Ruth Meyer

Ruth Meyer is truly a legend in an industry where that term is too often misapplied. Her accomplishments are amazing: She created the phenomenon of the often copied WMCA Good Guys, she brought new depth and dimension to Top 40 in its early days, directed the conversion of WHN/New York to Country: later programmed WNEW-AM in its days as a big band great, and WMCA/New York once again in its talk heyday. At NBC she helped create NBC Source Network and at ABC its Direction Network. Were those not enough, Ruth Meyer did all this and more as a woman in what was decidedly a man’s business.

Ruth’s hometown is Kansas City, where she started out wanting to be a newspaper reporter. When she got out of high school her mother gave her an ultimatum…either find a job writing within a couple of months or become a secretary. The Kansas City Star didn’t think a kid just graduating from high school with no experience was a hot find, so in desperation she pitched for jobs writing commercials at radio stations and got hired at KCKN, a 250 watt AM in Kansas City. The legendary Top 40 programmer, Todd Storz was running WHB across town and hired Ruth after KCKN. Ruth claims that he made radio so exciting she never wanted to do anything else. After Kansas City , Ruth moved to New York to try a temporary assignment at WMGM, but after about a week she fell in love with New York and the rest is, literally, radio history.

In her own words, here’s Ruth’s comments on radio networks:

“Radio has long been a part of the very fabric of our daily lives. And early in its history, network radio offered local broadcasters access to nationally known personalities together with the financial support and resources not available locally. But over the decades, syndicated radio has become more of a vehicle for selling advertising than a medium for entertaining listeners. Programming has been designed around demographics and “important” audience and consumer groups. Many quality programs have come and gone due to their inability to fit into the national advertising requisites. Until now. The Radio-Studio Network has created a collection of programs for niche interests, a truly unique assortment of programming options for today’s local broadcasters, as well as an inexpensive option for world wide distribution. Further, the business model of The Radio-Studio Network is not dependent on sales of national radio advertising. It allows each participating program to find its audience and benefit from its own unique advertising clients.

Feeding my own professional addiction to radio over the years has been coming across that out-of-the-ordinary touch... that fun, “Oh Wow!” factor folded into the professional mix. I’m happy to report that it’s here ...alive and well... So, welcome back to today’s “new” Good Old Days of Radio and get ready to enjoy that. “Oh Wow!” factor again.”

Rich Wood 

Rich Wood is a long-time radio veteran with a successful background in local radio, music and talk syndication and live recording and production.

In the Talk Radio industry, Rich is best known as the creator and ten year Director of the WOR Radio Network which originates at 50,000 watt WOR, New York. Rich was intimately involved in WOR’s management and operation prior to its change of direction.

Rich currently runs Rich Wood Multimedia which specializes in developing programming for syndication. Talent coaching is an integral part of his services and has included such nationally recognized talent as Dr. Joy Browne, The Dolans, Joey Reynolds, Sally Jesse Raphael, Tom Snyder, Tom Bodett and a host of other hosts who make handsome livings in syndication.

Unlike most consultants, Rich has an extensive recording and production background both on the creative and technical level. The technical side includes editing local shows and preparing them for the requirements of syndication. Most performers come to realize there are significantly different requirements for syndication than for a local show.

Tom Bodett (“We’ll Leave the Light on for Ya”) hired Rich to produce a weekly show in Homer, Alaska.The End of the Road with Tom Bodett became commercial radio’s answer to Prairie Home Companion with a younger feel. Rich lived in New York City and commuted every three weeks to Alaska to record the show before a live theatre audience. Rich was the Producer, Announcer and Recording Engineer who then mixed the show in New York for satellite distribution. Had the show had the benefit of MP3 delivery it would still be on the air. It was a show before it’s time when using satellites was even more crushingly expensive than it is today.

After Tom Bodett and before WOR Rich was the Director of Station Relations for the ABC TalkRadio Network where he affiliated Tom Snyder, Sally Jesse Raphael, Michael Jackson (not that one), Gordon Elliott and Bob Brinker, among others.

On the music side, Rich programmed the original WJIB, Boston, “border blaster” XTRA, San Diego/Tijuana and as Program Director of WPIX-FM, New York (now WQCD), was constantly insisting that “lite” Jazz was the format the station should adopt. Prior to that WPIX-FM was known (thanks to Rick Sklar) as “Format du Jour.” With “Smooth Jazz” the station has been consistently successful.

In Dallas, Rich programmed two of the five most successful tape syndication formats for TM Programming &Productions. He’s still amazed that the tons of 10 inch reels of tape that fed radio stations have been reduced to a relatively tiny collection of MP3 files.Rich is ready to share his unusually varied experience as a part of the staff of The Radio-Studio Network to make your show or idea come to life.

Jeff Laurence

Jeff’s the Radio-Studio Network’s “voice guy”. His early radio days were at the legendary WOLF in Syracuse WOLF after stints at WTKO and WENE while attending Ithaca College. He later moved over to WHEN as Production Director and Program Director, but eventually Florida became his home where he started Jeff Laurence Productions, one of the finest production house’ in the country. Later, he worked in Tampa Bay from 1975 to 1993 starting at WLCY doing mornings and PD, leaving briefly to run a commercial recording studio in Tampa. Fortunately, he rejoined radio at WDAE in 1977 doing various shifts and APD duties. While at WDAE, Jeff worked with The Radio-Studio Network creator, Steve Warren, who was doing mornings at the time. Their personal and professional friendship has endured through to this day. After WDAE, Jeff crossed town to do mornings at WSUN.

He left Tampa for a short morning stint at WQAM in Miami, then back to join neighbor and long time friend Jim Shafer at WSUN.. Went to WMGG (Magic 96) in 1986.. Stayed on through the W-Lite 95.7 era, and then off to Jacor to do middays at WFLZ (Z93 Oldies) and Creative Director status... After Z93 became The Power PIg, he went to Entercom's WYUU (U92) for afternoons. After a successful run there he joined Cox's WSUN/WWRM/WCOF cluster as Creative Director and worked on building his production business.

In the fall of 1992 he purchased his first home in Otto, North Carolina.. Married former WQYK copywriter Carol Latham, and moved full time to the Smoky Mountains. Today they are at a newer, more remote location in Franklin, NC with ten horses and nine dogs, mostly rescued animals, and a larger production studio serving radio and television station clients throughout the US and eight other countries worldwide. Jeff’s facility is linked with Radio-Studio’s operation in New York. They also do infomercial voice tracks and national spots. Jeff will be the The Radio-Studio Network’s connection to hundreds of potential program producers and advise the network on technical and creative matters.

Heard Jeff lately? He’s hard to miss. Jeff is the voice of Nationally known infomercials as well as over 65 radio stations worldwide. Jeff Laurence is the imaging voice for Sirius Satellite Radio "Country Channel 32" and just recently signed with "Grand Ol' Opry" WSM in Nashville as the imaging voice for their FM outlet and can still be heard in the Tampa Bay Area on Clear Channel's "Oldies 108" out of Sarasota as well as area auto dealership's radio spots. He might have persuaded you to order a George Foreman grill in the middle of the night or Juiceman, Rotato, or Bissell products. He’s the national voice spokeperson for the Shriner's Hospitals radio campaign and (we are proud to say) has been the imaging voice for The Radio-Studio Network’s flagship program “The Country Oldies Show” for all 11 years of it’s radio history. 

Ray Romano

Web architect Ray Romano is also a twenty-year radio veteran, with a background that ranges from producing Lithuanian-language broadcasts in his hometown of Rochester, New York to programming successful radio stations across the mid-Atlantic region. Current work includes production, on-air and voice-over duties in the Satellite Radio industry. Not only does Romano play the accordion, but he is also an internet audio archivist, with online projects including DainosAidas.org, EddieLang.com, and VandaStankus.com. Proving that the shoemaker's kids often go barefoot, his own website, AmazingCreative.com, is perpetually under construction. Nonetheless, he is available for new web building and voice-over work.

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