By
Joe Nelson
The July 2017 SanDiegoRadio Spotlight is here.
This month we feature 91X's
Danielle Stuht.
What is your current position?Producer and on-air personality for Mornings on 91X with Tommy
How are things with you right now? Life, work…..Things are great! I just moved into a house in Allied Gardens, so my dog Marilyn now has a yard to enjoy with a ton of space. I eat, breathe, live, and bleed 91X. I have so much passion for this station and brand that everything I do benefits the station in some way. I’m also a huge craft beer advocate. I beertend at Groundswell Brewing Company in Santee a couple days a week. The craft beer community is a one that I admired from a far for years and always wanted to be a part of so when the new Groundswell location opened I thought this was a perfect opportunity to become a part of the local craft beer community. Local craft beer and 91X, a local station, go hand-in-hand and I’ve met some of the most amazing people through both industries.
Do you have anything you’d like to talk about? Such as stories from radio?I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given in radio. Coming from a place like Albuquerque, New Mexico I never would have guessed this is where life would take me. 91X was the first radio station I discovered when I moved to San Diego almost 10 years ago. It blows my mind that I’m a part of such an iconic brand and I’m beyond thankful every day. San Diego has been an amazing place to live and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
San Diego… What is your favorite place to visit?This is tough, but the local breweries are some of my favorite places to go. Especially if they are dog friendly. Some of my favorites include Fall Brewing, Little Miss Brewery, Green Flash Brewery, and beer bar Hamilton’s in South Park.
Is your job still as exciting like it was day one?Absolutely. I never know what to expect.
Where is your favorite place to go out and eat?Turf Supper Club in Golden Hill. Good drinks, tasty steaks that you grill yourself, and awesome tunes. Also, Chris’s Ono Grinds in North Park on 30th Street has the BEST Hawaiian food. When I lived in North Park I had Chris’s Ono Grinds at least once a week.
What are some facts about you that maybe no one knows, but could be interesting?Looking at me you’d never guess, but I played soccer, competed in beauty pageants, was a Girl Scout, and was a cheerleader when I was younger.
How do you view radio now, compared to the past, then looking to the future?I’m still relatively new to radio. I’ve been in the industry 2 ½ years and on-air for almost 2 years so I don’t really know how radio used to be. I do think that in an age where anyone can get anything they want instantly radio needs to do its best not to offend the listener. The listener has certain expectations and when a station doesn’t reach those expectations, the listener has so many other options they don’t need to stick around if they don’t want to. However, I don’t believe radio will ever go away. Technology fails. Blackouts happen. Radio waves will always be there.
How vital is the connection between an on-air personality and the listener?I think this is huge. I do my best to answer every e-mail and respond to every comment left on social media. Those personal connections are important. I remember idolizing DJ’s when I was a kid. I never think of myself as anything special, but it’s the best feeling when I meet a listener and they say how much they enjoy listening to Tommy and I. It makes the 3:00am wakeup call worth it… sometimes. Just kidding. But the connection is huge and I love how easy social media makes it to keep connected.
What is your favorite movie?So many favorites: Anchor Man, I Love You Man, Pinapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, Knocked Up, basically anything Judd Apatow.
With Social Media being so prevalent, tell me the advantages of using FB, Instagram, Twitter to connect with your listenersLike I said before, I love being able to converse with listeners on social media. I do my best to respond to everyone who posts on 91X’s Facebook or Twitter during our on-air slot. I also like to personalize it so the listener knows it’s me answering, not some random person from our digital department (even though they are very witty, awesome people). I also think it’s cool that social media gives a face to the voice. I always wondered what the DJs looked like and now it’s super simple.
What is your favorite radio moment?I’ve had SO MANY awesome radio moments so far from riding in a helicopter with winners out to Coachella to interviewing Mark Hoppus of Blink 182, a guy I’ve idolized since I was a teenager, to giving tickets to a winner who is so stoked to see their favorite band they start crying. All these moments have been memorable but selfishly, my favorite has to be when I was on Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw and Dave gave me $1,000 during the Christmas show. I was shocked. Ugly cry and everything.
How long have you been in radio?I started by have a show called Local Bands Unleashed at San Diego State University’s KCR in Fall 2014. I then was a promotions intern Spring 2015 at KFMB for 100.7 JACK FM and AM760. I promised my instructor I would get “a real internship” (her words, not mine) the following fall if she let me do it. Then I got hired as a part time promotions assistant that summer and went on to full time promotions coordinator at KFMB at the end of August. It was around this time that the then PD, Mike O’Reilly, approached me asking if I would like to sit in for Emily on The DSC while she was on maternity leave. I then came to 91X March 2016 after Emily came back.
What is the most interesting job you’ve ever had?I had always worked in the service industry prior to working in radio. I worked at Hard Rock Café in Gaslamp for 6 years. But my most interesting job would have to be at Disney World when I was 19. I did the “Disney College Program” where you go live in Orlando on Disney property and work somewhere. I worked at one of the nicest resorts in the gift shop. I saw some interesting stuff there...
What broadcasters do you look up to?Not everyone is lucky enough to learn from the best in the business. I 100% look up to Dave Rickards and everything he has accomplished. He is amazing at what he does and has a great work ethic. I also look up to Shelly Dunn. She taught me a lot about being a female in this industry and how to make sure I work to get what I want. Garret Michaels has been a great mentor and I’m constantly learning how to be a better producer and on-air personality from him.
If you could go back in time and work during any era of radio for a few days - which would you choose?
Late 80’s/early 90’s. I hear the WILDEST stories from this time.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?I would like to thank everyone who listens to 91X in the morning and has welcomed myself and Tommy on their morning commute. There are a lot of options in the morning with a lot of great shows that have been around for a long time and I am beyond stoked to be given the opportunity to be a part of your day.
Danielle, thanks for your time!
-Joe
