Blake Smith
Takes over the air for DSU radio operations
By Jack Criss, The Bolivar Bullet
April 18, 2025
As the newly-hired Radio Operations Specialist for Delta State University who oversees the campus station 88.1 WDSW The Trail, starting his job on January 2 of this year, Blake Smith said he had a great impression of the university, and Cleveland, when he first arrived.
"I think Christy Riddle, Director of Communications and Marketing, and Nathan Duff, Campus Media Coordinator and Staff Writer, have heard me say this many times since I came aboard," said Smith. "When I saw the university for the first time, I was surprised by how beautiful the campus was, and that was in the dead of winter. I can't wait to see it when it greens up in a few weeks. And Cleveland already feels like home. I moved here from California, but I am from the south. I wasn't born in the south, but I've spent more than half of my life here. So it feels like I have come home."
"Also, my less-than-a-quarter-of-a-mile commute is as good as it gets! We have speakers that play the radio station on campus, which always makes me smile when I arrive on the job at 7:00 a.m. every morning," added Smith.
It was by pure coincidence that Smith ended up at Delta State.
"It really was just by chance that I saw the opportunity online," said Smith. "Honestly, I had never heard of Delta State University, and I used to live as close as Nashville. So I believe we have a real opportunity with 88.1 WDSW The Trail to help spread the word about the outstanding programs that we offer. WDSW is in every single market in the country because of the Internet. You can listen to 88.1 WDSW The Trail at WDSW.org."
Smith was actually born in Germany and lived in Canada prior moving to the United States.
"Music has always been the center of my life," he said of his early life. "At age 6, my parents let me cut the grass around the trees in our yard with scissors (we didn't have a string trimmer) to earn money for my first guitar, and growing up I was always in a band. At 21, I was the DJ at a large, trendy club in Richmond, VA. And ultimately, I sold my handmade, fretless bass to pay for a U-Haul truck from Georgia to Massachusetts, which is where I started my career in broadcasting."
"Since then, I have worked for radio stations up and down the East Coast as an operations director, program director, and midday on-air personality," continued Smith. "At one point, I launched and programmed an Internet-only radio station called Onion River Radio, which was mentioned in The New York Times, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, etc. and was a featured channel on Microsoft's Windows Media Player. One of the highlights of my career to date has been testifying before Congress on behalf of the webcasting community, and more specifically, a group of Internet-only radio stations earning less than $2 million per year, regarding royalty rates and reporting requirements, which resulted in new legislation."
Smith's primary roles at The Trail are Operations Director, Program Director, "Coach," Production Director, and Traffic Manager.
"As Operations Director, l oversee the daily operations of the station, including the broadcasting equipment, computers, and software. The Program Director role means I choose the artists and songs that are in rotation, the order of the songs, how often they play, who we use as our station voice that you hear in the station imaging, and so on. I also train and coach the student on-air personalities. Coaching the students is one of my favorite roles. It is a lot of fun hearing them improve," said Smith.
Further commenting on those students, Smith said, "I am thrilled with the group of jocks that we have at the station. We currently have two guys and two girls. One of the guys has a laid back delivery, which I like, and the other sounds like he has been on the air for years and he just started. I could listen to one of the girls all day, and the other will work in New York, Los Angeles, wherever she decides to live because her voice and delivery is that good. It also helps that she has a terrific accent!"
Smith said that also, as Production Director and Traffic Manager, he produces and/or schedules the new underwriter spots and PSAs (Public Service Announcements) that are heard on the station. "We are very grateful for the support that we receive from the community," he added.
As far as the goals he has in mind for The Trail station, Smith mentioned several key ideas.
"In addition to 25-54 year olds, we are now targeting 18-34 year olds, which includes our existing students as well as prospective students. In order to increase Cume and TSL, which is the cumulative audience and time spent listening, respectively, WDSW needs to have mass appeal. So the playlist has been revamped, the programming rules have changed, and we now play more music than ever and have less clutter, which is one of ways we can compete with Internet-only radio stations, for example," said Smith.
"Simply put, my goal is to program one of the best AAA (Adult Album Alternative) radio stations in the country. And when I have a sufficient number of songs in rotation, I will include special features and spice up categories to give the station a Mississippi flavor. I also think it's important to feature local music in regular rotation to provide exposure and opportunity to local artists."
Those interested in what Smith and the students are putting out for the community can listen to 88.1 WDSW The Trail at WDSW.org.
