7 ?s with Rob Reed

Rob Studio

Rob’s versatile and unique sound is “Radio Active” Programming, production, on-air, sports… over his nearly 30 years in radio, he’s done a LOT of all of the above. His versatility in country, rock, sports, and AC formats serves him well in delivering the perfect sound to brand your radio station, big market or small. Rob’s Voiceover growing credits include commercial, promo, imaging and even animated comedies. He can be heard on Cumulus, Town Square Media, Bicoastal Media, and iHeart Media stations, as well as many others.

K100-2

Rob at K100 in 1989.

1) How did you get your start in radio?

After growing up on dairy farms, in northeast Ohio, central Texas, and northern California, I always dreamt of working in radio, specifically sportscasting after listening to Joe Tait on WWWE in Cleveland. I would go to the stations where I lived in high school and beg for a job. Finally, after getting out of the Air Force, I enlisted in broadcast school in Sacramento, and after working part time weekends, landed my first full time gig doing afternoons on K100, north of Sacramento in 1987. That job led to production director at K9fm in Redding, Ca. From there I also did stints in Texas, and eastern Iowa, where I got the chance to work Minor League baseball in the Class A Midwest League, and fulfill a lifelong dream of baseball play by play.

2) What did it feel like the first time you heard your voice on the radio?

It happened before I got into the business, when I was 14. My mother owned a fabric store, and she advertised on the radio, she had me record her spot. That’s all it took… it fueled my desire to get into the business.

KMIL-Lee

KMIL shot w/Johnny Lee.

3) What’s your favorite thing about working in the industry?

Actually, I think that has changed for me – in the beginning, it was interacting with listeners while I was on the air. From there, it grew into not really broadcasting, but communicating. I think all the really great legends in our business had more than the right voice. They had the ability to communicate.

Now, I would have to say my favorite thing is creating/voicing imaging & production that makes an impact –

4) Is being a play-by-play announcer as fun as it seems on TV?

For me, it was the ultimate communication between an event, in this case being a game, whether it’s football, basketball or baseball – especially on the radio. An opportunity to paint a picture of what was happening on the field, or on the court….so the listener could actually see the game in their mind.

In 2013 I decided to take another run at full-time play by play, and applied for a job with the Pawtucket Red Sox, where I made the finalist list for the job… but it wasn’t mean to be, I guess, and I dove headfirst into working on Voiceover skills.

5) Should the American League finally get rid of the DH rule?

Is that a trick question? Absolutely the DH should be banned. I’m a naturalist when it comes to baseball. I’d also be in favor of banning domes and artificial turf too.

6) What’s life like living among the 300 ft Sequoia trees in the coastal redwoods?

It’s paradise and isolation rolled into one. Walking the trails through the Redwoods is honestly a pretty sacred experience for me. However, the isolation of living on the coast and in the mountains, the high-speed interwebs technologies, where I live, can make doing what I do a challenge from time to time. But it’s a trade-off that looks pretty good, when I look out at the ocean from my home studio.

7) We hear you are a BBQ master. So, we have to ask, what’s your specialty? And feel free to share tips because I definitely need a few.

You know, BBQ is a lot like radio production. We take a script with nothing but words on paper, and create an impactful end result. With BBQ, you take a raw piece of meat and with slow, careful attention… the right spices and some love, you get magic.

My specialty? Toss up – Pork Butt & Ribs. I smoke and BBQ on a Big Green Egg, which I highly recommend!!! Tips? Slow and low.

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