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10 Questions with ... Jonathan Steele
August 31, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. If you weren't in radio, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
I LOVE to travel so I'd probably get into being a travel blogger. I would still be a radio nerd, so I'd want to drive around the country and hear all the radio stations.-
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Cox Media Group Dayton, OH (Board-Op) 2012-2014
WHIZ Media Group Zanesville, OH (MD/nights) 2014 - 2015
Alpha Media Peoria, IL (MD/nights) 2016
Advanced Media Partners (PD/nights) 2017 - 2018
Martz Communications Group Malone, NY / Montreal, Quebec / Pittsburgh, PA (PD/afternoons) 2016 - 2017 and 2018 - 2019
Beasley Media Group Detroit, MI (APD/afternoons) 2019 - Present
1. What got you into radio?
100% my grandfather. Shoutout to Joe Woodford! I grew up going to remotes and events and watched him from a very young age. I was hooked! I've been told that as a toddler I loved music. As I got a little older, I made practice cassette tapes and pretended I was a DJ with my own radio station. I built my own internet radio stations at age 13 and that experience landed me the job at Cox. Shoutout to Chris Hartley aka Hippie for giving me my very first shot!
2. What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?
Since I knew from a young age that I always wanted to do radio, I am legit living out my dream. However, at a young age I just wanted to be the Music Director. I thought that MDs were the ones who picked the music and the PDs just did all of the paperwork. HA!!!! That was partially true though in my career. When I was at WHIZ in Zanesville, I did get to pick all of the music, did all of the imaging and built the clocks. The PD admitted she wasn't a wiz (pun intended) at CHR so she let me do my thing.
3. What has the pandemic shown you about yourself?
Life is too short to be unhappy. Why settle for something that isn't for you? I posted this Facebook status the other day. "It's okay to be selfish!" I've always been told that I've spent my life trying to make other people happy and it's exhausting. I've come to terms with the fact that if I lose friends or family because of doing what's best for me, that's okay. As a kid, my pastor always said, "People are only in your life for seasons." True!
4. Cook or order out? What's been your pandemic meal plan?
So, last year, I was really big on cooking more and eating out less. I found out in Spring of 2020 that I was a Type 2 diabetic, so I adjusted my diet and lost about 35 pounds! Light carbs, water or sugar free drinks, only treating yourself once or twice a week. Then I left Detroit to come back to Ohio and my schedule changed and it became harder to eat better. I'm hoping with my return to Detroit full time and my flexible schedule, I'll go back to cooking more and walking!
5. What would probably surprise most people about Detroit?
It has this reputation of being dangerous and a hot spot for crime. I haven't experienced anything even remotely close to that. There's crime everywhere and there are a ton of people in Detroit so naturally, you'll have crime but if you mind your business, you'll be fine. There are a TON of nice suburbs as well. There's a load of restaurants and plenty of things to do with the family. Me being a radio nerd, I also think it's pretty cool to pick up a ton of signals from across the border in Canada. You're really speaking to two markets while being in Detroit. Windsor alone has well over 200,000 people.
6. What would you like to do better, professionally, in the second half of 2021?
I'd love to grow my brand and dedicate more time to digital. I've come such a long way from where I was years ago but it's easy to get caught up in building the station brand that you neglect your own personal brand. I've been passed up before because my socials weren't up-to-par with someone else going for the same gig. I've learned in 2021 that is EVERYTHING. I have so many ideas regarding videos, podcasting, interviews etc. but it's taking the time to build it that I've struggled with!
7. What about personally? How do you want to finish 2021?
I think building my brand is a personal goal of mine as well, but putting radio and digital aside for a second, I'd love to open a business, either a bar or restaurant. I certainly don't have plans to have that business open by the end of 2021 but if I have a few things on that checklist complete, I'll be thrilled.
8. Who are/were some of your radio mentors?
Pat "Grooves" Cerullo, Michael Newman, Chris "Lucky the DJ" Stewart - they are all very different but valuable to me in their own ways.
9. If you weren't in radio, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
I LOVE to travel so I'd probably get into being a travel blogger. I would still be a radio nerd so I'd want to drive around the country and hear all of the radio stations.
10. What do you like to do in your spare time? Has that changed since the start of the pandemic?
Spare time is a thing? Hey, let's add that to my personal goals list! Creating spare time, GOT IT!
Bonus Questions
If you could be on any TV reality show or game show, which would you want to be on?
The Voice or American Idol as a guest judge (like I'm important or something, ha!) and "Beat Shazam" as a contestant!
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