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10 Questions with ... Shay Moore
September 8, 2015
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I began my radio career at Power 98 in Charlotte, NC and then went on to work for sister station V101.9. I moved to Buffalo, NY and did middays and eventually nights at WBLK, then to Wichita, KS to work at Hot 107.9 Jamz as APD and afternoons. I moved to Dallas, TX and worked at KRNB for middays and eventually became PD of that station. I also worked for K104 in Dallas as Promotions and Marketing Director. I left Dallas for V103 in Atlanta where I was for two years and then onto WYLD and Q93 in New Orleans and now KPRS in Kansas City.
1) Congratulations, a new gig and a new town ... how it all happen?
Thanks, Sam! I worked for the Carters back in 2004 when they partnered with another company to open a new hip-hop station in Wichita, KS. At that time, Myron Fears was the APD of KPRS (sister station of the Wichita property) and over the years I have kept in touch with him via social media. About a month-and-a-half ago, Myron reached out to me on my Facebook page and that started the chain of events that led to me accepting the position on the morning show.
2) Why do you love radio so much?
I had a terrible stutter as a child, which caused me to be shy and self-conscious about speaking. Oftentimes it led to being ridiculed or being treated like I had some sort developmental deficiency. I spent a LOT of time reading and listening to music on the radio. In an effort to conquer the stuttering issue, I began challenging myself to do things that scared me; I began speaking at assemblies in school, I was the announcer for the band during half-time in high school and I'll be damned if people didn't start telling me that I had a great voice. That positive reinforcement from my peers and teachers gave me the confidence to think that I could use my voice as a career and all that time listening to radio made that path a logical next step for me
3) How come so many great air personalities come from New York?
Well, don't all great things come out of New York? Pizza, theatre, music ... hello! LOL! Seriously speaking, I believe that so many great personalities come from New York because of the quality of radio that we were exposed to. Growing up my family were all loyal listeners of WBLS, I remember listening for the "color of the day" in the morning and at night as Frankie Crocker signed off with Moody's Mood for Love. You can't help but try to make the legacy that you grew up with proud!
4) Do you find yourself talking about radio all the time, if so, why?
I talk about radio way too much! Many of my friends are in radio in different markets across the country, we usually begin talking about other things but it always comes back to the industry!
5) What are your goals for Kansas City?
There's a long answer to this question and a short answer, I'll give you the short on this -- KILL IT!
6) Who are some of the people who have helped shape your career?
The first person to go to bat for me in the business was the late Sheila Stewart. Without her openness for helping people that wanted to be in the business, I would not be speaking to you now. There are so many others who have affected me in different ways: the late Nate Quick for his ability to connect with, BJ Murphy -- simply because he's a great human being. My frientor (a word I made up because I consider him a friend and mentor) Derrick "DC" Corbett for always being a great sounding board and encourager for me; Skip Dillard because simply put he is smarter than me! He is literally a few steps ahead of everyone who I know when it comes to trends in this business and of course you Sam, you gave me my first shot in a major market!
7) Outside of radio, what are some of the things you've been doing?
I learned fairly early on in my career that I had better have some other things going on in this business, especially if I liked living indoors and eating regular meals. I took a voice acting class back in 2009 and actually have had some really great opportunities from that class. My instructor in that class, Julie Mayfield, thought that I had something after observing my work and put me in touch with the company that makes the cartoon Dragon Ball Z. I appeared in three cartoons (Soul Eater as Mira Naigus, in Requiem for the Phantom as Lizzie Garland as the policewoman in Eden of the East). I've appeared in a national campaign for Coca-Cola that airs every year during Black History Month, several other local and regional commercials and I earned my Master's degree in August of 2014 in Organizational Leadership. I've also enjoyed teaching the next generation of radio professionals as an instructor at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting for the past five years.
8) How do you see the future of radio?
I believe that radio isn't going anywhere; however, the way that we approach what we do is being modified and has much more room for modification. I just had a conversation today about the fact that I don't even own a radio outside of the one that is in my car. When I listen to radio, including my station, I am listening using an app on my phone. We have to adjust our presentation and the way we think about engaging that growing audience. I have noticed over the years that increasingly listeners don't call on the phone to talk to the jock as often as they used to (excluding contesting); my nieces and nephews who are in their late teens to early 20s never talk on the phone! Should we even be still soliciting for people to call us in this present day and age or should we be engaging them in a totally different way? This kind of question and others similar to that need to be talked about with those in positions to make the changes necessary for the viability, health and wellness of our beloved industry.
9) What are your personal goals?
I've been working on my personal health as of late. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes many years ago and made a decision within the last two years to do something about it. I have lost over 100 pounds and have a few more to go. I want to use my platform here in Kansas City to help educate the community on prevention and proper treatment of this disease.
10) I know you have done voice tracking, would you share some tips for doing it?
I had an opportunity to voice track on both WYLD and Q93 for four years. My mission was to make the show sound as if I was right there in New Orleans, so I would log onto the daily newspaper's website, the station's website and social media platforms and other lifestyle blogs dedicated to the city and would mention little things that I found. It literally takes minutes to get the information and incorporate into the show and in my opinion it is well worth the research. I also scheduled tweets and posts on my social media platforms to reiterate things that I talked about on the show. I have found that it's the little things done with consistency that can help grow your visibility and connection with the audience even if you aren't there live.
Bonus Questions
Have you had any missed opportunities?
Yes, when I was on my way to Wichita, KS I received a call from WBLS to meet with Vinny Brown, who was the PD of the station at the time. I didn't take the meeting because I was leaving for Wichita the next day. Now I know that I should have taken the meeting even if I planned to go to Wichita because you never know what opportunities could have arisen from that meeting.
Do you have any hobbies?
I love to read. I love to travel. I love to sleep though I truly don't sleep enough. I love lip gloss and accessories and I hope to open a store soon where I can sell accessories and the lip gloss line that I will develop in the coming months.
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