Written by: Maya Perry
“The radio/tv people that I am drawn to are those who seem the most authentic. And, that’s really who I want to be for my listeners...just me. I hope I remind listeners of their favorite aunt or a good friend, the one who can make you laugh or sometimes cry, who has your back and encourages you, but who will also tell you like it is when you need to hear it. The best compliment a listener can give me is, “Wow...in real life, you are exactly like you are on the radio.” Tami with an I is a Radio boss in her own right with over 25 years in the radio field. Tami is an afternoon jock for 93.1 Wolf Country in North Carolina with her bright and warm voice.
Tami describes her upbringing in radio over two decades ago. “I grew up listening to the radio all the time. As a dorky teenager with no social life, I’d regularly call in and harass the DJ’s. If you were one of them, thanks for being nice to me and even putting me on the air once in a while! But, for some reason it had never crossed my mind that radio could be an actual job that I could make actual money doing. One day, when I was 17 and fresh out of high school, I was looking through the classifieds in the local paper that served the rural Ohio town where I lived. I came across an ad for an ON AIR BROADCASTER. That was the actual title. It sounded unique and fun and way better than my current job as a Walmart cashier. I lacked the self-awareness to realize that I was totally unqualified for the job, so I went right on over to the station applied for it. The PD took me back to the studio and recorded me reading a few scripts. And, she hired me on the spot. I was a teenager with no experience who could read news, sports and weather without messing it up too badly. She must have been desperate! But, that’s where it all began. And, what a glamorous radio job it was! In that little trailer in the middle of a cornfield I ran a live Country AM and an automated AC FM at the same time. I also vacuumed and took out the trash before I left at night. All for a whopping $4/hr.”
Like most of us, branding is sharing our authentic self. Tami was always Tami though. “My first job was at a pair of small, rural stations and we all just used our real names. So, I was Tami D’Ambrosio (my maiden name). It definitely did not roll off the tongue. My next job was in a much bigger market at a Hot AC station and my PD unsurprisingly wanted me to choose something more radio friendly. I went with Suzanne McCann. I’m adopted, and that was the name my birthmother gave me. It really is a great radio name. Years later, I took a job co-hosting a Christian radio morning show. I wanted to be as authentic as possible, and for me, that started with using my real name. But, for safety’s sake I just went by Tami. But, everyone else at the station used a last name, so it always sounded a little incomplete when I was just Tami. I honestly cannot remember the first time I used Tami with an I, but it stuck. Soon, that’s what listeners were referring to me as. Since The Wolf is in the same market as the Christian station, and since that’s how I’m known in these parts, I decided to stick with it. My PD loves it because we have so many Tami’s, Tammy’s and Tammie’s listening to the station-it’s been a running joke at the Wolf for years. I think he’s thrilled to finally have a Tami on this side of the radio.”
Whatever Tami that you meet or interact with you are bound to smile and engage. Her infectious personality has captivated not only myself but other women in radio who encounter her. When I asked her what she would like to tell upcoming women in radio she left me with this;
“Stay the course...you are on the path God intended for you. The doors that are meant to open, will open. A few things.
1- Learn to be a student of the people, places and situations around you. One of the best ways to connect with people over the radio is by sharing your life with them-the things you see, hear, and do. Being able to concisely talk about those things from your own, unique camera angle is vital.
2-Study yourself, too. It’s hard to be authentically you if you’re still not sure who you are. What are your passions? What makes you angry? Who are the people you identify with? Whoooo are youuuu? Ask your friends, parents, partner, how they’d describe your personality to someone who doesn’t know you. Take all the personality tests you can, not really for the results, but for the process of self-examination.
3-Do a podcast. Even if it sucks and no one listens. Anyone with a cheap usb mic and a laptop can produce one. Pick a topic that you care about, and create a podcast about it. This is a wonderful, effective and free way for you to hone your skills, develop your on-air personality and learn how to get your thoughts out of your mouth in an entertaining and appealing way.”