Dick Taylor, CRMC/CDMC
Winchester, Virginia
Bio: I’ve been a “Radio Guy” all of my life. My earliest memories were of building a radio station out of tinker toys and pretending I was a disc jockey. Later I would build a radio station in the basement of my parent’s home and using AM & FM transmitters I bought at Radio Shack I would begin broadcasting to my neighborhood for about a three block radius. I began in commercial radio in the 10th grade in high school. A local radio station in my hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts decided to start a Junior Achievement company in radio. This was a really new concept in Junior Achievement as all JA companies at that time were production oriented and a radio station would be a service oriented JA company. I was a member of that first Junior Achievement radio company (WJAC) and it quickly led to a part-time job with that radio station (WBEC). Radio would pay for my college education and graduate degrees, both of which were in education. I loved college and could have very easily become a career student. When I graduated with my Masters Degree, there were no jobs in education to apply my earned degrees but there were radio jobs and I went into the radio business full-time as a program director, operations manager and air personality. Deciding what I’d really like to be is a radio station general manager, I knew that I would need to earn my chops in sales and so I quit my job on the product side of the business and started over at the bottom of the sales ladder as an account executive. I quickly rose to sales manager, station manager and general manager. For 27 years, I operated at the market manager level of the radio industry. I’m a Life Member of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association and Radio Ink Magazine has named me one of radio’s best managers. Former professor of broadcasting at the School of Journalism & Broadcasting at Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I have a successful track record in sales and people development, growing top line revenues, achieving leading audience ratings, reducing expenses and meeting bottom line goals. I’m a recognized expert in radio and media regulations. I’m a turnaround specialist. I'm the founding director of the KBA WKU Radio Talent Institute coordinating a professional faculty of broadcasters who teach broadcast students who qualify and are accepted to attend a ten-day intensive program that trains tomorrow’s broadcasters in all aspects of radio station operations. My specialties include: dynamic public speaker/presenter and sales trainer. I currently teach classes in the Process & Effects of Mediated Communications, Broadcast/Internet Sales, Broadcast Performance/Production, Broadcast Management and the History of Broadcasting in America. I hold a BA in Physics/Education, an MS in Educational Communications, the Diamond CRMC (Certified Radio Marketing Consultant) and the CDMC (Certified Digital Marketing Consultant) from the Radio Advertising Bureau. I’m a graduate of Roy H. Williams Wizard Academy and Gitomer Sales Training. Note: The picture on my blog is when I was invited to do a guest disc jockey appearance on The Legend - 650AM - WSM in Nasvhille, Tennessee (July 2014). For this "Radio Guy" doing a four-hour air shift on this legendary clear channel signal radio station was a dream come true.
DickTaylorBlog 
Many thanks — I’ve shared with my dad and the entire Minow family. Nell Minow
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Dick…. Thank you for the informative…thought provoking and entertaining blogs.I spent 50 years in radio…20 years managing in Los Angeles…New York and San Diego. When I retired (sort of) I began working as an independent contractor for various companies. One of them is a company that writes customized books for businesses to use in their marketing. I began talking with various radio stations and newspapers about the concept of creating a group of “Expert” of clients who were experts in their field. They would agree to advertise and be part of a team of experts. The station would then give them a custom book written in their own words…they would promote “The Experts” on air and on their website. They could even create Podcasts dealing with their area of expertise. The client grows their business with radio…the station creates a new revenue stream from nontraditional advertisers and the listeners get “Expert” service. You would think I was from Mars from the reaction I got. An idea so out of the box that people couldn’t wrap their arms around it. A large company like Cumulus could add $60,000,000 in new billing across the country. The fate of radio will depend on people willing to embrace radical new ideas and I don’t think those leading are able to be that open minded. Thank you for your time.
Have a great day!
Dave Armstrong
Paperback Expert
bigideas.2020@gmail.com
714-345-0306
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Thank you for reading the blog Dave.
I think you have a fabulous idea and it’s a shame no one embraced it.
Dick
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A colleague of mine in the radio business sent me your blog about The End of Mass Media. I couldn’t agree with you more. The station that I own in Woodstock NY just became the first commercial FM station to be advertising AND listeners supported! Google Radio Woodstock….Listener Supported for more info!
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I just read about what you’re doing Gary. Very much along the lines of what Bob Bittner has been doing in Boston at WJIB and in Maine at WJTO. I think this is the future. -DT
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I would like to get your blog. Can you please send to davevagle@gmail.com
Thanks
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Dave, the way you get my blog via email is by subscribing on the home page of the blog. At the bottom right-hand corner is a “FOLLOW” button. Click on it and you will find a place to enter your email address to begin receiving each week’s article.
Thanks for asking. -DT
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Pingback: Can You Do This? – Erickson Media
Thank You Doug for this excellent article. -DT
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Dick,
You old radio guys have such great stories. You should start a podcast. I’d love to help.
Dave Jackson
2018 Hall of Fame Inductee
Podcast Consultant, Speaker, Author
http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com
Follow me on Apple or Android text ” sop ” to 31996
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Dick….your article about AM radio was a joy to read and more importantly, to see you’re still out there. I, too, worked at WBEC as morning host from 1985 – 1991 then ND at WUPE-FM until they were bought by Vox…who also bought WBEC. We moved back to Jason Street where I got my old parking space back. I retired in 2014 but continue a syndicated series of shows called Nothing But Old 45s. AM stations were the first to pick up the shows then FM’s and now internet stations. I still listen to AM radio but the noise floor on AM is just horrible. Even the once powerful signal of (then) WUHN-AM 1110 5KW daytime signal is down to nothing. In fact, I’ve heard from a friend at Townsquare Media, that they are shutting it OFF. Too expensive to operate and the ???? is…who is listening??? AM radio in the Berkshires is in sad shape. WBEC runs only 800 watts now because the gear at the towers is too expensive to repair. 1110AM is going away. WBRK-AM is on the air but now their AM stick is loaded with cell equipment which reduces the signal. More $$$ in cell tower rental. WNAW-AM now has an FM translator and has moved their studios to Jason Street. Yes…the old AM stick stands where it has for decades but that’s it. Automated except for morning drive. The only AM station in the Berkshires doing anything is WSBS in Great Barrington. They sound fantastic but except for morning drive…automated. Hats off to former WUPE PD Dave Isby who is GM of WSBS. That station is making money somehow and the community loves it. Yes…they have an FM translator.
Dick…good to see your article. Thank You for believing in radio as I do. Larry Kratka
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Thank You Larry. I didn’t know all the back story about AM radio in my hometown.
My older brother still lives there, but all of his car audio listening is via SiriusXM. He’s been a subscriber to that service for decades now. Never turns on the local radio stations.
I will be following your show today on WMEX-FM starting at noon. I’ve been a part of this station for a decade now.
Thank You for all you wrote.
-DT
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