engage with your listeners these days?
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter still rule. We aren’t allowed under corporate rules to have show specific pages, so even though we experimented with TikTok and Snapchat, we stick with the big three plus blogging headlines on WBNQ.com
9. What was your favorite station as a kid growing up? Jock?
My mother was a passionate listener of WGN-AM in Chicago, and also my hometown station, Rochelle’s WRHL . So Uncle Bob Collins, Spike O’Dell, and Kathy & Judy from WGN felt like family members to me. Later when I learned to use the FM nob, it was Jeff Wicker doing mornings at WZOK that I loved. It was amazing and terrifying to eventually get to work in the same building with him. I just couldn’t sit in the same chair he used as I was star-struck. He taught me the power of using everybody in the building who was willing to play along. From the janitor to the front desk folks and all the rest of the station jocks, everybody was a morning shown character of value. He was a great example of an ego-less star. Nobody was too small for him to give time to. “Tell your momma I said hey!” passed from him to me as well.
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Madison’s Jonathan Little gave me hope. PD’s Sean Phillips, Jon Wailin, and GM Bob Elliot rightly air-checked me into tears, but consultant Mike McVay made me feel legitimate and talented. Mike made it so I could stand up for myself and my show to the sometimes crazy people that should not have been hired to join our station team.
Bonus Questions
After all is said and done and things are back to ‘normal’ and there were no budget restrictions, etc. what 3 artists would you engage for a welcome back party for your listeners?
Harry Styles, Adele, Lady Gaga. That’s a big budget!
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