Legacy Story
Throughout my radio life, I’ve been lucky enough to work for and with incredibly talented people who lived, breathed, and truly respected this incredibly challenging and interesting craft. I’ve also worked for and with less gifted folks who had little respect for the medium. I’ve learned equally from both camps, soaking up knowledge and experience of the greats I’ve been around and learning valuable lessons from my own mistakes and the failure of others.
I’ve been in this business since I was a child. Literally. And I have experienced nearly every situation from multiple angles.
It started with my father, Bob Meadows, who taught me every aspect of the business. My family owned a small market AM/FM combo and later ran a group of stations in the Texas Hill Country. He’s still my first call when I need advice on any major decisions.
My two brothers are radio engineers. Rob and Chris have given me the ability to sound more technically inclined than I really am.
I spent fifteen years working for Gerry Schlegel at LKCM Radio Group, where I learned management lessons and how to balance my desire for quick decisions with patience to make sure those decisions are based on facts and not emotion. At LKCM, I managed a great team of veteran talent, including Steve Harmon, Heywood, Linda O’Brien, Rick Lovett, Nadine & Rebel, Kevin McCoy, Mike Crow, Debi Diaz, Tom Bigbee, Jeremy Robinson, and Malone Lankford. Plus, I trained eager, up-and-coming talent to find their way into the business.
As Program Director and Operations Manager, I’ve worked with the best radio consultants in the business including Rusty Walker, Scott Mahalik, Howard Kroeger, and Tracy Johnson. In the process, I learned to focus on solutions and phrase messages to impact my team of very different personality types.
In 2019, I become a full-time consultant and formed a partnership with Tracy Johnson Media Group. I published my first book, participated in webinars, and learned to polish my rather blunt “shoot you straight” Southern style of coaching.
I hope my legacy is that of a guy who enjoys solving complicated radio puzzles of how to compete and win at the local level regardless of the competitive situation. I want to be known as the guy who passes expertise and experience to those he coaches while learning from them and evolving as the industry changes.
Comments
Tracy Johnson:
Andy has such a diverse background and set of skills that give him a range of skills and perspective that fit every format and market size. He is a patient teacher that loves passing his expertise on to developing talent. That, I believe, will be his legacy.
