How Those Notorious Radio Talk Show Hosts Built an Empire Over the Air
Some of the most famous careers in radio are also some of the most compelling. These five bigger-than-life personalities have made a permanent imprint on the airwaves, and they give every aspiring radio broadcaster the confidence and motivation they need to pursue radio broadcasting.
Terry Gross
Listeners of Fresh Air with Terry Gross have come to know her as possibly the best interviewer in radio. Gross is heard by 4.5 million people weekly, and has been working on her craft for over 35 years.
Gross earned her bachelor’s degree in English — and M.Ed. in communications — from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She got her first career in radio in 1973, which was at the public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York. Since 1987, her daily, one-hour national edition of Fresh Air has been produced by WHYY-FM. Gross won a Peabody award in 1993 for her amazing success and efforts.
Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey generates enough content for a daily three-hour show about real issues like personal finance, debt management, credit and banking. Ramsey has 12 million avid listeners. His show syndicates across 575 radio stations and provides entertaining, helpful guidance.
With his 20 years on air five days a week, Ramsey is forthright, calling debt-collectors “scum” and declaring Freedom! over debt.
Delilah
Married four times, divorced three times, and a mother to 10 adopted children, Delilah Rene Luke hosts her late-night eponymous show Delilah for an audience of eight million listeners. Full of warm fuzzies, her show also dispenses sappy love songs and sometimes pointed advice for real-world problems.
Delilah got her start in radio at age 14, gaining syndication in 1996. Delilah has little professional training, having attended community college in Eugene, Oregon, while working at a local radio station. In 2012, she was honored with a GRACIE award.
Howard Stern
No list would be complete without honoring Stern, who is listened to by an astounding 20 million listeners daily. He now reins over two satellite channels at SiriusXM.
Stern graduated Boston University in 1976 and immediately set out for a career in radio, eventually becoming the self-proclaimed “King of All Media.” Stern eventually settled in New York City and pioneered the concept of the “shock jock.”
If you’re eager to make a name for yourself on the airwaves, Media Schools offers a comprehensive radio broadcasting program that can help you accomplish exactly that. Contact Media Schools today to learn more about all a career in radio has to offer.