Spotlight Conversations

Are you a voice talent? A podcaster? Both? Join me in the studio as I talk with Canadian voice talent Matt Cundill, owner of The Sound Off Podcast, a successful podcast about broadcast. We talk about social media, talent agents and industry leaders...but we don't stop there - we also discuss the changing world broadcasting, his personal start as a voice talent (and his early mentors like voic...

This week, it's all about the business of radio with legendary broadcast executive Phil Zachary, Market President of Saga Communications in Portland, Maine. From his early days as a DJ at college radio station WAAF in Boston (a station he later managed for Entercom), to programming gigs across the country including Voyager Communications' WRDU and Curtis Media's WQDR in Raleigh, Phi...

Today I'm in the studio with singer/songwriter Thad Cockrell and his amazing story of how one song, heard at one moment in time - in a hardware store no less - by The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, brought Thad's song "Swingin'" to the number one spot on iTunes, and introduced millions of new fans to his  CD ''If In Case You Feel The Same". A North Carolina...

It’s life in Hollywood as I visit the vivacious team of Drake & Gelder - actually entertainment journalist Grae Drake and actor Steve Gelder - talking about all things showbiz and working together in the entertainment industry. Both discuss what brought them to Los Angeles: Steve and his stand up comedy, acting ( Mixed Nuts; The Interview ); and filmmaking; and Grae working as a movie reviewer...

Today I'm in sunny Galveston, Texas talking about baseball, voiceovers and radio with legendary Bob Ford - the voice of the Houston Astros! From his early days as the teenage announcer at Pony Colt Stadium and Sea-Arama Marineworld; to those first radio DJ days in Houston; how he got his start into the promo voice world with advice from then co-worker (and now ESPN sports journalist) Hannah S...

This week I'm in Dallas visiting with New Country 96.3 radio personality Al Farb - and we talk about all things family, radio and country music! As grandson of  bigger than life Houston real estate developer Harold Farb, Al fondly recalls a home life  filled with not only music, but how his grandfather's sense of show biz inspired Al to follow a career in broadcasting. Currently  a morni...

Hanging out with television spokesperson and legendary WRDU 106 rock radio legend Bob Robinson this week. Bob talks about how he used those oh so famous words of "radio transferable skills" to become a brand spokesperson for television commercials  - and creating his own video company Blade Brilliant . With a unique perspective about art and life, he discusses the challenges of working f...

Remember record stores? Spending days on end crate digging for your fave vinyl album? Listening to a special in-store concert - with a limited edition vinyl release party afterwords?  Meet Michael Kurtz, co-founder behind Record Store Day , an annual event of independent record store owners who celebrate this unique culture of music listening worldwide. The Billboard Magazine's Executive of t...

Launching Season 3 of Spotlight Conversations is Billboard (and Radio and Records) music journalist Sean Ross, who has covered all genres of music and radio formats in the broadcast industry. The current VP of music and programming at Edison Research talks about his weekly online newsletter on Radio Insight called " Ross on Radio " (and discusses a topic called the "Lost Factor&quot...

With the hospitality business struggling because of COVID19 - and restaurants closing across the country, today's episode talks about generosity, a world renowned chef and helping others. In the studio with me this week is CultureMap Houston Food Editor Eric Sandler. He gives the inside story about celebrity chef David Chang winning the $1 million prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire , and...

This week my guest is the always entertaining Doug Harris, CEO of Noisemaker Communications in Houston. A master of promotion, branding and marketing worldwide, Doug talks about growing up in the Lone Star State, his love of performing from an early age (including - true story - beating out another Houston legend, childhood friend Dennis Quaid in a talent contest); creating legendary events as Pro...

Versatile composer Joe Wehunt talks about creating and writing the theme music for the Carolina Panthers;  writing music for televised sports, football stadiums and the truth behind sonic branding. He also describes film scoring, music for commercials and political ads; plus how his inspiring new jazzy holiday CD ' Guitar for Christmas ' began in his studio during the pandemic back in Ma...

Today I'm talking with author Holly George Warren, about a rock and roll story that lives on in her book called 'Janis: Her Life and Music'. From Holly's home in upstate New York, the North Carolina native talks about growing up in Asheboro, listening to rock music during the early days of radio, her love of history; writing for Rolling Stone magazine and her many books about m...

We're in Tulsa today with country music radio personality and Houston native Jenny Law, who talks all about radio, community, family and  music; her 'I'm packing it all in and moving to Los Angeles' story; her eventual return to radio; her love of the Astros and the Dodgers (yes, you can love both teams - she has the stats); plus what it's really like to be on a tour bus w...

Today I'm in the studio with actor and television journalist Jake Reiner - and we talk about his beloved grandfather, Carl Reiner;  Dodgers baseball, his move to Los Angeles from Houston to pursue his acting career;  his ongoing web series called 'Beyond Hope' and his new  baseball podcast 'Meeting on the Mound'. Jake discusses covering Hurricane Harvey while at KPRC TV in...

I'm calling it a 'retrospective resurgence' this week with Nashville's Emmy winning video editor Steve Boyle. He stops by the studio to talk about the legendary musicians from one of his earliest video making venues - Raleigh, NC.  Steve, who makes a living making very cool videos for rock stars, sits down and talks up everything from new music from Raleigh music makers Jack Co...

Today I'm in the studio talking with Gloria Zenteno, founder and president of Barrio Dogs in Houston, an animal welfare group whose goal is to not only help stray and neglected animals in the city, but also offer resources to help the people who care for them. Stressing the importance of education and community, Gloria talks about the many ways her group reaches out to the communities in the...

Guess I can say this television reporter has just about seen it all!  I'm in the studio with NBC News Channel reporter and producer Mark Barger, who is celebrating his 30 years covering news. I mean, he's got stories! He talks about covering some of the biggest stories in television news and entertainment since starting his career with the network in Charlotte, NC; his early beginnings o...

This week I'm with the very entertaining Emmy nominated actress and North Carolina native Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue/Sylvia Sipowitz; Grey's Anatomy; Desperate Housewives) as we talk about her growing up in Raleigh with her parents (her dad, Tom Lawrence, was a television reporter for then CBS affiliate WRAL TV5) to her years working in New York on Broadway, to her successful career in H...

Kicking off Season Two of Spotlight Conversations is producer, radio host, podcaster and morning show guru Jim Beazy - also known around Houston, TX as 'Jimbo' of the Madd Hatta Morning Show on KBXX 97.9 The Box. The multi talented master of parodies sits down in the studio and talks about making the successful transition to the world of podcasting, including his new podcast creation &ap...

This week, it's all about branding, marketing, radio, podcasting, health and wellness, all wrapped up in a tidy bundle with my guest Jay Nachlis. He talks of how his radio days as a program director led to his current work as the Marketing Director with media research firm 'Coleman Insights' in North Carolina; how he works in a side hustle as a voice talent; what's with his boo...

This week, Lone Star 92.5 Dallas radio veteran Ted Mckay (also known as The Rock Professor), joins me in the studio to talk about his new show 'Throwback Thursday' on Radio Free Raleigh; his love of classic rock and rock trivia, plus a few backstage stories. Direct and humble, he also discusses the radio industry, the new internet radio boom and his charity work in Dallas with 'Paws...

Today we're in the studio with Brandon Baca, CEO of the Houston based charity 'Attack Poverty'. Brandon talks of how his unique team and the local communities work together to help others; by building strategies for the community and with the community; and by working with area partners and foundations to find solutions to poverty. The global organization led by Brandon and his Disa...

Houston rock radio legend Dayna Steele talks about her inspiring book 'Surviving Alzheimer's With Friends, Facebook and a Really Big Glass of WIne'. The Texas Radio Hall of Famer and former Rock 101 KLOL alum talks openly and candidly about her mothers' Alzheimer's diagnosis. Chronicling two years of caring for her mom in the book (pulled from posts and comments on Faceboo...

Today I'm in the studio talking with character voice talent, producer, puppeteer and North Carolina radio legend Rowell Gorman. He talks about scoring a recent cool gig as the 'off voice of Colonel Sanders' for KFC's Alexa app; his early days in radio as the sidekick character 'Zoot' with Bob Inskeep at radio station WRAL; working as a puppeteer with actors behind the...