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Charese Fruge’ (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Deanna Regalado
November 15, 2022
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When we last featured Deanna Regalado in “Women to Watch,” things were very different for her. It was December of 2020, you know…. “that year.” She was living in Denver, and doing mornings on Max Media’s KFCO, the new Hot 107.1. Now, she does middays on KZCE (101.1 The Bounce)/Phoenix “The Valley's Throwback Station” for Sierra H Broadcasting. Talk about a switch. She’s been there for a year now. She also hosts PM Drive on more than 15 CHR stations across the country for Townsquare Media and she does Middays for Star 102.1 in Knoxville, TN.
“I've been in radio for 17 years now which has gone by in a blink of an eye,” says Regalado. “My career started after I dropped out of college where I was majoring in journalism. One day, during our radio course we had a guest speaker who was an on-air personality and I asked her what I should do to get into radio. She told me to drop out and enroll in broadcasting school. At the dismay of my parents that is exactly what I did. After broadcasting school, I took a job in Craig, Colorado which is a town of less than 10-thousand people, they didn't even have a Wal-Mart! I learned so much in my two years there, I was the news director, did middays on the Hot AC station, learned production, learned how to run a live board, it was like radio boot camp.”
“After that I moved back home to Denver to do live overnights at KYGO, the heritage Country station in the market, and from there I went to iHeartRadio in Colorado Springs where I was APD, did middays and tracked for various markets,” she adds. “After a few years I transferred back to Denver to co-host the new morning show on the CHR station.”
“I was part of the infamous iHeart layoffs in January of 2020, but landed on my feet and was offered a solo morning show at a competing station. Then last year, out of the blue, I got a call from Sierra H Broadcasting in Phoenix asking if I was interested in doing middays at their new station, 101.1 The Bounce. I couldn’t resist making the move. I'm so glad I had the courage to leave Colorado and try a new adventure.”
“I’m so grateful I’ve been able to make a living doing radio for as long as I have,” says Regalado. “I've seen so many talented people come and go in this business. There are too many talented people on the beach right now, so I consider myself very fortunate. Radio has given me exciting opportunities such as traveling to Los Angeles to do movie press junkets, meet superstars like Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Lizzo, and interview people like Ozuna, Cristela Alonzo, Bazzi, George Lopez and more. I look back on those moments and it makes me thankful, even a bad day in radio isn't that bad. Don't get me wrong it still takes hard work, but it's almost surreal.”
The hard work that comes with success, doesn’t come without its challenges. Regalado has pushed her way through them. “The biggest challenge is simply being a woman in radio,” she says. “As much as I love radio it's still a boy’s club. There are times throughout my career where I feel like I've had to speak up more or work twice as hard just to be seen as equal to my male counterparts. This business says they value women and want to attract women listeners but it's still a lot of men making the decisions.”
Here's a few words of wisdom from Deanna for women experiencing the same challenges of rising through the ranks: “Be a sponge! Learn everything you can about radio, from how to run a live board, to how to produce and load spots. Ask to learn about scheduling music, ask to learn how to write proposals etc. Even to this day people will assume I don't know how to run a live board or that I don't have experience scheduling music or in promotions. People still assume women are just ‘giggle boxes,’ No! Prove them wrong. We know how to do it all!”
Another big challenge for the radio industry right now is capturing engagement, growth and loyalty among Millennials and Gen Z. We need to grow a younger audience to stay relevant. Regalado was honest when I asked her how we do that. “I truly wish I knew the answer,” she says. “What I've noticed is that I have a set of loyal connections that may listen to me on the radio every now and then, but they follow me on social media every day. They're listeners of all ages and backgrounds and they like to comment on my stories or share their opinions in my DMs. Use social media to your advantage. Even just a simple answer back can build loyalty. Does it translate to over the air listening? I'm not sure, but I think it helps build that relationship. Social media is a tool we must use as an extension to our shows.”
She was also honest about the industries attempt at moving the needle when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. “If I compare my current surroundings to my surroundings years ago, when I first started in radio, I don't think the landscape has changed much,” she says. “I've noticed on social media that women in the industry have come together more though. That's the positivity of social media, I see Facebook groups where women can share experiences or just vent to one another. I think we need more training programs within broadcasting companies such as PD training aimed at women.”
One thing Deanna thinks people would be surprised to know about her is: “People assume since I’m so into pop culture and current music that my music taste is very bubblegum. But I grew up listening to punk bands like the Cramps, Dead Milkmen, Bouncing Souls and The Vandals. It wasn’t until I was an older teen that I got into the boy bands. I love all music from Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Kings of Leon and too many more to list.”
As for what keeps Deanna up at night: “Watching influencers doing makeup and clothing hauls on TikTok. I can't tell you how much stuff I have in my Amazon cart,” she says. “If only I could afford to click ‘check out.’ I also lay in bed scrolling through Twitter constantly taking notes on show content.” She does find a way to find balance though. “I make time to binge watch Netflix, play with my French Bulldog, Olive, and read when I can. Maybe someday I'll find time to date! Haha”
As for what we have to look forward to from Deanna: “I'm hoping to break into voice over work soon, I've taken a few classes and would love to seriously pursue that as a serious side hustle.”
Follow Deanna Regalado in Instagram at: @DeannaOnAir and on TikTok at @DeannaRadio.
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