The End of an Era: Farewell to 101QFL

Me, Mike "The SchloMan" Schlote and engineer Jon Burkholder, 2003

Almost two years ago...when I had been working at radio station 101QFL (WQFL) for 28 years...we got the word that the stations (including our sister station Radio 91) had been sold to a national company. (The stations had been owned by a local church for many years.)

I remember sitting in the meeting thinking, "So what does that mean to our jobs?" and then realizing, "Oh, duh. We will most likely be losing our jobs" and feeling, as the British say, gobsmacked.

A few months later, Radio 91 was no more. As they had indicated they would, the company left QFL a local station for the time being.

I was able to stay on, hosting a midday show, for another six months, then I too had to go. I now do mid-day news on News/Talk 1440 WROK.

With Joe Buchanan

In the little news studio that Mike Schlote dubbed "The Glass Bubble"

Charmel Jacobs, Ron Tietsort and me on the day we said good-bye to Radio 91

Another farewell

This past week I learned that 101QFL will be no more. Henceforward it will be Air One, a division of the company that bought the stations.

I am glad it will still be a Christian station. However, I can't deny that I am VERY sad that it will no longer be a local, community station.

My final co-host at 101QFL, Darren Marlar, wrote this on Facebook today: "

My best radio was hosting mornings with Cindy Garrett Swanson and hanging with Rick Hall at Positive Hits Wqfl in Rockford, IL. I don't know if God has a return to radio in my future or not - He has me pretty busy with stand-up comedy and TV right now, but regardless I will look back on QFL with fond memories. Rest in peace, 101QFL: 5/2/74 - 4/8/11."

Me and Darren Marlar--working with him on his morning show was sheer fun!

Susan Tyler, a long-time colleague at both 101QFL and Radio 91, wrote:

"... QFL will always hold a special place in my heart. It was station that sparked the desire in me at 13 to want to be in radio. It was the station that gave me my first job. Who would have thought, that 11 almost 12 years later, that I would be given the honor to be it's last & final Program Director? God knew. He knew that this place needed some one who cared and had a passion to see it go out in the highest form of dignity that it deserves. It will be greatly missed, but think of all the lives it touched and how many talented people passed through here. Each of us laid the brickwork for God's Kingdom and now it's going to be a mighty force, more than it could ever have been on it's own, as it joins the AIR1 Radio network..."

Susan Tyler and me--and Hammy the Hog!--at an event in 2010, not long before I was let go

Cue "Memories...pressed between the pages of my mind..."

On the occasion of my 25th anniversary at the station, I blogged about it, and included some thoughts and memories:

"*When I first came here, I typed my news stories on a manual (yes, MANUAL!) typewriter. I remember being thrilled when the newsroom got an electric! I now have a computer complete with AP news and SounDesk as well as the Internet.

*We recorded our interviews on reel-to-reel and transferred them to cartridges. My soundbites are now all recorded onto my computer (from mini-disc if necessary.)

*I sat through lengthy county board and city council meetings in order to garner a few minutes of soundbites. 101QFL is now a music-intensive station whose focus has shifted away from a heavy emphasis on news, so such coverage would no longer be a wise time investment.

*I used to truly enjoy covering murder trials and calling in reports to the station. One of the most exciting things that has happened to me as a reporter was when I was covering the trial of accused murderer Ray Lee Stewart. At one point, he escaped from a guard on his way to the courtroom and was shot by law enforcement authorities before being on the loose for a few hours. I and a TV reporter were the only people in the courtroom at the time, waiting for the trial to resume after a recess, and we got the story to our respective stations before anyone else.

*When I first came here, the station was in a residential neighborhood that wasn't close to any retail or food places. We had to travel a ways to even go to McDonald's, and what is now a major thoroughfare (Riverside Boulevard) was just a two-lane road. Now, the station is in prime real estate surrounded by every sort of business and eatery.

*Brian Wright and other staffers used to do their best to crack me up while I was on the air. I usually managed to make it through the newscast, but then I would completely lose it as soon as the mic was turned off!

*I started working on March 23rd, 1981, but I was scheduled to go on the air for the first time on Monday, March 30th. However, a certain event called a presidential assassination attempt pre-empted me! Yes, that was the day President Reagan was shot. We went with ABC Network News, and I never made it on the air that day.

There are a lot of great--and not-so-great--memories. General managers who were complete jerks, and a few who were wonderful. A long list of DJ's and support staff for whom I will always feel affection. Many colleagues--like Mike Marino, Mike Schlote, Joel Griffith, Randy Adams, Joe Buchanan and Chris Carmichael--who I still miss to this day. Others with whom I'm now working, like Darren Marlar, help make radio a continous joy for me."

So many other names I could have added: Ron Tietsort, Wes Bleed, Paul Youngblood, Rick Hall, Charmel Jacobs, Susan Tyler, Stan Brengle, Jon Burkholder... the list could go on and on...

Only eternity will tell...

I think we'll never know the true magnitude of the impact WQFL made for the kingdom of God until we get to Heaven. I know I've heard many testimonies from people on how it changed their lives, saved their marriages, stopped them from committing suicide, or even just got them going to church again, but I would imagine all the stories I've heard are just the tip of the iceberg.

One of the most special things about the whole experience? The listeners. Getting to know them. Seeing them at events and concerts. Telling them what was going on in their town, on their street, in their church...what the weather was going to be like in their neighborhood.

It IS the end of an era. And I want to echo Susan: THANK YOU. Thank you for a time that will live on in my heart forever.

So you want to be a voice-over artist (part 2)

"People always tell me I have a great voice. How can I break into the voice-over business?"

This is a question I often get. I'm sure there are many ways people break into this business--many come to it from a career in acting, for example.

However, I'm going to give you the advice I give everyone who asks me this question.

If you want to get into the voice-over business, first of all, develop a relationship with a radio station.

Many, if not most, radio stations are hurting for voice-over talent. I advise people who are genuinely interested in getting into voice-overs to call and make an appointment with the program director (PD) of a local radio station.

When you meet with him or her, explain that you want to break into voice-overs, so you are offering your services FOR FREE in exchange for a bit of coaching.

Some program directors may be too busy to bother with it, but some may jump at the chance--especially if you really do have a great voice.

Ask to record a spot--radio-speak for "commercial"--and ask for the PD to give you an honest critique. Be completely open to criticism and advice.

If the PD is open to helping you develop as a voice-over artist (and what's in it for him? He's getting FREE voice-over talent for the spots he airs), keep that relationship going by being available to voice spots.

Make sure you get mp3's of each spot you do. Once you develop a repertoire, the next step is to market yourself.

You can do that a few different ways as well, but one good way is to join sites like Voice Over Universe and Voice 123, where you can have your own web page about yourself, with samples of your work.

Such sites have options for free membership or paid membership. (Supposedly, paid members get better access to V-O jobs, but the jury's still out on that.)

Ability to record?

When you do eventually start getting some V-O work, you're going to have to have the ability to record them. That is a whole 'nother post, and since it is definitely NOT my area of expertise (I'm still in the process of developing my own home studio, and I'm counting on the help and advice of friends who are experts), I will leave that for you to research on your own.

As you can see, there's no magic bullet, and it takes not expecting payment while you learn your craft. It also assumes that there's a radio person out there that will be willing to take the time to mentor you. But if you can work it out, and you really do have talent, your chances are good.

(By the way, the Voice Over Universe site is a rich treasure trove of advice and information on the V-O business. There are forums, articles and discussions from experts that are like a virtual course in voice-over work.)

Again, there are probably other ways to get into voice-over work, but this is the advice I give.

So, just what is a voice-over artist and how did I become one?--Part 1

I've gotten several questions lately from my blog readers about my voice-over work. What exactly is being a voice-over artist? How did I get into the business? How can they get into V-O work?

So, although I don't claim any particular expertise--and in fact my voice-over career isn't yet where I would like it to be--I thought I'd answer these questions, from my perspective.


Quite simply, a voice-over artist provides a voice narration for a recording. Those voices you hear on radio and TV commercials? Those are voice-over artists. The dramatic guy you hear on the movie trailer? A voice-over artist. The voice on an instruction video? Yep, a voice-over artist.

When I first got into radio. Oh, how the years go by!

For me, it all started with radio

It all began when I was 19 years old, in Bible college in Springfield, Missouri, and wangled a part-time job at a Christian radio station.

I worked there for three years, then moved with my husband to his hometown, where I had my first child (Jonathan), and a year later, got a job at 101QFL.

If you're interested, this post will tell you more about that.

A few years into working at the station, I got a call from a man who owned a local video production company. He needed a female voice for a TV commercial, and he liked my voice on the radio.

That became my first voice-over job. I remember how excited it was as I entered the booth to record. I've never been nervous about doing voice-overs--it's something I feel I was, as cliche as it sounds, "born to do."

Right then and there, I knew that if I could quit my day job, voice-over is what I would do all the time.

Coasting along in a V-O career....

That V-O job led to several others with the same company, but still rather few and far between.

Then a guy who had been a DJ at the radio station and now owned his own recording studio called me and asked me to do some work for a local advertising agency. That led to several years of occasional V-O jobs at his studio.

All this time, I wasn't actively promoting my V-O career at all. The occasional jobs I got simply fell into my lap. They were nice extra money, and I loved doing them...but my life was really taken up with my radio station job, being a wife and raising three children.



Interviewing Peter Furler of the Newsboys, 2003

Getting in deeper...

I've been blessed to have a variety of V-O jobs come to me through various sources, so I really do have a wide array of experience is most aspects of the job: video narrations, commercials, phone surveys, phone prompts, voice acting, book trailers, and much more.

The two major, ongoing V-O jobs I have had also came without me seeking them. As a Christian, I believe they were both a "God thing," and they've been a source of real financial help to me and my family (although I'm definitely not getting rich!).

In early 2003, I got an e-mail from a company that records e-learning courses in Mumbai, India. They had somehow found me on the internet (I had a small voice-over page on my now-extinct website), and they asked for a demo.

(I now know that many V-O artists have had some terrible experiences with these types of companies--some are unreliable and downright fraudulent. I didn't know that then!)

This V-O job has been ongoing, off-and-on, since early 2003, and for the most part it has been a good experience. The company is quite legit, and although they tend to need things frantically and are sometimes slow in paying, they always do pay up.

A few years later, I got a call from a company that produces phone surveys for all kinds of businesses. Apparently their CEO had heard my demo on, of all things, this blog.

This has turned into my most beneficial V-O job, and one which I hope continues indefinitely. This company is a genuine pleasure to work for, and (something that is rare in the V-O world), they pay me regularly and PROMPTLY. This has been especially helpful--in fact, essential--since I lost my radio job this past March.


As co-host of "Marlar in the Morning" on 101QFL, 2008

Speaking of that...

I can't say my world wasn't rocked when I lost my job at 101QFL after 29 years of working there. However, I can see God's hand in the whole experience. (You can read more about that here.)

Losing my job has been very difficult, but it has forced me out of my comfort zone and made me realize what I really want to do--and that is voice-over work.

So, I'm now taking steps to expand my V-O career, and for the first time, really market myself as a voice-over artist. It's an ongoing thing at the moment, and I'm trying to learn all I can. (For example, do I try to get an agent?)

I also still have one foot in the door of radio, as I'm doing fill-in work at Cumulus Broadcasting here in Rockford, mainly News/Talk 1440 WROK.

If you'd like to hear some samples of my work, go to my Voice-Over Universe page or to my Voice 123 page. And if you need a female voice for a project, don't hesitate to contact me! :)

Tomorrow...

In Part 2 of this post, I'll share the advice I give for people who ask me how they can get into the voice-over business.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, fire away!

Flashback Friday: The Toys of Childhood

Mocha with Linda hosts this fun meme. Go here to play!

Oh, and once again I'm combining this with another fun meme, Company Girl Coffee.


What toys do you remember from your childhood?--I can remember, as a very little girl, getting a baby doll for Christmas that I absolutely loved. This was one of the first dolls that actually felt soft, like a baby, instead of being made out of hard plastic. (I am showing my age here!)

I remember it had a bottle with fake milk in it that never actually came out, but it could look like the baby was drinking it. I loved that doll!

I was never into the Chatty Cathy-type doll, because I had seen a Twilight Zone episode in which that type of doll came to life and killed a family. Eeeesh!

However, as you'll see in the next question, dolls soon became supplanted by a few passions: reading, writing, and recording. It's amazing how at a very young age, my future career was already being presaged!

What did you like to do to entertain yourself?--My sister and I created elaborate stories that we acted out. We were Kay and Donna, two teen-aged sisters (several years older than we actually were, of course.) Kay and Donna were pretty, grown-up, and had boyfriends.

Sometimes when we went out to eat with our parents, we were thrilled to get to sit in our own booth so we could pretend to be Kay and Donna.

My dad had a reel-to-reel tape recorder when we were little girls, and we would record ourselves singing and having our own radio show. I never dreamed that I would grow up to have my own radio shows!



Later, when technology graduated to cassette tape recorders, I would interview anyone who would let me. Some of the funniest recordings were those in which I was interviewing my baby brother and my little nieces. I wish I still had some of those cassettes--and something to play them on!

Mostly, I would read. My favorite thing to do was sit in my bed with my knees up, getting totally and completely lost in a book. A couple of times my knees actually got locked in that position--no lie!



Did you mostly play inside or outside? Did you ride a bike all over the neighborhood?

As I look back on my childhood, it's really amazing how much time I did spend outside. There were days my mom sent us outdoors, pretty much with instructions not to come back in until she told us to.

That was a much safer era, and kids could play outside and even run around the neighborhood without much fear. I feel really sad for the children of today who missed out on that more innocent time.

My sister Lisa and I would play outside tirelessly, but it usually wasn't organized sports. For example, we would hike through the woods across the street and pretend to be missionaries in the jungle. (Most of our play seemed to involve role-playing and/or pretending!)

Lisa was very athletic and would throw a football, etc, but I shied away from sports, basically because I stunk at them. However, I did have a bike, and I absolutely loved riding it.

Was there a toy you always wanted and never got to have? I would have loved to have had a Barbie Dream House. My cousin had one, and I coveted it strongly.

But all in all, if I had books and paper, I was pretty contented.




Hmmm...things haven't really changed much!

Click on the icon to check out Flashback Friday!




P.S. I hope it's OK that I'm once again combining Flashback Friday and Company Girl Coffee, another meme I enjoy. Click the icon below to participate in Company Girl, which is hosted by the lovely Home Sanctuary!