Ryan Wrecker hosts Overnight America on 1120AM KMOX in St. Louis. It has been the radio home of the St. Louis Cardinals since the mid 50's when Jack Buck became synonymous with both the team, and radio station across North America. Remember, the signal would carry for miles from Canada to Mexico, extolling the exemplary play of Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean an Stan Musial. I wanted to ask Ryan questions about what it is like to work after 10pm in a radio station. Is the coffee still awful at that hour? We talked a lot about talk radio in the age of Trump and how the late night audience is different from the yelling and screaming that goes on all day. After I ran out of questions, Ryan and I just geeked out about radio and had one of those organic conversations that just happens when radio people talk radio. A few ways to connect to Ryan's show. My favourite is on demand where his best material is posted in time for the morning run. This episode is powered by nLogic - #stlouis #kmox #sports #talkradio

Sarah Burke has been the new girl at Sirius XM for about 18 months. After a decade at London, Ontario's heritage rock brand FM96, Sarah moved back to Toronto to work at Sirius XM's the Verge and later take on weekend duties at Indie 88. If you pay attention closely to this interview, you'll note that every time Sarah made a career shift, it was because she had mastered what she set out to. Sarah has one more to hill to climb in radio - I won't spoil what she says but let this podcast description serve as my letter of recommendation. We are at Podcast Movement this week. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram; I'll be using the hashtag #pm18. The Sound Off Media Company is always looking to add new podcasts to the network. If you have an idea but need some help getting it started, reach out to me and we will endeavour to get you started. #toronto #siriusXM #satellite

Dave Beasing is the known for many things including a ten year run as program director at 100.3 the Sound in Los Angeles, (R.I.P.) as a broadcast consultant at Jacobs Media, and most recently as a part of the team that created the highly successful Inside Trader Joe's podcast. His company Sound That Brands has taken a lead role in creating branded content and I wanted to ask him about the branding behind audio; whether its a unique station like 100.3 the Sound, or a podcast about Trader Joe's. We also had a great discussion about how to achieve stationality in an age of PPM and how broadcast and podcast are sonically different. Of note, Dave is going to be moderating panels at the Conclave in Minneapolis this week (July 18-20), and Podcast Movement next week (July 23-26). There are Bonus episodes being released in conjunction with this episode. In this episode, I made mention to Dave having written a wonderful tribute piece about Nick Michaels which you can find here. Dave also made mention of Mark Ramsey's podcast series; the latest one is called Inside Jaws and features the awesome production of Jeff Schmidt. Dare you to listen to this oceanside.

Gruff Gushnowski has been living life openly and honestly for the last three and a half years. If you following him on social media, he can be uncomfortably candid about his postings, and he revealed in this week's show about how helpful it has been. We explored his radio career which has been set in Alberta for 25 years outside of a brief stint programming CHEZ 106 in Ottawa. There are other heritage rockers in their too like K97 in Edmonton and The Goat in Lloydminster, Alberta. (Given all the awards, accolades and talent that has passed through that station, I think we can give it iconic status) He worked his way up from announcer, to music director and the program director's chair. As the pressure mounted and the responsibility accumulated, so did his drinking. Until one day -- he stopped. Last November he started back at Newcap in his current position as Program Director for the Northern Alberta stations; overseeing radio stations in Lloydminster, Wainwright, Cold Lake, Bonnyville, St. Paul, Lac La Biche, Athabasca, Slave Lake, High Prairie, Whitecourt, Westlock, Edson & Hinton. Best of all for him, he has moved back to Lloydminster where he lay down some heavy roots in early part of the millenium. In this episode, Gruff holds nothing back. He and I even take a few moments to share tactics for alleviating depression. I am not a clinical psychologist, but I briefly play one on this podcast. If you do need help and are looking to make a life change, this is a great place to start. #alberta #countryradio

Jaclyn Irwin was raised on a steady dose of Kelly, Peter, & Moya on C100 in Halifax. The venerable morning radio show has been #1 or #2 in the market since Marconi sent his first radio message to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, about 330 kilometers away. Jax got to listen to the show on the school bus - which means the school bus driver is instantly cool. There's a whole lot that happens radio wise on the east coast of Canada that the rest of North America should pay attention towards; including a vibrant music scene, one of the best broadcast schools in Canada, and talent now, and talent then. And then it became more than just radio. Jax has immersed herself into whatever town she worked in: Halifax, Price George, BC or Toronto. She has mastered taking command of what is in the street whether it was Toronto's Pride Parade over the weekend or the Royal Wedding a few weeks ago. In this episode, Jax tells me about her best social media practices and how to make a great online video that may or may not go viral. This episode is powered by NLogic. #kiss925 #toronto #radio #dartmouth #halifax

Will Sterrett is the founder and owner of Rockcastle Media. The Kansas based network launched its first offering Think Fast! in May 2016 on just a handful of affiliates, including KWIX/Moberly, MO, where Sterrett was first heard twenty years prior. Think Fast! quickly grew as did the opportunities for Rockcastle Media Networks, with the following month’s syndication launch of Neon Beat with John Christopher. Since then, the network has grown to the point where it has offerings for every format in every daypart. Including the wildly successful Wilhite & Wall morning show which is now into its second year of syndication. To see if there is content for your radio station, check out the offerings here - I first met Will at the Conclave in 2016 and he saw I was from Winnipeg and from there we have had ongoing discussions about the NHL's Central Division. (formerly the Norris) We continued those discussions right off the bat in this podcast, talked about radio, and then wrapped up with some soccer talk. It is World Cup Season ya know! Will will be at the Conclave, along with myself, CJ & Rachel from our sponsors, Promosuite! #kansas #radio #syndication

On this week's episode we gleefully welcome Ruby Carr from Newcap in Vancouver and one of the personalities behind Z95.3's Ruby, Leslie, and Scooter Morning Show. She's the 2018 winner of the Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year in memory of Steve Young and we couldn't be happier to have had a chance to visit with her. Originally from Halifax, Ruby has only been on-air in Vancouver since 2014, but since then has devoted countless hours to local charities like the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women in support of BC Women's Hospital mental health initiatives, The Vancouver Night Race in support of Starlight Children's Foundation, and Climb the Wall 2017 in support of the BC Lung Association, among many others. She also dedicates energy to mentoring young industry professionals (so for those of you who are emerging radio talent, don't hesitate to reach out). Ruby also has a knack for content production and personal branding. You can check out her website or follow her feeds on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, where she has amassed thousands of followers with her high energy updates. Runners up for the award were Lauren Hunter 102.9 Sonic Edmonton, and Jax from Kiss 92.5 Toronto. You might remember that we hosted Lauren Hunter on the show not too long ago -- you can catch that episode here. This isn't the first time we've talked about (or to) Ruby on the show. She joined us briefly on last week's episode to talk a bit about our guest, Senior VP at Rogers Communications Julie Adam. Ruby's name also came up briefly back in episode 74 where Dave Bannerman was talking about some of the great talent who had flowed through Nova Scotia Community College over the years (which also included Jax). In the episode we talk about about Ruby's love for performing and we learned that her brother is also in Vancouver AND works in radio (it must be in their genes!). He's working at 99.3 CFOX and yes, there is definitely some sibling rivalry. I also got to geek out a bit and talk about the Bachelor Franchise and how Ruby grew to love the show because it's a dumpster fire. This episode is sponsored by Promosuite Next. And no interview with Ruby would complete without a small plug for her shining moment interviewing Ed Sheeran:

This is episode 100. I repeat, this is episode 100. On this week's episode, we celebrate the 100th recording of the Sound Off Podcast with an interview that began right at the beginning, just over two years ago when I started thinking about what would make a great centennial episode. How best to kick off the special event, I wondered. Then, in January, I decided it would be a great idea to have Jake Daniels -- a.k.a. Greg Brown -- join me for the special day. My years in radio taught me to celebrate the milestones and accomplishments. No more so than the time I spent at 100.3 the Bear in Edmonton. Jake and I worked together on 100.3 the Bear in Edmonton from 1994 to 2002, working on the afternoon show for close to 5 years. I never had more fun on the air than I did with Jake. A few days after I made that shortlist for the forthcoming guests on the podcast, Jake posted on his Facebook page that his Lymphoma Cancer had returned and he was going to be starting chemotherapy again. Shortly thereafter, on Valentine's Day, old friends from the station in Edmonton, Dave & Leesa Beeson started a Facebook group and GoFundMe campaign for Jake. That campaign formed the idea of putting this podcast together, and from then I committed to making Episode 100 about Jake Daniels and our time together on air at the Bear. Last year, 100.3 the Bear celebrated their 25th birthday. I often suggest that radio stations celebrating a significant birthday or anniversary create a podcast series to commemorate that history. That's kind of what episode 100 is about. A reunion of a radio show that ended 17 years ago with two radio friends who really enjoy one another's company. I could have just picked up the phone and called. But we did a podcast instead. By the way - this podcast is made more enjoyable because the of the people who took time to contribute to it. Thanks, Marty Forbes, Greg Diamond, Todd James, Terry Evans, Laura Fraser, Cubb Carson, Chris Maksylewicz, Ron Weslosky, Yukon Jack and Rob Vavrek... and Dave and Leesa Beeson whose idea became the inspiration for this podcast. Apologies in advance for not mentioning everyone - we just didn't have a 4th hour in us. It's truly amazing how much you can pack in when you drop open the floodgates on old friends and fans of the Great Jake Daniels. This one's for you Jake! Free plug for Jake's store! Check it out right here. The episode is brought to you by Nlogic! And Promosuite! We love these guys! So make sure to give them some love, too!

In this week's episode, we offer a commemorative reflection on the tragedy and community response to the accident that consumed the twitter-verse on April 6, 2018. Between the coaches, the players, the bus driver, and the support staff, sixteen people died and thirteen were injured; the Humboldt incident marked one of the darkest losses in Canada's recent sports memory. The incident struck a cord with generations of Canadian parents, who, like our own podcast host, Matt Cundill, can remember dropping their kids off to ride the bus for sports trips as hockey coaches, broadcasters, and riding the bus with players and kids alike. We sit down with sports broadcaster Brian Munz, who grew up Humboldt and called games from a number of teams including his hometown Humboldt Broncos. He later, called games for Manitoba Moose when they were on CJOB-AM in Winnipeg, and later the Winnipeg Jets on their flagship TSN 1290 in Winnipeg. I went out to the Jets Practice facility and caught up with Brian to talk about that broadcast journey from junior to the Big Leagues. Brian also spearheaded the "Sticks Out" campaign on social media in the days after the tragedy with a simple idea from a friend. We also spend some tine with Don Scott from WABC in Saskatoon to talk about the Tyler Bieber Scholarships. Don is the Director at the Western Academy Broadcasting College in Saskatchewan. As we'll discuss in the episode, Tyler Bieber was the voice of the Humboldt Broncos and past away in the tragic accident. At the age of 29, Bieber was a coach, a mentor with Big Brothers and Sisters, and a role model for young Canadian broadcasters. Bieber's legacy will be honoured with a $10,000 scholarship to young broadcasters who embody Bieber's admirable qualities. Moved by the program, we'll be donating all revenues from this episode of the Sound Off Podcast to the fund. Spread the word, because the more downloads we have, the more revenue we will generate for this important and inspired initiative.

This week's podcast features Calgary radio legend Gerry Forbes. Gerry spent the bulk of his career at CJAY92 and when he announced his retirement this March, it's no surprise that the station's competitors let out a silent cheer. For over 25 years, Gerry's morning show, a staple in Calgary, sat comfortably and unshakeably, in the top three in the local radio market. Gerry comes from a long line of radio talent -- or at least one generation -- his dad was a broadcaster at radio station 630 CHED in Edmonton. And apparently it really is genetic because as many in the industry know, his brother Marty Forbes caught the bug, too. In preparing for the episode, we reached out to some of the people who worked and were inspired by Gerry's work over the years. In the episode, you'll hear from people like Bob Harris who was his program director throughout the 90's; Terry Dimonte who went up against him from 2008-2012; and Gerry's brother Marty who spent his career in Edmonton, and on the management side. I have said before and I will say it again: great radio inspires more great radio. In this episode, join us as we reminisce with Gerry about some of the most memorable stunts that he conjured up, what makes Calgary so great, and how one listener would use the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council process against him. This episode is powered by Promosuite. Promosuite's cutting edge cloud-based technology has become the industry standard over the last 25 years when it comes to radio program management, from overseeing radio contesting, liners, events, and much more. Simply put, Promosuite exists to make a Marketing Director’s job easier. And we couldn't be happier about their support. We also have to give a special mention to our new sponsors from across the border in the USA: Radio Pepper Prep and Aiden Wolf Voiceovers.