My radio career is taking an exciting turn! After a rigorous interview process, I’ve been promoted to on-air personality on B 98.5!
I have big shoes to fill. Lisa Fischer has been a staple of the station for 12 years. I’m no Lisa, and I’d be kidding myself if I tried to be. She's classy and proper, a girly girl; she's a mom to grown, successful children and she was promoted to the role of grandmother last year. I'm more of the bohemian misfit, with a shoulder tattoo and a nose piercing. I'm a first time mom trying to figure out raising a boy and reveling in every single thing he does because all of it is brand new. Regardless of our differences, there is so much to learn from her experience in radio and her prominence as a public figure in my home city. I am truly honored to be selected to take her place on the morning show with Kevin Idol.
I knew Lisa before coming to the radio station, but I got to know her better by being here. She’s an adoptee, too, and we both share a heart for kids waiting for families.
Lisa taught me an important lesson in journalism when she called after hearing one of my first newscasts. “Robyn… the ‘C’ in indicted is silent.” I laughed nervously (a defense mechanism, probably) and said, “Thank you so much, I’ll never make that mistake again!” She assured me I would be chock full of mistakes, because aren’t we all? I’ve valued her input and guidance so much over the last couple years.
I sincerely mean it when I say I’m going to miss the guys on my current morning show. Kevin Miller and I really found our groove over the last year. He sings me a song about bananas every morning when I eat breakfast… a nice perk of the gig. He puts me to the test during Stupid News. (Did you hear how many times he made me say “bow chicka wow wow” last week?) Kevin has been a great role model for me to learn how to hold my own in interviews with state leaders and how to be more concise in conveying my thoughts. I, admittedly, still have work to do on brevity. Kevin asked me a simple question one morning: “Robyn, do you believe in ghosts?” I jumped down a rabbit hole discussing lingering spirits, because to me the word "ghost" sounds too simple, too Casper. Wow. Thankfully, he is really good at laughing at me and making it work. Producer Scott has been the silver lining when breaking news stories feel heavy, and when I feel like I didn't quite hit the nail on the head. He’s the pat on the back when Kevin or I need a boost of confidence. He’s taught me not to dwell on what’s already done and to move forward with my chin up. I’ve learned a ton on First News about reporting, presentation, connecting with an audience and getting up at 3 am!
I'm fired up about moving to B 98.5 for a number of reasons. I’m excited to discuss things I care about: motherhood, family, all the firsts I’m witnessing with my son, life in Little Rock, lifestyle, art, current events, my guilty pleasure of watching red carpet events, pop culture, my many nerd-isms, adoption and foster care, influencers who inspire me, and humanitarians who make me want to do better.
I'm excited to be able to really embrace being a woman. In my current role, the demographic of our listeners is largely male, so I have been discouraged from talking about things like Mother's Day and news pertaining to women's issues (health, childcare, studies about pay discrepancies, Miss America). I'm looking forward to being able to connect with our listeners like the real me, a woman.
I’m excited for the opportunity to make people smile on their way to work and give them things to look forward and relate to. I’ll get to share the silly things about my life, like when August pooped in the bathtub or the first time my husband changed his diaper in the hospital, complete with yells of disgust and genuine surprise (I can only imagine what kind of things labor and delivery nurses hear passing by in the hallway). I promise my life isn't all about bowel movements, but having a one year old definitely places it higher than I'd like on the list of things I pay attention to nowadays. I’ll get to share the cool things my husband and I like to create, like upcycling an armoire into a changing table, or the entertainment center we made out of a dresser, and the way we rigged our car vents to blow air down our son's back in his car seat (because Honda Civics don't have rear air). I hope to give our listeners good ideas, and I hope they’ll give me some, too!! I’ll get to laugh more and spend mornings discussing the highlights of normalcy, instead of the tough, abnormal stuff in the news.
I’m excited for a new friendship with Kevin Idol! As our boss pointed out, we already had our first fight. I read the book before the movie, while he watches the movie… then watches it again.
I’m saying goodbye to the newsroom and hello to happier things. Tune in to B 98.5 weekday mornings from 5:30-9, beginning July 2nd! I can’t wait to help my city get to work with a smile!
