Let’s make radio history together
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Hello. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to discuss the games I love on the radio. It has been a struggle that has lasted nearly a decade and I am finally nearing the first real opportunity that I've ever had to host a daily sports talk radio program.
My Story
Back in 1997, I had just left Wake Forest University to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. After working in television production for nearly two years, I got my first breaks as a reporter for KLAX-TV in Alexandria, La. and then at WGGB-TV in Springfield, Mass.
I loved television because it allowed me to interact with players and coaches of all ages, and to help tell their stories. Unfortunately, local television doesn't allow for a lot of opinion or nuance, and sports has always been the last priority of the newsroom.
Discouraged and dealing with some personal health issues, I left the business for the stability of public relations and marketing. For 13 years I was very successful in that field.
As a copywriter I wrote commercials and helped develop campaigns for large national brands. I worked in politics at the local and state level, helping to elect a mayor and a governor.
After Hurricane Katrina, I worked for the largest charter school organization, at the time, in New Orleans. Helping to resuscitate the school system in my hometown and shining a light on the issues that faced everyone involved was some of the greatest work I ever did.
I continued to work in education for a number of years, leading communications efforts for the Louisiana Department of Education, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), and Dillard University.
It was during my time at SUNO that I rediscovered my passion for sports journalism. I was pulling double-duty as the Sports Information Director and that proximity to the student-athletes and the coaches quickly turned a job that was an added responsibility into my favorite component of my work day.
During my time there I helped elevate the brand of the athletic program through writing game stories and creating content to promote every team.
I knew I wanted back in, but I didn't know how to get there.
A chance meeting in 2013 about advertising turned into a connection with local sports institution Ken Trahan. He gave me an opportunity to start covering basketball and baseball, but there was no money involved.
Writing led to more opportunities. I began working with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference as its SID, and I helped it evolve in its imaging, branding, and storytelling.
I also started working with my good friend Ro Brown. Ro asked me to sit in as a co-host and eventually serve as a fill-in host for him on WBOK radio for his weekly "Sport-a-facts" show.
I have continued to write and have built a solid audience for my coverage of LSU football and the New Orleans Pelicans and my columns that cover a wide range of issues along the sports spectrum.
In turn, I have become one of the go-to voices in the New Orleans area when it comes to discussing sports. I have also expanded my reach by appearing weekly on KYOK radio in Houston with AJ Jones on "The Lunch Break," and by contributing to SB Nation's "The Bird Writes."
These days, if you're not everywhere, you're nowhere. With the assistance of some great partners, I have been continuing to build the structure to support my multimedia needs. I plan on launching a website and weekly podcast in the coming weeks. The one thing missing is a platform that really allows me to engage with an audience and to discuss the topics that people care about when they are happening.
Recently, I became aware that a time slot may be opening up at one of New Orleans' sports talk radio stations. The thought of finally accomplishing the goal that so many people have helped push (and sometimes drag) me towards reaching, is just something I can't let go of.
David Grubb in for D-Squared on a Funkadelic Friday!
David Grubb of CrescentCitySports.com is sitting in for Big E, David breaksdown the Tigers win over Yale, and then dives into Saints Free Agency Talk.
One of the biggest hurdles is getting the financial resources to pay for air time. The estimate that I have received states that my cost per month would be between $2600-$3000.
Any contribution that you make will go towards offsetting those costs, as well as my travel expenses stemming from my commute to New Orleans from Baton Rouge each day, while I pursue advertising partners to sustain the show.
I will not make a dollar personally off of this until I bring in advertisers. This is truly a passion project.
The first few months are critical to me building an audience and continuing to network with potential guests and partners.
If I reach this goal, I could be on-air this summer.
Yes, this would be huge for me and my career, but this means even more than that to me. Currently, there isn't a single Person of Color hosting a sports talk program in either metropolitan area and as far as I know there hasn’t been one in my lifetime.
Representation is important. According to a 2015 study done by Barrett Sports Media, there were only 41 non-white, on-air personalities in the top 20 radio markets.
That means that there are so many ideas and perspectives that are being kept out of the marketplace. In turn, we all suffer.
I am committed to making sure that once I have a platform to stand on, I help more POC and women get their opportunity to be heard.
That is as important to me as any value that I could bring to the sports landscape.
Thank you for your time and your support, however it comes. I couldn't do this without you.
Sincerely,
David
My Story
Back in 1997, I had just left Wake Forest University to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. After working in television production for nearly two years, I got my first breaks as a reporter for KLAX-TV in Alexandria, La. and then at WGGB-TV in Springfield, Mass.
I loved television because it allowed me to interact with players and coaches of all ages, and to help tell their stories. Unfortunately, local television doesn't allow for a lot of opinion or nuance, and sports has always been the last priority of the newsroom.
Discouraged and dealing with some personal health issues, I left the business for the stability of public relations and marketing. For 13 years I was very successful in that field.
As a copywriter I wrote commercials and helped develop campaigns for large national brands. I worked in politics at the local and state level, helping to elect a mayor and a governor.
After Hurricane Katrina, I worked for the largest charter school organization, at the time, in New Orleans. Helping to resuscitate the school system in my hometown and shining a light on the issues that faced everyone involved was some of the greatest work I ever did.
I continued to work in education for a number of years, leading communications efforts for the Louisiana Department of Education, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), and Dillard University.
It was during my time at SUNO that I rediscovered my passion for sports journalism. I was pulling double-duty as the Sports Information Director and that proximity to the student-athletes and the coaches quickly turned a job that was an added responsibility into my favorite component of my work day.
During my time there I helped elevate the brand of the athletic program through writing game stories and creating content to promote every team.
I knew I wanted back in, but I didn't know how to get there.
A chance meeting in 2013 about advertising turned into a connection with local sports institution Ken Trahan. He gave me an opportunity to start covering basketball and baseball, but there was no money involved.
Writing led to more opportunities. I began working with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference as its SID, and I helped it evolve in its imaging, branding, and storytelling.
I also started working with my good friend Ro Brown. Ro asked me to sit in as a co-host and eventually serve as a fill-in host for him on WBOK radio for his weekly "Sport-a-facts" show.
I have continued to write and have built a solid audience for my coverage of LSU football and the New Orleans Pelicans and my columns that cover a wide range of issues along the sports spectrum.
In turn, I have become one of the go-to voices in the New Orleans area when it comes to discussing sports. I have also expanded my reach by appearing weekly on KYOK radio in Houston with AJ Jones on "The Lunch Break," and by contributing to SB Nation's "The Bird Writes."
These days, if you're not everywhere, you're nowhere. With the assistance of some great partners, I have been continuing to build the structure to support my multimedia needs. I plan on launching a website and weekly podcast in the coming weeks. The one thing missing is a platform that really allows me to engage with an audience and to discuss the topics that people care about when they are happening.
Recently, I became aware that a time slot may be opening up at one of New Orleans' sports talk radio stations. The thought of finally accomplishing the goal that so many people have helped push (and sometimes drag) me towards reaching, is just something I can't let go of.
David Grubb in for D-Squared on a Funkadelic Friday!
David Grubb of CrescentCitySports.com is sitting in for Big E, David breaksdown the Tigers win over Yale, and then dives into Saints Free Agency Talk.
One of the biggest hurdles is getting the financial resources to pay for air time. The estimate that I have received states that my cost per month would be between $2600-$3000.
Any contribution that you make will go towards offsetting those costs, as well as my travel expenses stemming from my commute to New Orleans from Baton Rouge each day, while I pursue advertising partners to sustain the show.
I will not make a dollar personally off of this until I bring in advertisers. This is truly a passion project.
The first few months are critical to me building an audience and continuing to network with potential guests and partners.
If I reach this goal, I could be on-air this summer.
Yes, this would be huge for me and my career, but this means even more than that to me. Currently, there isn't a single Person of Color hosting a sports talk program in either metropolitan area and as far as I know there hasn’t been one in my lifetime.
Representation is important. According to a 2015 study done by Barrett Sports Media, there were only 41 non-white, on-air personalities in the top 20 radio markets.
That means that there are so many ideas and perspectives that are being kept out of the marketplace. In turn, we all suffer.
I am committed to making sure that once I have a platform to stand on, I help more POC and women get their opportunity to be heard.
That is as important to me as any value that I could bring to the sports landscape.
Thank you for your time and your support, however it comes. I couldn't do this without you.
Sincerely,
David
Organizer
David Grubb
Organizer
Baton Rouge, LA
