Happy 25th Terri Ray

Terri Ray chuckles as she reflects on her radio career at WKLT (KLT the Rock Station 97.5 and 98.9). This week she is celebrating 25 years behind the microphone.
“When I started here on January 5, 1983, I was fresh out of broadcasting school and I really didn’t know a whole lot about music,” laughs Ray. “People use to say to me ‘you must really like Pink Floyd because that is really cool how you play the whole album side.’ Well I didn’t know I just thought it was one song as their songs all blended together. I grew up the daughter of a Baptist minister and was not allowed to listen to rock music.”
Her ability to speak and connect to the masses may have come in part from her father. He was a successful Baptist minister who built huge congregations in Los Angeles and Detroit, and was essentially the “warm up act” during evangelist Billy Graham’s famous tours in the ’60s and ’70s.
But Ray had no interest in following in his footsteps. She started listening to the radio when she moved to Detroit and after hearing deejay Karen Savelli and listening to the music on WRIF, Ray quickly signed up to work at her high school radio station.
After high school, Ray headed off to Specs Howard School of Broadcasting in Detroit. She was nearing the end of her internship at WSDS “Suds FM,” a country music station, and began sending out tapes to radio stations looking for air talent. One of those stations was KLT, a new rock station located in Kalkaska.

‘I WAS TERRIFIED’
“I thought I was going to get fired my first day as I cued up the wrong record for the Top 5 at 5 (where listeners called in and voted for the top songs). Chuck Poet, our program director, was flying down the hallway and busted into the studio to change records and gave me this look.”
Ray wasn’t fired but it would take years before she became comfortable and at ease behind the microphone.
“I was terrified in those days. The program director at Suds FM told me he was ‘shocked that I got the job at KLT’ and told me ‘I would never make it in this business.’ He really hurt my feelings,” said Ray. “As I look back I was nervous and not very smooth, and I really didn’t know anything about music. But I was committed to making it. I also was committed to having KLT be a stepping stone for a larger market job.”
Over the years, offers to go to Detroit and New York came her way but she declined them all.
“When I arrived in Kalkaska, it was a culture shock, and I went back to Detroit every weekend,” said Ray. “But Northern Michigan grew on me and I fell in love with this place.”
Ray bounced around at different time slots in the early days before settling into her current home of mid-day 22 years ago. In addition to her on-air show, Ray also serves as program director.
“I have found myself doing more production. I produce all those humorous bits between music that we play. Plus I am the music director and I oversee our promotions,” said Ray. “I know some people think I work four hours a day, five days a week. During the winter months I work six days a week (she does a show on Sunday) and during the summer I am here seven days a week.”

PERSONAL CHALLENGE
Her hard work and leadership has earned praise from her colleagues.
“I have been in this business for a long time and I have never met a harder working program director anywhere,” said Charlie Ferguson, general manager of Northern Broadcasting. “To say that Terri Ray is important to KLT is an understatement. Terri Ray is WKLT. She is the heart and soul of this station.”
Last year Ray decided to take on a personal challenge.
“I was overweight and I lacked energy. So I went on Ultra 90 (she became the on-air spokesperson for the product). I lost 25 lbs and I feel great,” said Ray. “I became energized and I even quit smoking. I ride my bike often and cross country ski. I feel great.”
As for the future, Ray sees plenty of opportunity around KLT and Northern Michigan.
“I have joked that if I were to leave radio, I would open up a daycare for pets. I love animals and probably would have been a veterinarian if I wasn’t working in radio,” said Ray. “I like what Michael Moore has done for the region and would like to work in films, maybe even with him doing production work and voice work.”
Now, Ray has no plans on leaving KLT in the near future and jokes that she “plans on being in her 40s for the next 10 years.” She believes that broadcast radio will remain strong in the future.
“A few years ago they were saying satellite radio would be the death of broadcast radio. We are stronger than ever,” said Ray. “Our secret is we remain live and local. I am excited about where we are at and the direction KLT is going. As I look into the future, I see us more involved with technology. We are streaming on the Internet and now have listeners all over the country. We are now looking at social networking and text messaging opportunities as well.”

OMELETTE & FINSTER
So what about that morning show? After all, Ray was in part responsible for bringing Omelette to town two years ago.
“Sure, I was worried at first. His show was something Northern Michigan was not use to and we always played music. So there was an adjustment period,” said Ray. “But don’t let his on-air persona fool you. Omelette is one of the smartest radio people I have ever met. He is a one-man P.R. machine. Now Finster on the other hand, well… just kidding, because when Omelette brought Finster to the show he brought what was missing. Now with Union Kate keeping them in line we have the strongest morning show in our history and certainly one of the best morning shows in the country.”
Ray takes her point further.
“A morning show makes or breaks a radio station. It is everything to a radio station,” said Ray. “The morning show is your first connection to the station. What the Omelette & Finster show has done has filtered down through the rest of the day.”
So at the end of the day, what does Terri Ray like most about her job?
“As Omelette & Finster would say ‘The People,’ and I like the people I am working with. I have been blessed with some great general managers in Reggie Box (who passed away of cancer 10 years ago) and Charlie Ferguson, both old-school radio guys. The morning show, Johnny The Garbage Man, J.J. and NASCAR Steve all make my job easier. We are the voices of the station, but we have this great team off the air as well,” said Ray. “I also like the friendships that I have developed over the years with the listeners. I like being a part of their lives. It means a lot to me when someone who has moved away moves back and calls and says ‘I know I am home because Terri Ray is on the radio.’ I know I am at home each and every day I enter the studio here at KLT.”
During their last broadcast of 2008 Omelette & Finster were discussing Ray’s 25 years at KLT and summed it up this way: “In Northern Michigan there is Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Mark Farner and Terri Ray.”
Terri Ray may be heard weekdays from 10 am to 2 pm on WKLT FM 97.5 and
98.9. She will appear on the Omelette & Finster show this Friday to reflect on her
25 years at KLT.

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