Invented in the late 1800s, the radio was first used to communicate with ships out at sea. During WWI and WWII, media outlets used the radio to relay news to the public. Radio has since evolved from solely a news outlet into an entertainment channel. These days, we have hundreds of stations to choose from on AM, FM, and satellite radio.

For most people, listening to the radio is a way to make our daily commute more enjoyable. For KSON’s Greg Raneiri, radio is his career. Greg has a radio show weeknights from 7 pm to 12 am, on San Diego’s country station.

Greg moved all over the country with stints on the East Coast and in the South before settling in San Diego. In the latest volume of our Behind the Scenes, Greg Raneiri talks about working in formats other than country music and his first radio gig.

Q & A | Greg Raneiri

Country Clones [CC] | What was your first radio job?
Greg Raneiri [GR] | My first radio job was interning in the promotions deptarptment with Beasley Broadcast Group in Philadelphia. I worked my way up to PT Promo Assistant and then FT Interactive Coordinator (web). I even had the opportunity to occasionally to fill on the weekend on-air shifts.

CC | What do you enjoy most about being on the radio?
This might sound cheesy, but my favorite thing is making listeners happy. Being able to send people on a trip of a lifetime, give them them the opportunity to meet their heroes, or even just make them smile by saying something silly on the radio, is what it’s all about for me.

CC | If you could work with any radio DJ, who would it be?
GR | There are so many talented DJs and radio programmers out there (far more talented than myself). I would want to work with people that are fun, dedicated, and going to push me to be better everyday.

CC | How do you prepare for each radio show?
GR | For me, I find out what prizes I have for the day and what location myself or the station will be at for the week. I usually try and find creative ways to build some excitement around those events. I also look at many different websites to find out what is going on in country music news that listeners might find interesting or funny.

CC | Have you ever accidentally sworn on air?
GR | I have not personally, but I did allow a listener to by mistake one time when I was doing radio in Mississippi. I decided to do a “finish the lyric” contest live from a remote broadcast. I believe it was a Maroon 5 song and girl is singing along and continues with “…I don’t give a SH*T”. I immediately pulled the mic away and tried to laugh it off and recover. Luckily the FCC didn’t get us for the one.

CC | What’s the most difficult part about your job?
GR | The most difficult part of the job is…is there a difficult part? I mean it’s certainly not rocket science. Sure, there can be some thing’s like having to work odd hours and weekends and holidays. Or making sure that no matter what kind of day you’re having you have to shut it all out when you go on the air. Or dealing with ungrateful listeners who hog up all the prizes and still complain that that don’t get enough free stuff. But at the end of the day, we in radio are so beyond lucky and blessed that we get to wake up every day and do what we love to do. There are some who say everyday is your last day in radio. Kind of grim, I know. So I’m just going to keep going along for the ride as long as they let me, and keep trying to make as many people happy as I can along the way.

CC | Have you worked in any other formats?
GR | I have worked in almost every format from POP to Classic Rock and Adult Contemporary to Hip Hop and R&B. There’s no point in limiting yourself to one format in this day and age of radio. I’m very blessed to have had so many opportunities to try different things all over the country.

CC | What do you love most about working in the country format?
Country is far and beyond the best format to work in and be a part of. The people are great (fans, artists, record labels). The country format is almost like a big family. I’m truly thankful that they accept me and allow me to be a part of it. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.

Thanks Greg!!