Whether its his trusted familiar voice or her funny and charming stories, you just can’t help but want to be friends with Ara and Toby – the energetic morning show duo from 103.1 Beach Radio.
Photo Credit: Contributed
Since launching last October, Beach Radio, part of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, has become the fastest growing radio station in Kelowna. A large part of that has to do with the connections Ara Andonian and Toby Tannas have made with their listeners and the community as a whole.
“It is insane the amount of interaction we get [with the listeners], said Andonian. “Whether we’re on the air through calls and texting, on the street or on social media, people are just really into local radio.”
Local radio has been a part of Andonian’s life for as long as he can remember. When he was five years old, his father had an Armenian radio show on a community station in Richmond, BC. After gaining experience in markets from Prince Rupert to Edmonton, Andonian chose to settle with his wife and two children in Kelowna.
“You don’t realize as a radio host how much you share your life with the listeners. You’re a part of them and they take you with them in the morning wherever they go,” he said. “The other day, I was at the grocery store and a lady recognized me with my son Arlo and asked, ‘Where is your daughter Poppy?’. That was so cool, to have a stranger come up to me and speak to me like we’re friends because of the connections we’ve made through radio.”
Photo Credit: Contributed
Tannas says the real time interaction with listeners is what makes local radio so social.
“When somebody wants to know something, they turn on the radio. Its instant,” said Tannas. “I think having that connection to people in your community and being able to pass information on to them in real time is important.
You may not be a newshound, but just to know what’s going on in the pulse of the community is important. We are in it. We see it and we put it on the air.”
Tannas is no stranger to the broadcasting community, having worked in local television for 20 years prior to joining 103.1 Beach Radio. Hearing strangers say ‘I grew up watching you on the news’ allowed her to take that trust and influence from the tv set to the radio booth.
“And we reach a broad audience. Ara is a new parent and I am almost an empty-nester so we contrast each other perfectly and are able to share stories with different genres in our demographic,” said Tannas. “We’re talking about something and within a couple of minutes they [listeners] are calling and texting. I love that they feel like they can call and text us and they’re along for the ride.”
On-air is just one way Andonian and Tannas connect with their listeners. They often engage their fans through social media channels like Facebook, allowing them to extend the dialogue even after the microphone is turned off.
Being real. Being present in the community. Disseminating useful information, music and entertainment. Beach Mornings with Ara and Toby on 103.1 Beach Radio – a great example of why local morning radio matters.
Visit www.morningradiomatters.com to learn more.
