Jockeying for airtime
Ohio University graduates visit 100 morning shows in 100 days, hoping to land jobs on the radio
MATT GALLAGHER
Messenger staff writer
With dreams of making it big in the world of morning radio, two disc jockeys decided to find out what goes on behind the scenes at radio programs across the country. Will Harvey and Mitch Baldwin, formerly DJs at WXTQ in Athens, launched Project Radio 100, visiting 100 morning radio shows in 100 days.
Harvey and Baldwin teamed up together as DJs at WXTQ while earning their degrees at Ohio University. Graduation came, and the two left the area to pursue internships. Then they hit the job market to seek work as morning DJs, sending out demos to every radio station they could name. They always got the same response. Station owners thought they were too young and too inexperienced to run their own morning show.
The two were left with the question: what makes a good morning radio show? They decided to look for the answer behind the scenes and take a tour of America's morning radio. Through Project Radio 100, they made it their mission to visit 100 radio stations in 100 days. They achieved that goal, visiting radio stations in 55 cities, starting in April and finishing last Thursday. They made it on to such prominent shows as the Bob and Tom Show in Indianapolis, the Rick Dees Show in Los Angeles and the Bob and Sheri Show in North Carolina.
Sometimes they made it on the air, but other times they stayed in the background and asked questions. But they always pushed the envelope. They recorded interviews, morning blips and behind-the-scenes banter, documenting every day and putting it online. Their entire trip can be experienced at
www.project100radio.com.
At first they found it hard to be taken seriously. One radio station in Columbus kicked them out of their offices. But rather than be intimidated by the know-it-alls in the industry, they figured they had something to learn and stuck to their guns.
"It was pure drive," said Baldwin, back in Athens. "We knew this could open up a lot of doors, a lot of ideas and a lot of experience, so we kept at it."
They made it on a show in Cleveland, which convinced more morning shows to let them on their sets. Baldwin would arrange the booking, scheduling visits a week to a week-and-a-half ahead of time. They were invited into the studios, even invited to sit on the air sometimes. They also learned plenty of behind-the-scenes info and how each show was put together. Their goal was to find out what makes the best morning show, and they got a pretty good idea.
"Interacting with your audience is key," Baldwin said. "The shows that highlight the audience do better and have a lot more fun than the shows that just make fun of themselves. It was a huge learning experience. We got to learn from the people on the inside, the people in this industry who are great."
It wasn't strictly business. The two also visited a winery in Oklahoma, toured a Mexican grocery store and visited the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. They even took the Scientology test, and failed.
"We decided our personalities were not compatible with Scientology," Baldwin said. "We just weren't a good match."
With the advent of the Internet, local radio is having a tough time in the media industry, Baldwin reported. Ironically, the very youth that kept Baldwin and Harvey off many station's airwaves could be their best asset, Baldwin suggested.
"The radio industry is in serious trouble," Baldwin said. "They are not connecting with young people anymore. People think that radio is dead, but it's really not. It's here to stay and it's alive, as long as you can come up with new ways to enliven it. We can give it a fresh look. We can connect with the younger generation."
The two have gotten a chance to share their ideas by a special invitation to Conclave, a national radio DJ conference held in June in Minneapolis. They will also attend the Morning Show Bootcamp, another DJ conference being held this Thursday in Chicago, and talk about their experience.
Now they've returned home with a head full of ideas. Harvey is in Chicago, while Baldwin is Athens. They are both looking for radio jobs across the country, using their Web site as a career asset.
Although radio is changing, it still has spontaneity, Baldwin said.
"It's one of the last forms of media where you can really express yourself," Baldwin said. "TV can be fun, but I like the improv of radio. You never know what is going to happen."
And I should know. My liver and I are proud graduates of 
