What was the resounding theme at this year’s Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference in New York City?
Being true to yourself.
Each year, students from broadcast programs of all sizes come together for two days’ worth of sessions and networking opportunities. This year marks the 86th time the event has been held.
This marks my third trip to the conference. I’ve been part of Villanova University’s 89.1 WXVU(FM), first as a student and now as an advisor to the station and its WXV&U Health department.
The conference created a fascinating juxtaposition between today’s industry professionals and the students who will shape its future.
“Someone in this room is going to be my boss in 10 years,” first-day keynote speaker Paul “Cubby” Bryant, morning co-host for 106.7 WLTW(FM) in New York, told the audience.
The general spirit of the attendees was uplifting — classmates cheered when their peers identified their school before asking a question, for example, which created a positive atmosphere in the conference rooms.
“You are so far ahead of where I was in college by being here,” Budd Mishkin, anchor for 1010 WINS(AM), said in the “All News, All the Time” session.
IBS has sessions and awards that pertain to video but its bread and butter is radio. Several of the speakers reflected on the medium’s importance.
“You’ve been given a press pass to tell a story to an audience,” Mishkin explained. “It’s both a responsibility and a blessing.”
“Cubby” reflects on his career
Bryant recalled the moment he fell in love with radio in 1984. The 13-year-old was Caller 10 to win an album in a contest on a Hampton Roads, Va., radio station. “The jock played my voice back on the radio and I’ve been hooked ever since,” he said.
As an intern, he recalled the program director at 97.3 WGH(FM) in Newport News — then a top 40 station — noting his curiosity. “You’re asking the same questions I used to ask,” Bryant recalled him saying.
Bryant has now been on the air in the New York market for almost 30 years. Mornings at WLTW, he’s playing some of the same music he featured during WHTZ’s renaissance, when he helped turn the station forward in the late 1990s.
“I’m blessed and lucky. I’ve been able to grow together with the same music and same audience,” he said.
What’s the secret of good morning drive radio?
More than news or trivia or celebrity buzz, people just want to hear about your life.
“Being that friend, that’s why radio will never die,” Bryant said.
Not turning a blind eye
The realities of the industry today were not ignored by presenters.
“Yesterday was a really tough day for our industry,” Anita Bonita said, referring to reported layoffs at Audacy.
A student asked Bryant at what point did radio overcome its biggest challenge in the history of the medium.
“It’s probably never been more threatened than it is now,” Bryant said.
But he was resolute. “Radio is not dying. We’re figuring it out and adjusting.”
Panelists also addressed the challenges women face in breaking into the broadcast industry during the “Women in Media” session.
“It sometimes feels like a boys club,” Michelle Jerson, host of Passport Mommy, said of the radio industry. “But that’s where you need to carve out your own voice.”
Amy Lawrence, host on CBS Sports Radio, remarked that there are a greater number of women in sports media than when she started in the business. “But most are in TV,” she said.
Jerson, after several on-air roles at stations in New York and New Jersey, has found her niche with several audio production endeavors.
Shelley Rome, host at Z-100, agreed with the importance of being yourself.
“I love that we’re in a generation where women want to hear from other women about their lives,” she said.
Creating your voice
There are so many choices for audio entertainment. How can someone new in the business distinguish themselves?
It is all in the art of delivery, according to author and consultant Valerie Geller. “We can get the news anywhere but it’s the stories that are the gift you give your audience.”
Bonita encouraged attendees to model themselves after noted New York radio anchors.
“Find YouTube audio of Wayne Cabot and Paul Murnane,” she said of her counterparts on the former 880 WCBS(AM). “They perfectly bridged being concise versus telling a story.”
Geller recalled an anecdote she heard about a listener to the late U.K. broadcaster, Terry Wogan. “I don’t want to take a vacation because I can’t be without you,” Geller said. “That’s the level where we should all strive.”
But it kept coming back to staying true to yourself.
“Be who you are,” Bonita said. “Do what makes you happy.”
Establishing trust
What are some other core tenets?
The news reporting session fielded questions from students regarding building relationships with your sources.
Bonita shared a story about Frank Viola, the former New York Mets pitcher, confiding in her before a game about an injury he was dealing with.
The scoop could be dangerous, not only because Bonita wasn’t sure if he had told anyone else but the other team could have used it as an advantage. She could have lost future access to the Mets as a result.
“You need to use your judgment,” Bonita explained.
Geller agreed. “When in doubt, leave it out,” she said.
In the end, building those relationships, both with sources and listeners, comes down to basic humanity.
“Always treat people with respect and empathy,” Jennifer Pulsone, iHeartMedia’s northeast regional news director, said. “You never know which side of the table you’ll end up on.”
Being together
The sessions are a big part of the IBS conference but as attendees will tell you, a group of students, advisors and staff coming together for the common bond of radio makes it even more special.
We had a great Friday night in the city, enjoying dinner and taking in the views at the top of Rockefeller Center.
Radio has its challenges, for sure. But I remember cries about 20 years ago that the medium was quickly approaching its demise.
The people I just spent a weekend with would beg to differ.
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