Spotlight on the Radio Guys
Most sites don’t have one radio show. We are blessed to have
TWO. Not just two shows but two well-done, well-put-together
professionally done and here at SJ. You don’t have to listen
to the shows in live time. You can listen to them anytime you
have the time. Listen to our hosts along with Robert,
Serrated, Reg, Brian, TJ, Larry, Reverly and on and on.
You will also see this wasn’t by chance both have extensive backgrounds that they bring to the table.
Why the Spotlight?
It’s your chance to see what BOTH are about, and hopefully follow both from here on out. Because these shows are part of SJ’s future,
and what sets us apart from other sites.
So here we go…..our OWN radio DEEJAYS
How long have you been doing radio?
Mark: I had a career this long (hold your thumb and forefinger close together … no, closer … OK, almost there….) in radio in the early 80s at a formatted station where all I did was play programmed music and occasionally had my voice on-air doing a weather “bump”. My more germane experience for SJ Radio came from my college years helping buddies in broadcast classes produce TV and from a public access show I did in Lincoln, NE in the 90s (which is still talked about in certain circles from what I hear…. Of course, I’m usually at the center of those circles. 
)
Doyle:I officially began my radio career, if you can call what I do a “career” (HA!!!), back in 1998.
How did you first get into it?
Mark:I love TV and radio. (Did I mention my 5 TVs in my mancave yet?) I’ve always been curious about how it worked. So I come to it from a technical question-asking background. Often I found that being in front of the camera/microphone was the least desired position so I took that just to learn because that side never scared me. It’s fun; I highly recommend it. But don’t take yourself too seriously……….
Doyle: As many members know, I’m a musician. Well, I was also once an actor too. Acting led me to doing voice work for industrial training films, commercials, and the like back in the late 1980s – early 1990s. Well, I made a few connections, one thing led to another, and the next thing you know….I began making commercials for radio stations. Once there, I blinked twice, ate lunch, and the next thing you know…..I’m on the air playing country music. And it grew from there….
What goes into preparing for a weekly Show?
Mark: Mostly, waking up on Wednesday and loads of gin…. I kid. I don’t need to be awake.
The first thing that needs to be done is the show must be loaded at our host site, blogtalkradio, before we can publicize it here. And I want to make sure I recognize SJ’s dynamic marketing machine does in getting the word out. They all do a fantastic job and the show would not succeed without them.
Ultimately, the biggest issue is to decide what stories to cover. During the football season, we talk NFL and NCAA. I still like to keep the show topical on other sports and do so generally through the “Whiparound” segment.
If there will be planned guests on the show, their schedule must be coordinated to meet with the needs of the show. This may mean recording the segment prior to the show.
Finally, on the day of the show, I make sure to publish our show rundown so that everyone who will be taking part can see the basic outline.
Doyle: There’s a whole lot more to it than most realize. For every hour long show, I do…on average….roughly 8 hours prep during the week. Taking game notes, re-watching the game to gain greater detail, pouring over all of the stats…and that’s not just stats on the Cowboys but on their opponent and their upcoming opponent as well. Then, you have to compile and organize everything, get the show scheduled with BTR, line up any guest we may have for that week….that sort of thing. It takes a lot of work to sound that unprofessional on the air every week!
Did you in your wildest dreams ever think the chat room would be such a hot spot for those maybe not comfortable calling?
Mark: Actually, yeah. Once Doyle and I opened it for CP Radio, it immediately became obvious that the chatroom was going to be hot property. Funny we haven’t seen you in there, Deb, the way you phrased that question and all……….. Just sayin’.
Doyle: Not at all! I honestly thought that our forum family would want to call in and talk instead. But when you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. So, instead of verbally talking sports, they chat with us about sports, verbally abuse each other constantly, verbally abuse us…..and it’s GREAT! I love it! The guys in the chat room crack me up! And these days, rarely does a show go by where I don’t read something in the chat, and I just start laughing on air. I can’t help it! Those guys are hilarious! Oh….and this is probably the most important thing….on-air, the show is PG. The chat room…..well, not so much! Sometimes, it is definitely R rated in there! But it’s a funny R, not a raunchy R.
And speaking of calling, just how easy it really?
We tell people to call, but how and what does it involve?
Mark: Well, everyone should know that it is a long-distance call. However, I will put anyone – and I mean anyone, (TJ, Reg) – on the air. You call in and we see your phone number in the call queue. Then we simply press the button to put you on-air. Then it’s just like talking on a conference call or with a couple friends….
Doyle: Well, with the service we use (Blog Talk Radio) the caller does take on long distance charges, but then again….so do all of us that do the show every week. Oh, and if you have SKYPE, or any VoIP phone service, it’s free!!
But really, it’s just like calling your Mom or your best friend. You pick up the phone, dial the number, and listen to the lovely voice of “The British Lady” (as we call her) tell you to push a button if you want to talk to us. And as soon as we see your call in the cue…..you are on the air. It’s that easy!
You guys both make it look a lot easier than it is….what short term and long term goals do each of you have for your respective shows?
Mark: That’s kind of you to say, but it really is easy. All I do is call in and talk football with a friend or six.
As for goals, it’s really up to what SJ members want the show to be. Right now I’m operating in a comfort zone largely because the membership lets me be there. I’d like to see the show expand in some directions – maybe taking on different directions in sports or even into other entertainment areas – but it will likely always be football-centric. I’d also love to see more guests on the show.
I’d love to hear from the members about what they want us to talk about on the show.
Unfortunately this is an avocation and my real-world job must take precedence, though. The last 9 months or so has meant less time for SJ Radio in my life.
Doyle: My goals for the show are the same, both long term and short term. To do the best show we possibly can each and every week, and to make the show more appealing to our listeners and forum members.
Paramount to that is to play whatever part we can in helping to promote Sportsjabber and the fantastic forum we have here!
Honestly, the one thing I’d like to achieve is to get even more members to not only listen, but to become an active part of the show. We mentioned the chat room earlier…..folks, I’ve got to tell you….that chat room is GREAT fun! You really should make time and check out either show (or both!) and play around in the chat room while you listen. You’ll get hooked!
Just for this week only we are doing a joint venture SJ/CP Holiday Radio show. What can we expect?
Mark: Did I mention the phrase football-centric? *L* Seriously, we’re going to talk about the NFL, NCAA and then get into some of the stuff surrounding the holiday. I plan to give what is essentially a rundown of what I do on Thanksgiving. Not necessarily riveting radio, but I think you’ll still find it somewhat interesting.
Doyle: You can probably expect radio chaos as a couple of 40 something sports goofs verbally assault their 20 something co-host, and each other. GREAT FUN!
Seriously, we’ll be talking NFL and NCAA football a great deal. We’ll preview the holiday games, review this past week in the NFL, and what ever else strikes our fragile, slightly deranged, radio minds to discuss. My prediction? Fun…..
Are you excited to be working together again one more time?
Mark: I love working with Doyle. When you get right down to it, I’m more or less a walking punchline with a little bit of sports knowledge. Doyle has a statistician’s mind for sports and can really help set me up for a joke at the same time. We somehow really seem to know each other.
We only did CP Radio together maybe 10 times, but he has a keen sense of timing and we really click together. Not to sell our current partners short at all (because Larry and Ben are FANTASTIC!), but Doyle and I had a chemistry on air that, in my “humble” opinion, was somewhat akin to Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman in the old days. You can’t fake that stuff; it’s either there or it isn’t. With Doyle and me, it’s there.
Doyle: One more time? That makes it sound like this is IT…we’ll never work together again!! HA!!!
I really love working with Mark! We developed a certain chemistry doing the old “Cowboys Pride Radio”, and we do share a certain “sports sensibility”. I always enjoy working with Mark so, yeah….I’m excited! This WILL be fun!!
Mark: 3 sentences that describe Doyle
Mark: Doyle has always been the voice of Cowboys Pride Radio, even when I was hosting. He is the soul of that program and an excellent broadcaster. I’m proud to call him a friend.
Doyle:3 sentences that describe Mark
Doyle: Mark is a talented radio host.He’s an intelligent, sincere, and caring man.He’s my friend. What more can I say? I love the guy!
Okay guys……………………each give a quick pitch LOL in a few sentences…..
Mark: Both Doyle and I make our shows in such a manner that listening live is not paramount; the information is pertinent days after we record it. If you haven’t listened to either show, you should. We all spend plenty of time on the internet and we all have an hour to let the sound play in the background while we do so. Fire up one of the shows while you’re surfing SJ; I guarantee you’ll either learn something about SJ, have a laugh or hear a perspective you haven’t before. And it’ll probably be all three.
SJ Radio. Every Wednesday at 9:00pm CST. This is your show; join in at (347) 884-9289.
Doyle: Join Mark, Doyle, and Ben as they share the Thanksgiving holiday with you! We’ll be talking both NCAA and NFL football, “yucking it up” with the guys in the chat room, and doing our small part to kick off the holiday season in our own “Sportsjabber-y” way! The holiday’s can be very stressful, so kick back, relax, and have a great time talking sports with us LIVE in an extended 90 minute special! You will NOT want to miss it! GO JABBER HEADS! And when you are done join CP radio on it’s regular day,
Thursdays 9:30 pm CST
SJ RADIO LINK
Cowboys Pride Radio Link
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Categories: Radio
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