Cheryl Lee: “The secret to good radio is remembering it’s never about you”

Rebel Radio Network's Cheryl Lee. Image: Facebook

Cheryl Lee was just eighteen when she started out in radio in the 1980s.

Fair to say she’s witnessed some massive changes to the industry in the forty-odd years since.

“Back then, radio felt like a neighbour you’d welcome into your home each morning – local voices, familiar personalities, people who lived in the same communities as their listeners.”

“Today, the lines between radio and social media are so blurred that what you hear and see often feels more like celebrity influencer culture than local connection.”

Cheryl – today the Manager and co-founder of Rebel Radio Network – is sharing her candid insights with Radioinfo’s Serena Ahern as part of the Wisdom of Women in Media series.

Throughout her radio career, Cheryl has worked in multiple roles – from copywriter to Breakfast co-host.

When she began her journey, women in radio were few and far between. Most worked behind the scenes. On-air roles were limited, often to the mid-dawn shift.

The trusty old ‘Women don’t like hearing women on air’ statement was trotted out.

Thankfully, says Cheryl, things have changed, and not just on-air.

“Today, women have a stronger presence across the board – in management, production, and behind the microphone.”

“While men still dominate the host line-up, the gender balance is improving.”

In Cheryl’s mind, the industry changes we’ve seen over the years are less to do with the ‘bean counters’ and more to do with technology.

“In the 60s through to the 90s, radio was the family’s main source of entertainment and news. By the 90s and 2000s, networking and buyouts by big overseas companies started eroding the local sound of regional radio.”

Instead of homegrown voices, communities were served up glossy shows networked from Sydney or Melbourne.

“Aspiring announcers stopped wanting to sound like the local breakfast host—they wanted to be the next big-name on air celebrity,” Cheryl observes.

Once upon a time, country and regional stations were where new talent learned the craft, but the gradual loss of local ownership and local voices has led to the demise of those training grounds.

What hasn’t changed, says Cheryl, is radio’s ability to connect.

“I’ve seen it time and time again—how a station can rally a community behind a cause or simply provide personality and entertainment that makes the daily commute bearable.”

“But I’ve also seen countless careers cut short by cost-cutting, networking, and redundancies.”

Radio is ageing industry, with ageing audiences.

Cheryl emphasises the importance of a willingness to rethink how how radio is delivered and its relevance to people.

“Eighteen-year-olds don’t exactly see themselves in 50-year-old hosts, and with fewer regional pathways for new talent, there’s a big gap in bringing fresh voices into the fold.”

Cheryl says today’s style of radio isn’t just about sitting behind the mic. It’s about content in all its forms – from podcasts to social media.

“The secret to good radio is remembering it’s never about you, it’s always about your listener.”

“If you can make someone laugh, think, or feel less alone, you’ve done your job.”

More stories from Radioinfo’s Wisdom of Women in Media series here.

*Images: Facebook and LinkedIn