Jonathan Shuford started his storied radio career at WABB in Mobile, Alabama sort of by accident – originally from Huntsville, AL he attended college at the University of South Alabama as a marine biology-turned-music business major.
“A friend worked the overnight shift at WABB, and as a songwriter and lead singer of a band he somehow deduced that working for a radio station would be a vital step towards my band getting famous (I was 19, we all make mistakes). That didn't happen, obviously, but it did help me find a career that I fell in love with.”
Starting out as a producer for minor league baseball games, and working his way up to running the Casey Kasem AT40, then overnights, and ultimately nights and MD under Tom "Jammer" Naylor. Shortly after Bernie Dittman passed, he left WABB and started what turned into a 15+ year career with Clear Channel/iHeartMedia, stopping in Tulsa, Louisville, and Nashville along the journey. He’s been in Nashville for 8 years, and calls it home.
This week we talk to Jonathan about his journey through the music industry – discussing the accomplishments and challenges of developing and maintaining the legacy of 107.5 The River in Nashville, one of iHeart’s Flagship stations, and so much more!
LEG: Can you give us a brief overview of how you got into radio, the stations you’ve worked at, and your day to day responsibilities now at The River?
Radio was sort of a happy accident for me. I had aspirations to be a working musician and was the lead singer and principal songwriter for a band in Mobile, Alabama. A college buddy of mine did overnights for the legendary WABB in Mobile and helped get me a job as a board op on the sister AM station. Somehow, my 19-year old mind thought that working in radio would make my band famous. It did not, but I did find my future career, so I guess it worked out. I started at WABB and was there for six years in a variety of roles, then joined iHeart/Clear Channel at KTBT-FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2007. I got my first PD job there for the now-defunct (but still awesome) GenX format. That turned into another move to Louisville, KY to run their GenX station along with their CHR station WNRW. In 2015, I was able to land my dream gig of programming the might River in Nashville. Since then, I've also picked up duties on our Classic Rocker WNRQ, and I program KHFI in Austin as well.
LEG: 107.5 The River is an iconic brand in Nashville and one iHeart’s Flagship stations. What do you consider one of your biggest accomplishments in regards to continuing that legacy since you took over as Program Director?
I've had a lot of great programmers that built The River into the monster that it is, from Charlie Quinn to Jimmy Steele to Rich Davis, Brian Mack, Michael Bryan, and John Mayer before me. My number one job is to "not screw it up". That said, I'm proud of the reputation and trust that we've built with the artist and management community. We have the opportunity to do some really creative stuff with artists just because of where we're located, and I make it a priority for my team that every single one of those artists leaves with a positive experience. Whether they performed a concert, did an interview, or just filmed TikTok content, I want to make sure they left feeling great about The River and, frankly, radio in general. I think, going forward with the competitive landscape being what it is, it's paramount for radio to cultivate those artist relationships and make them WANT to be a part of what we're doing.
LEG: You have a reputation as a true music lover and champion of new artists within the industry. Can you tell us a few of the artists you’ve decided to lead the way on through the years and what contributing factors you look for in supporting those artists?
I'm fortunate to be with a company in iHeart that really does allow us to "plant our flag" on songs and artists we believe in, even if we swing and miss sometimes. My teams have been fortunate to hit some home runs over the years though, as we've been early believers in artists like Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor, Halsey, Billie Eilish, AJR, Lawrence, twenty one pilots, Macklemore, and Lauv, just to name a few. Honestly, my criteria aren't fixed when it comes to great artists, and as consumption methods change, so too will the things that determine a "star". But personally I've always been attracted to artists that stand out musically and are interesting enough that I think their music will connect on a personal level with a mainstream audience.
LEG: The River on the Rooftop Shows have a become one of the most anticipated concert series in Nashville. Recent artists performing at the shows include Avril Lavigne, Kane Brown, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lawrence, Kelsea Ballerini, Andy Grammer, The Vamps, and Bebe Rexha to name a few. What are some of the most challenging and rewarding parts of putting on such a high profile event?
Well thank you for the nice words, first of all. One of the things I'll forever be the most proud of is taking a wild hare idea in 2016 and developing it into what it is today. The reward is in being able to bring people together through music in a way that is unique to Nashville. "River on the Rooftop" doesn't and really can't exist anywhere else because of how our downtown area is laid out. Being able to provide an opportunity for fans to see their favorite artists in a truly unique and intimate setting is a really rewarding experience. Plus, there's always a sense of accomplishment in creating something from the ground up and seeing it come together in a beautiful package of organized chaos at the end of each event. That said, it's not without it's challenges, most of which stem from my own competitiveness. There's a desire to be "bigger and better" every single year, which isn't always feasible. And, as our profile has grown bigger, so too have the expectations of our listeners, artist and label partners to overdeliver on the experience each summer. But it's totally worth it, despite the toll it takes on my summer vacation plans.
LEG: What can we expect for River on The Rooftop 2023?
No spoilers But there is at least one major development in the series that I'm SUPER excited for.
LEG: How do you think your strong relationships with labels, artists, and managers alike have contributed to your success through the years?
Well, I'm sure they've kept me employed on more than one occasion haha. Realistically, though, it's a small industry that's unfortunately getting smaller by the day. We all have to look out for each other, and I'm a firm believer that we can do more together than we can separately, and I'm hopeful that the way we do business gets around to the right people and has allowed me to flourish here over the past several years. And I can't thank our partners in the music community enough for continuing to not only participate in my vision for The River, but be active ambassadors for it as well.
LEG: With all of the success you’ve enjoyed there are always failures along the way. What do you consider one of your failures professionally and how did you overcome it? What did you ultimately learn from that experience?
I like to consider failures more as opportunities. There have definitely been promotions that flopped, hires that didn't work out, format decisions that were off-brand, and events that didn't draw the crowd we expected. Human nature is to sort of "forget the bad" and move on, but my philosophy has always been to dissect each of those failures, find the positive takeaways from them, and learn what to do differently given the next opportunity. It's the only way to get better. Thankfully, none of my failures have gotten me fired yet.
LEG: Where do you see the pop format heading in the next 10 years and how does Radio play into that continuing evolution?
That's the million dollar question, right? I think right now the music industry as a whole is in a critical moment. There's SO much music to consume, and listeners are continuously telling us that they're overwhelmed by everything at their disposal. It's part of why there's so much nostalgia for 90s and 2000s music everywhere right now. My hope is that pop radio can continue to lean in on curation strategies that highlight the "best of the best" for our listeners while still allowing for meaningful music discovery in our playlists. We also have to continue to encourage our talent to have music passion and use their platforms to drive interest in the artists they believe in. Connecting human emotion to a well-curated playlist has been and will continue to be the advantage that radio has over other methods of consumption.
LEG: With as hard as you work you must find time to unwind once in a while. What do you do to recharge and relax?
I'm an avid hiker, and am trying to implement that in my 6-year old as well. For me, a day on a pretty strenuous trail in the mountains - preferably one with terrible cell service - is actually a pretty great break from it all. I'm also really trying to separate work from my home life as much as I can, and be present in the moment at home. I coach baseball too, which sounds like a lot of work but is oddly relaxing.
LEG: What advice would you give to a young person starting out in radio today?
Learn everything, soak in the wisdom of those that have come before you, but don't be afraid to speak your mind and challenge norms. The only way we'll continue to move forward as an industry is to let voices be heard that don't have years of preconceived notions behind them.
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