Happy NATIONAL RADIO DAY! Woo Hoo! I’ll just bet you are all sending out cards, baking cakes and planning the party duds you’ll be sporting as you hang out with all the cool people long into the night… right?
Well, since most people don’t even KNOW that that August 20th is National Radio Day, there’s probably none of this going on, anywhere. For those of us who DO know that this day exists, we stand proud and loud in our appreciation for this remarkable medium.
I have been an FCC license carrying, broadcaster since 1985. That was when I completed my trade school courses, graduated and hung my headphones on a peg at an AM/FM radio station in the woods of Cadillac, Michigan. It was an amazing time. Even though I had worked as a producer for a popular major market, radio station, talk show host and had been working my way through school doing traffic reports for stations all over Michigan and Ohio on summer holiday weekends, nothing could equal the thrill of that very first radio job. I was THAT connection between the information and those seeking information. Gee whiz, what a position for someone who had always been on the receiving end. Finally, I was understanding how it all worked and had the honor of being a part of the process.
Of course I began my connection to radio by listening to the unit in our house that had the glowing tubes in the back, that would cast an orange light through the dial face in the front. I could escape into the music, the conversations and become aware that there were worlds out there that held magical energy. Never, in a million years, did I ever imagine I would be on the other side of that magic but when it happened, it simply deepened my respect and admiration for those who created it, grew it and continue to breathe the life into radio.
These days, I am an internet radio talk show host on a network I run right from my computer. This has become my way of staying in the industry, and allows me to have fun, just like I did when I was a child. The meme I created for this post is the picture I use for the logo for my network. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/perspectivepower is the direct link that you can use to find the programs I have created. You too, can use the same tool (meaning Blog Talk Radio) to become a radio show host with a just few clicks of your computer allowing you to bring your message to the world. Try it, you might really enjoy the experience and be sure to let me know so I can check you out.
So, back to the day at hand… It matters not how YOU appreciate radio. You may have one in every room (put your hand down, Annette). You might only enjoy radio when you are in your vehicle, traveling from place to place. Regardless, this is the day to remember that this amazing medium of communication brings us the voices and words of heads of state, gives us the music to dream with, allows us to cheer on sports teams as they rally to victory and offers up the options of a myriad of topics via what we call “talk radio”. This is a fantastic world and RADIO is and has been, since the 19th century, a part of it. Yup, this is National Radio Day! Reach out to a jock, send a tweet, tune in, turn it up loud and proud or simply feel it in your heart…
Annette Rochelle Aben 