Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted Mckay.
Hi Ted, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
This adventure started out in 1979 in Nacogdoches TX. After a friend kept bugging me to come to the radio station because I had a good voice for radio. Went to a interview with the general manager and got hired on the spot and away we go. After stops in Shreveport LA, Longview Tx,Texarkana TX I felt my chops were good enough to go west so Las Vegas here I come!
After 5 years in sin city I went to the Bay Area near San Francisco(beautiful and exciting but sooo expensive. Came back to Las Vegas for about a year(cleaned carpets when I got back since I had no gig).That’s another story ☺️. Got a gig at KKLZ in Vegas and the journey continues. My Program Director
moved to Raleigh N.C. and asked if I wanted to join him there, so I did. Vegas and Raleigh gave me a chance to polish my sound and just get better at my craft. Radio was really starting to change with all the companies changing names and acquiring stations everywhere.
After being a on the left and right coast for 10 years in 1999 I decided to come back to
Texas and headed to Dallas. It took a few months but I got a part time gig in 2000 at KZPS and stayed there 20 years until 2020 and got the rep as the Rock Professor cause I would tell you story behind the songs. Time to retire and do other projects I’ve wanted to do for years like a podcast and maybe a radio show under the right situation. Stated a podcast on Spreaker but I was missing something, radio. Yeah I still wanted to do radio again but with voice tracking (someone in another market doing a show on your local station)taking away those jobs it didn’t look good.
But sometimes things come together at the right time and place. Chaz Knight and Lee Russell tracked me down and started talking about a streaming platform Lee owned called 128dbrock.
I listened and they wanted me to start a radio show as The Rock Professor. It seemed like something that could work IF I do it right. Well by now I knew what NOT to do to do a good radio program. So why not. Starting a radio show on your own is very stressful and can get expensive if you don’t watch out. Fortunately all my podcast equipment was radio based so it wasn’t hard to make a few changes to make it work. But having a vision and making it work can seem impossible at times..but I had a secret weapon…Gigdigitalmedia! I knew very little about digital buys, how to set up a website with a email etc, I was lost in all of the media we have today. But Traci Litts at GigDitalMedia who I had worked with at KZPS had started her company and it was the perfect answer I needed. The future looks bright with therealtedmckay.com
website, the merch store and all of branches coming together with the vision of GigDitalMedia so I am very excited about the future 😀
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not a smooth road at all. Being a Black man in radio is very tough. Of course you run into racism just about everywhere. Sometimes it was really ridiculous but I knew where I wanted to go and those folks were just obstacles to make me better and solid. Early in my journey I met some real characters. If you work in market 300 or #1 some things don’t change. Fortunately Vegas, Raleigh, and Dallas had me in a great creative atmosphere. I met lots of talented and creative folks who are good human beings and it was easier to
make your vision come true. Jon Dillion and Redbeard got me started on the Rock Professor idea and they are legends in North TX radio. Also working with Bo and Jim had a great effect on me because of how creative they are. So I got the good after a rough start. But ya gotta keep 💯 moving on to see your dreams happen.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To have a idea and see it turn into a bit on a podcast or show. When I do my radio show I have a general idea but all the fine tuning happens quickly ,,(sometimes). But you take notes and write down ideas and IT’S GO TIME. You gotta make it work be creative informative and most of HAVE SOME FUN.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I strive for the impossible..a perfect show which ain’t gonna happen 🤣. I grade every show, some are pretty good and others can be disappointing. Perfect is very rare but just the best you can..that day. Tomorrow you could be great but give the best you’ve got whenever you can.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://therealtedmckay.com
Image Credits
Photo by GigDitalMedia
