Radio talk shows don’t always have the best reputation, but junior Journalism and Digital Media majors Kate Lentz, Heather Bleininger, Josh Spector and Chris Beisel are trying to change that mind set. 

The Early Bird’s Word airs live on AU’s student-run radio station, 88.9 WRDL. The show runs from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. and is hosted by Besiel and Lentz on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while Spector and Bleininger host the show on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Beisel started the show and said he decided on the idea because it would be a first for WRDL. He said the idea started small and grew into what it is now. 

“Since I was pretty involved with the station as a DJ last year, I thought it would be awesome to start a talk-show, something new that WRDL never had before,” he said. “After spit-balling and planning with other WRDL staff mebers, to decided to go for it.”

Part of the show includes featuring local guests. Lentz said that the show consists of four talk breaks, which are filled with interviews, questions and discussion. 

“We look to have two guests each day, so we only have to have two talk breaks and we don’t bore our audience too much with our own voices,” Lentz said. “But sometimes that doesn’t happen; then it’s a decision, sometimes a quick one, on what we’re going to do for that break. Each talk break is around 10 minutes, give or take one or two [minutes] depending on the topics and guests.” 

The show changes from day to day, but some guests are regulars. Depending on the hosts and the topics, certain guests are always on the show.

“Zack Lemon has his Eagle Exchange on Tuesday mornings where he usually interviews someone around campus and discusses what is going on in the community and the country,” Bleininger said. “On Thursday mornings we have Sarah Toby, the president of CAB, come on and share what CAB is up to and pretty much upcoming events sponsored by CAB.”

Because their show is on different days and therefore focuses on different topics, Besiel and Lentz have different regular guests. 

“Our guests are awesome,” Lentz said. “We currently have some regulars. For mine and Chris›s half, we have Head Football Coach Lee Owens every Monday, Mayor Glenn Stewart every Wednesday and Tricia Applegate every Friday.” 

Lentz said that although getting up early three times a week was a struggle, she enjoys hosting the show with Beisel and talking with the guests. 

“My favorite part of the show is probably when we have guests,” she said. “Specifically, I like Mondays with Coach Lee Owns. He’s a great guy, has good energy, and loves to talk so it makes our job a little easier. But I also like when Chris and I get into a flow with talking on topics we both like so we’re almost having a conversation with one another.” 

One plus that Spector and Bleininger find in the show is their relationship. The two have been best friends since their freshman year, and both said they enjoy working together. 

“I really enjoy the aspect of being able to do this with my best friend,” Spector said. “It provides for great chemistry and is fun.” 

Bleininger agreed and said their chemistry adds something different to their show. 

“I feel that Kate and Chris have good chemistry but my chemistry with Josh has developed and I feel that our relationship is stronger,” she said. “However Josh and I have the habit of getting off topic and wandering but Kate and Chris are able to stay on topic with little incident. But I think our differences are what makes us such a strong group for WRDL. We have different personalities and different ways of bringing creativity to WRDL and it just works for us.”

Beisel agreed and said that although the show itself may be the same, the way it runs can be completely different. 

“No two DJs are the same, and it is even more interesting to experience two DJs on the air at once,” he said. “You definitely form a bond with your DJ counter-part that is polished every show that happens. Overall, every edition of The Early Bird’s Word has the same format, clock set-up, and foundation; they are just executed differently.”

The Early Bird’s Word consists of many relevant topics to both Ashland University and Ashland County. All hosts agreed that the show is pertinent to students and they would enjoy listening to it. 

“Our show is an entertaining way to wake up, perhaps if you are at the rec listening, simply eating breakfast, or even just rolling our of bed – starting it off with The Early Bird’s Word is sure to kick-start you day right,” Beisel said. 

Lentz and Spector agreed and said that the information in the show is always different and beneficial to students. 

“Students should listen because we really keep people in touch with what is happening on campus, as well as some juicy entertainment gossip,” Spector said. 

Beisel said he is very proud of where the show is now, but also has high hopes for the future. 

“For the future, I would first of all like to see the show continue to exist,” he said. “It would be amazing to see something that I started evolve to even greater heights. One of the weekly duties we do to keep the show entertaining is we collaborate on new interviews that we could try to get from the Ashland Community. It would be great to see the show get even more note-worthy interviews.” 

Besides having interviews during talk breaks, each show is also filled with WRDL’s typical music selection. However, the DJs can choose what topics they wish to discus while on the air. Bleininger said that is one of her favorite parts, and loves working with such a close friend.

“My favorite part of the show is bringing music and entertainment with my best friend to the public in the mornings,” she said. “It’s just so fun to be able to work with my best friend who makes the morning more fun and makes me forget about lost sleep.” 

Beisel described his experience on the show as “incredible,” and said there isn’t much he wishes to change. He said working on the show has been a great opportunity.

“I am so thankful to get this hands-on experience, particularly because I would love to work for a radio station someday,” he said. “A lot of times I will be up very late researching our guests, coming up with talking points, and finding interesting topics for the show. So after waking up early, it just feels so great to have a successful show and to experience all of my hard work paying off.”