THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407070212
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Harper
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
``What's with radio?''
It is a question that this writer/broadcaster of two decades is invariably asked at any gathering of 30- and 40-somethings and the conversation turns to music. Most people are intrigued with radio. Radio's mysterious mixture of science and show business interests listeners. Other questions frequently asked: ``What makes a good disc jockey? Why are the same songs playing all the time? How does a radio station make money? Why are there so many radio stations?''
I know what my answers are, but I decided to get a second opinion from a friend and broadcaster I respect, Tom Charity, WRSF, Dixie 105's morning man. Randy Gill, program director of Dixie, also joins the conversation.
Q. How long have you guys been in broadcasting?
Tom: About 20 years. I've been on The Outer Banks since l986. I started at WVOD, and I have worked at a number of stations, some more than once.
Randy: About 15 years. I've here at WRSF since 1987.
Q. Tom, you do the morning show; what does it take to be a good morning man?
TC: Dedication. My day starts at 4 a.m. I get to the station at 5:30 to get on at 6. I spend my time reading the newspaper and basically getting awake.
Q. Let's talk about radio in general. Radio has a lot of challengers these days: MTV, VH1, Cable Radio. What is radio doing to meet the challenge?
TC: Radio is really hurting itself. The market is saturated. Most radio station owners look at the bottom line. They don't have a clue how to produce good radio.
Q. Is this where satellite programming comes in?
TC: Yeah, the local station pipes in a signal from Dallas or Denver. The announcers don't know the area, people or music.
RG: It's also not live. That hurts. This is where radio does it best, being able to broadcast something live.
Q. I worked for a station owner who said all announcers sound the same.
TC: Some of them do. The real personalities are renaissance people. They know a little something about everything.
Q. We all grew up in a time of real radio personalities. Most of the announcers today are trained to say, ``We play the best hits'' or some other generic line.
TC: It's sad. Radio should be interactive - listener and announcer in synch.
Q. Dixie l05 is a country station. Country is the hot format right now; any thoughts on that?
RG: It's the variety. Country artists record songs that are bluesy, funky, doo-wop; it's not the same old thing. It's America's music. Pop music is mostly oldies, and people want to hear something new.
TC: It's just like what the Beatles did. The Beatles came on with happy music with a beat and a melody. Country is like that now. Country music has lyrics that matter.
Q. What do you see for radio in the l990s?
RG: Like any other business, the strong will survive. Radio must be local and creative.
TC: Every station must find an audience and be true to it. With this many radio stations, the pie can only be sliced so many times.
Q. Randy, tell me something a listener would find interesting about Tom Charity.
RG: Well, he starts his day with a cup of coffee. He never adds more coffee to the cup, just more hot water. By 10 a.m., the water is slightly brown.
TC: Randy is a good program director. He'll let you hang yourself with a bit, but he'll give you freedom.
Q. Thanks, guys.
Check out The Morning Mayor, Tom Charity, weekday mornings from 6-10 on WRSF, Dixie l05.7. Randy Gill is on the air from 3 to 7 pm in addition to his program director duties. MEMO: John Harper covers music and entertainment for The Carolina Coast. Send
comments and questions to him at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Radio personalities Tom Charity, left, and Randy Gill preside over
the airwaves at WRSF-FM, better known as ``Dixie 105.7.''
by CNB