One of the best CHR morning shows in America is Mojo in the Morning, central to the success of Channel 95.5, Detroit. At the show’s moral center is Mojo, father of three, and devoted husband. Co-host Spike, with his daily Prank Calls and an opinion on everything, Shannon, the hip young female who was born and raised in Detroit and has an infectious laugh, Fletch the audio guy, and Rachel the newly married producer and mom are the rest of this winning group. The show’s plot is “five imperfect people who laugh at life and laugh at themselves”. These guys get pop culture and is one of the most innovative shows you’ve ever heard. Their healthy and deep fan base come back every day out of fear they’ll miss something. That’s why Mojo in the Morning owns everything 18-49 in Detroit! Visit the show here.
Ty Loves New York, 92.3 NOW, New York
It’s the nation’s number one media market, your the brand new CHR in town, and you must sculpt out a fun morning show brand image. How do you do that? By separating yourself from the established morning show choices with youth. Ty Bentli and Lulu and Lala (the twins) are young, hip, dialed in to pop culture, and live the lifestyle of the audience in the greatest city in the world. And the name and strategy of the show communicate this: Ty Loves New York, on 92.3 NOW. Visit them here.
The J Show, B96, Chicago
Legendary CHR B96, Chicago paired two of its popular talent up for a fresh, hip, and fun look at morning radio. The J Show is the morning show that looks like Chicago. Up against a heritage show elsewhere in the market, these guys represent the multiculutral look and feel of the youth of the nation’s third largest market. Visit Show Here
Karlson & McKenzie, WZLX, Boston
On a classic rock station WZLX, Boston for several years, Karlson & McKenzie is the most dysfunctional morning show in town. Dysfunctional by design because that’s the centerpiece of our show plot. Just two regular guys having fun with their lives and whatever’s going on in the market. Highly innovative, their signature feature is one you’ve never heard before: “The 7:15 Senseless Survey”! Visit Show Here
Karson & Kennedy, WBMX, Boston
Boston’s morning show for women! Karson & Kennedy are all about real life and real fun. Between these two lifelong friends, there have been wives, boyfriends, twins, and a camaraderie built that makes these two, along with new co-host Salt, the most authentic morning talent you’ll ever hear. Fresh, Fun, and Real. That’s Karson & Kennedy on MIX 104.1, Boston. Visit Show Here
John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego
This was a dream came true for a morning show in Madison, Wisconsin. John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego’s new morning show are the perfect balance for listeners of this legendary country radio station. Both married with kids, John and Tammy reflect what life is like for today’s parents who share the values of this country audience. Which is why our show plot, “Good Country Fun”, resonates in Arbitron. Find them here.
Dave and Veronica, WQYK, Tampa
What’s “real country and really fun”? Dave and Veronica on WQYK, Tampa. These guys are totally connected to everything that is Tampa-St. Pete and the country world. They know everyone in town, share the values of their country audience, and are completely into pop culture. From these “content buckets” they draw topic and develop ideas to keep listeners laughing and entertained on their way sto work each morning. Visit them here.
The Pablo Show, WPGC, Washington, DC
When legendary WPGC, Washington was looking to update and contemoporize its brand, it went all the way to Hawaii for its next morning show. The Pablo Show, WPGC, Washington, DC is not only about the DMV (the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia if you’re a non-local!) but multiculturalism, making them accessible and fun for anyone. Meet the show here.
Ryno & Jackson, KYGO, Denver
County is America’s most popular music format. With its proliferation, and as the number of syndicated country morning shows has grown, Lincoln Financial Media has smartly gone in the opposite direction. Believing in live and local, here’s the new morning show for legendary KYGO, Denver in Ryno & Jackson. Our show plot is about real country, real life, all done in a really fun way. Meet them and learn about the show here.
Drex and Maney, KISS 95.1, Charlotte
How do you replace a legendary morning show on an established CHR? With Drex, Maney, and Cassidy on KISS 95.1, Charlotte. Both have a southern vibe with a contemporary, youthful feel. Young, married, and fresh is how you do a new morning show in a market with very established successful morning brands. Meet them here.
Cipha Sounds & Rosenberg, Hot 97, NYC
How do you do a morning show in the most culturally diverse city in the country? At New York’s HOT 97, it’s with the most culturally diverse program. Cipha & Rosenberg has one of everything! A Hispanic, a Jew, an African American, a woman, young people, guys in relationships, guys who can’t keep a relationship, people who live in the hip hop world, folks who live in the city, some who don’t. All those attributes are wrapped up in four different people. This funny, street smart show looks like New York. And entertains them every day. Visit Show Here
The Rickey Smiley Morning Show
Seasoned comedian Rickey Smiley is the new voice for a young, urban radio. Syndicated on more than 50 stations across the country, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, with Rickey, Ebony, Special K, Rock T, gossip with Gary with da Tea, and Headkrack offer up loads of music, some very funny Prank Calls, and lots of laughter each morning around the biggest topics of the day. Visit the show here.
Kyle and Rachel, Radio NOW, Indianapolis
Indianapolis deserves a new, fresh morning show. So here comes, Kyle and Rachel on Radio NOW, Indianapolis. With consolidation and syndication, these two are born, raised, and schooled in Indiana, giving them a distinct advantage over the competition. They say a product’s greatest strength becomes its greatest weakness. In a market with some very tenured shows, Kyle and Rachel’s fresh perspective on pop culture and all that happens in their town works. Visit the show here.
Rick Dees, Los Angeles
Even the legends of radio get talent coaching for their show. Heard weekday mornings, Rick Dees on HOT 92.3, Los Angeles still owns the nation’s number two radio market. Rick’s one of those very unique talents who surrounds himself with excellence and asks his confidantes to keep giving him input and great ideas so he can continue to evolve and grow as a morning talent. Find Rick here.
Tony and Kris
Having started in Alabama, then moved to San Diego, the legendary Tony & Kris are mainstays in country morning radio. Syndicated out of Nashville, Tony, the married dad, and Kris, the single guy, are real and real fun each morning. Sharing their lives, reflecting country values, and giving listeners interviews each morning with the format’s biggest stars, it should be no surprise why they win. Visit the show here.
Rob and Joss, Froggy 92.9, Santa Rosa, CA
Who says small market radio can’t be great? Rob and Joss, Froggy 92.9, Santa Rosa, CA is the morning show of record in the market. These two have great tenure, and have done something unusual for a morning show: they’ve married their town. These guys know the pulse of everything and use this as content for great humor and fun each morning with their topics and benchmarks. Meet them here.
Sean Henry, Lite Rock, B103, Rockford, IL
Doing a personality-driven morning show on a lite AC tends to be very tough given how background most adult contemporary radio stations are. Not true for Sean Henry, Lite Rock B103, Rockford, IL, which has made an investment in the growth of its non-music brand depth by offering up real life and fun each morning. The audience is fully vested in the lives of Sean and his on-air cohort, Michelle, each day as they talk about their very relatable lives to bond with the audience and connect them, in a very fun way, to real life and pop culture. It’s the family friendly station so we get much of our fun content from their families. Check them out here.
Stacey K & Jonah, HOT 101.7, Santa Rosa, CA
They say there isn’t a training ground for fresh, new morning shows. They’re wrong. Maverick Media believes in live and local (verses syndicated) which brings us to Stacey K & Jonah, HOT 101.7, Santa Rosa, CA. Despite this being their first outing doing a morning radio show, Stacy and Jonah understand the value of bringing their lives to listeners, strong, entertaining benchmarks, and having fun with all. You can find them here.
“Steve’s contributions to the team are invaluable. I’ve worked with Steve over the last eight years on both heritage and new shows. He customizes a strategy based on the individuals on the show while incorporating a fresh perspective, innovative ideas, and a direct approach that helps the show realize and reach their potential. Steve builds trust and credibility immediately with everyone he works with, allowing the show and the brain-trust to develop a strategy and WIN!”
Kevin Callahan, PD, KSON, San Diego
“Steve Reynolds is part of the strategic team here at B101. He helps us develop a strategic foundation for our morning show based on the hosts. We then better understand who we are, making is easier for everyone to build engaging content around that. He has great credibility with our entire team.”
Chuck Knight, PD, B101, Philadelphia
“Steve is one of the key people in my brain trust….he has played a major role in the development of winning strategies for a number of our major market morning shows. No matter where a morning show is in their life-cycle – from developing shows, to highly established brands, Steve can bring them to the next level. There are only a handful of people whose instincts I trust implicitly, and Steve Reynolds is one of them.”
Dom Theodore, Former VP/CHR Programming for CBS Radio, PD, 923 Now, NYC and 98.7 Amp Radio, Detroit
“Steve Reynolds is the best morning show consultant we’ve worked with, period. Our talent would say the same thing. You’re the best I’ve seen in 30 years in this business.”
Rick Cummings, President, Emmis Radio
“I’ve been working with Steve Reynolds since 2003…I have learned more about morning shows from Steve Reynolds in the past six years, than I’ve learned in my previous 27 years in radio. Nuff said….”
Barry Mayo, Former President, Radio One
“Steve has the most amazing sense of how to frame the critical few essential building blocks of successful morning radio and, just as important, Steve endears himself to your hosts by building trust with them in the process of communicating these insights.”
Jimmy Steal, VP Programming, Emmis Radio, PD, Power 106, Los Angeles
“Steve has been instrumental in making our good morning shows better, and our new morning shows understand what it takes to be successful. Whether it’s established talent that needs some outside ideas or a new show that needs to start on the right foot…Steve Reynolds can help.”
John Dimick, Senior VP Programming & Operations, Lincoln Financial Media
“Steve brings it every week: Real ideas, candid feedback, strategic guidance. He’s helped grow the Gene & Julie show into Dallas-Fort Worth’s top show with adult women. He’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and work with us to create solutions and bring ideas to life.”
Kurt Johnson, VP Programming, Townsquare Media
“Compassionate, yet stern… Arrogant, yet humble…Funny, yet disturbed…He embodies all of the great qualities of a great Morning Guy
because he once was one! Now cut the check and let him make your Morning People great, too!”
Ebro Darden, PD, HOT 97, New York City
“Steve Reynolds brings a fresh perspective to talent coaching that I have found invigorating, inspiring and effective. With Steve, your show will be better, period.”
Jay Beau Jones, Former PD, MIX 104.1, Boston
“As a former morning show host, Steve brings a personable, intelligent and credible perspective to every conversation. He is an invaluable resource, not only for our morning show but, for me as a programmer. Steve is as crucial to our long-term success as any member of the team. His ability to diagnosis and solve problems within our show is second to none.”
JR Ammons, PD, WZPL, Indianapolis
“Steve’s philosophies and creativeness have helped take Karlson & McKenzie on WZLX from 14th place with Adults 25-54 to 1st place! It’s incredible how much more focused and fun the show is now that Steve is involved.”
Mike Thomas, VP Programming, CBS Boston and PD, WZLX and the Sports Hub, Boston
“I love having Steve Reynolds on our team. Steve is strategic, talented, tenacious, focused and fair. Steve keeps our team focused, so our creativity and energy are meaningful, targeted and relevant. Steve actually grows our people in order to grow their show’s value. Steve is an outstanding developer of morning shows, teaching talent how to self-manage their natural skills and abilities. Steve’s mission is to help our industries most talented people become, Productively Talented. I cannot think of a better endorsement, or I would give it.”
Chuck Williams, Market Manager, Radio One, Indianapolis
“More coach, less consultant describes Steve Reynolds. He’s been successful while doing a morning show and he has the unique ability to talk to talent from that perspective.”
John Dimick, Senior VP Programming & Operations, Lincoln Financial Media
“We wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much we love working with you. Your involvememt with the show has taken the program to levels we couldn’t have imagined. The in-depth conversations about our show, audience and role at the radio station always motivates and inspires us. And the questions you pose always push us to be better… not just as a show, but also as people. We are also amazed at the high level of service you provide as our morning show coach. Having a weekly conference call with anyone to talk about the show is unheard of in these times. The fact that you are always available to talk in the evenings and on the weekends has been invaluable. Thank you for helping make our show what it is today… and mostly, thank you for helping make our show what it will be tomorrow.”
Gene & Julie, Mornings, KVIL, Dallas
“I have been a DJ at this station for over 8 years and wasn’t even close to getting the morning show until I started working with Steve. His dedication to a show that is willing to work is unmatched in this industry. To this day, I look back on the material he first gave me way back in the beginning when I need to get focused.”
Cipha Sounds, Mornings on HOT 97, New York City
“I refer to Steve Reynolds as the sixth member of our show because of his valued input and continued coaching. Sometimes we are too close to a topic and it’s Steve’s fresh perspective that helps us to spin an idea on its head and make it even bigger on the air. Steve has been key in developing new members of our show and encouraging innovation in those of us who have been hosting this show for a decade. I directly attribute the success and growth of Mojo In The Morning to the work Steve has done with us. In a PPM world, he moves the needle!”
Spike, Co-Host, Mojo in the Morning, Channel 95.5, Detroit
“Steve and The Reynolds Group have helped inspire our show to grow into a cast of well branded members who have become familiar to the audience like a long-time (and well-liked!) next door neighbor. When you throw an idea at Steve, it’s not going to just stick to the wall, it’s going to come back at you tweaked up and ready for compelling morning radio.”
Pete McKenzie, Co-Host, Karlson & McKenzie, WZLX, Boston
“With Steve Reynolds we’re improving our ratings in the PPM world. Steve is constantly showing us new ways of approaching hot topics and personal stories that keeps the content sounding extremely fresh and always entertaining. With Steve’s concrete ideas, I’m often saying ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ Easy… there’s only one Steve Reynolds. He understands more than anyone what needs to be done to win with a new ratings system. I’m thankful every day that Steve works with us and not our competition.”
Tiffany Hill, Tiffany & Michael, B101-FM, Philadelphia”
“Some look at a situation head-on, while others look at it from the side. Steve has an approach, it is look at it over-head. An objective, talented, intelligent approachable that you’ll soon leaving you wondering how you ever got a long without him. It’s like going to drivers’ ed for the first time, 10 years after you started driving.”
Robbie Gramm, Former Audio Guy, Mojo in the Morning, Channel 95.5, Detroit
“It’s an honor to write this because I don’t often tell you how valuable your friendship AND your professional guidance means to me.”
Rachel Giordano, Producer, Mojo in the Morning, Channel 95.5, Detroit
“My experience with Steve has been nothing short of amazing. As a brand new show in a market bigger than I ever thought I would work in, Steve was able to give us the tools and the understanding to launch the show in the best possible light. In this PPM world, expectations have changed, and Steve is right there to help you decipher that which is and that which is not important and simply allow you to do good radio. Steve has become not only our first call when we are in need of an ear, but someone I consider a friend. We have an open line of communication and he is the first to jump in if we need a mediatior. He is the cooler head that prevails, the wiser man who can help you when you are at an impasse with a PD and need a third opinion, and always the guy in your corner. Simply put, without Steve, I don’t believe we would be 1/8th as successful in our first 7 months as we are now.”
Kennedy, Co-Host, Karson & Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston
I’ve always said that Steve Reynolds is one of the great minds in morning radio. A good show has to be funny and compelling, but a GREAT show has to be that, plus have a strategic plan on how to win – a plan that Steve is able to help your team achieve. He’ll make you think, he’ll make you stronger as a team, and you’ll never go into a morning show battle unequipped with Steve Reynolds on your team!
Steve Kramer, The Kramer Show
“Each morning on the radio with the Karson & Kennedy program is about ‘Real Life, Real Friends & Real Fun.’ Steve Reynolds from The Reynolds Group helped us build that brand and turn our vision of a compelling show into ratings success. Plus, he likes dogs.”
Karson, Co-Host, Karson & Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston
“I have worked with Steve Reynolds at various radio stations over the years. Every show that he has been a part of has been a success! He gets great, compelling radio!”
