In 1981, when two radio vets came together, something magical happened! Scott Shannon & Cleveland Wheeler started a morning radio revolution, when they lauched The Q Morning Zoo, on Q105, WRBQ. The show became the watercooler talk of every office and construction site in Tampa Bay, blowing away all the competition.
The Q Morning Zoowas unlike anything to ever hit once sleepy Tampa Bay, or…
“You have to work horrible hours, work horrible jobs, but you love every second of it...”
So what do you love about your job?
I love the fact that I can be technical and I can be creative. I get given a promo I have to do and I can do whatever I want with it. I can create.
How did you get to where you are now?
I started out in Radio in 1997, going to local radio stations on my school holidays. I had my own show on a Community channel in Wagga and did some live on-air stuff for 2WG Star FM. Then I did a three year television course in Wagga and while I was studying I worked at the Olympics for Ch9, doing some odd jobs that I got through my connections in Radio. After uni I worked at ClassOne productions in Sydney for a year, then started work at Prime Television in Canberra where I was for a few years. Then I went back to Sydney to Fox Sports News. Then I went back to Prime7 and finally went back to Radio at Canberra FM in 2014.
Why did you want to get into audio and Radio?
Because I love talking. I wasn’t at ease behind a microphone so I decided to pursue the other side and focus on the sound. I’ve been in a few bands and can play several instruments so I had an audio background and as soon as I went to uni I got pigeon holed into sound so I stayed.
Has there been a significant moment in your career?
Working at Fox Sports, I met many Sporting celebrities and I did talk to 50 cent on the phone once. He answered the phone for a boxer that we were getting a live interview for and he wanted to have a chat so I put him through to Chris Warren on the desk and said “we have 50 cent on the phone, he wants to talk about Billy Dib”. He said “Awesome, what do I call him?” “Mr cent?”.
Another one was in my first year of Uni and I was working for Channel 9 at the Sydney Olympics and I got to hold Grant Hacketts 1500m gold medal. That was cool.
Would you still choose this career knowing what you know now? Knowing that you could one day speak to 50 cent?
Yes, but I would do some things differently. I would take opportunities where they present themselves and not stay in places as long as I did but everything I’ve done has got me into radio and I love it.
Looking back at where you were when you started, where did you think it was going to lead you?
I honestly didn’t know where it was going to lead me, I just sort of fell into it. I was supposed to become a teacher, but my parents are both teachers and I wanted to do something that was different.
What do you wish you knew starting out?
The pay. It takes you a long time to get to a point where you’re happy with it. You have to work horrible hours, work horrible jobs, but you love every second of it and hate every second of it. It’s a battle, but at the end of every job, at the end of every gig you just feel “Wow, I’ve accomplished something.”
What advice do you have for students wanting to get into the field?
Experience, get as much as you can.
Volunteer, do unpaid gigs, if you want to get into radio go to your community station or local station and be one of their prize people, do that stuff for free do some hours, get some contacts, talk to people. It really is all about who you know. If you can find the right contacts you can learn stuff on the job that is worth a lot.
Who do you look up to in the sound design field?
It’s not anyone in particular it’s just anyone who does good work on sound. It could be someone who flukes it in a rural radio station, anyone.
What helps you get through your day?
Protools. It is the audio producers best tool. It’s made sound so much easier to do but also so much more complicated. It lets you do anything.And coffee, copious amounts. Especially when you do a 14 hour shift.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Work hard. You will not get anywhere in the industry if you do not work hard. Follow your leads and keep hammering at it.
Do you have a mantra?
Smile. When you’re doing a voice over, just smile. And Tight and bright. When you’re mixing your work, take out the awkward gaps and make the EQ nice and bright. Tight and Bright.
If you would like to listen in to some of Josh’s work tune in to FM104.7 in Canberra
