By: Makayla Dilliner
“I've always been a goofball. Throughout middle school and high school, I did voice impressions and tried to be a comedian type of thing. But I never really thought of that as a job, I just thought, I've got to go to college, I've got to get a degree. I started out at Windward Community College in a Business admin major— something I didn’t truly like,” he recalled.
Still, all would change when a connection within the broadcast industry enabled Bender to land his first radio gig. “I was fortunate that I got that moment at the right time, instead of wasting all this time doing something that probably I wouldn't have ended up liking, I got this opportunity presented to me to do something that ended up being a true career for me and something that I loved.”
First dubbed as “Jimmy Da Geek” on air, Bender produces the iconic morning radio show, Perry and the Posse with Michael W. Perry. From behind the scenes to on-air, Bender shed light on his range, “Because I have had my own morning shows in the past, he [Mr. Perry], thought, okay, this is somebody that I can utilize in the on-air position as well.”
“I come in and I make sure everything is set up for Mr. Perry. We have what's called a log on the computer, which is where all the songs and the commercials are. I make sure everything is in order and ready to go. All for Michael Perry— the main guy. So he can go in and do what he does and not have to worry about all the details.”
Most notably known for his sports commentary on OC-16, Bender gave a rundown on the unpredictable scheduling of multiple jobs in the entertainment industry. “But during the afternoon time, but that's where with the OC-16 stuff, you know, if you're working the weeknight, baseball, softball, volleyball, whatever, and you don't get home until 10, 30, 11 o'clock. After that, you've got to wake up at 3. That’s where the schedule gets pretty hectic, but all worth it.”
Even for students, who have trouble putting themselves in the spotlight or prefer to work behind the scenes, Bender shared the different facets that go into a production like radio. As in any large business, there are other groups of people that must work together to ensure its success. Running the business in a saleable way is something that can make or break those in radio. From sales to promotion, Bender described the different ways of marketing that are needed. “There's sales, going out and actually selling the commercials. If you're somebody who doesn't necessarily want to be on the radio but likes to get out and be the one to advertise the different events and prizes that could be a role for you.”
While streaming services and other platforms of music and podcasts seem to dominate our media, Bender stressed the importance of radio. “Some people have called us obsolete. But there are things that radio provides that the competition can’t.”
The campaign to take down radio has gone as far as potential legislation to increase the need for AM radio. “Congress is working on legislation to require AM radio, because when everything goes when there's either hurricanes or God forbid some kind of nuclear incident AM radio is the one trustworthy thing that will always be around. Its signal has a greater distance and strength than FM radio,” he explained.
“But it is the intimacy– especially during COVID that can’t be recreated anywhere else. Local, live entertainment as well as knowing what is going on in the world as soon as that information is released. You can't get that from Spotify,” he explained.
Going back to high school, Bender reflected on how the experiences created and shared molded him into the person he is today. I remember there was a teacher, Mrs. Libby—-I never thought of writing as a career, but it was in her class that I realized I loved writing. And so I ended up next year taking creative writing classes. And writing helps me with my job today.”
“I wasn't the greatest student, but it was the people that I met and, you know, friends that I still have to this day, that are the things that I remember the most about school and some phenomenal teachers.”
No matter what a student wants to do or achieve, Bender shared the importance of knowledge other than that achieved in a classroom. But instead, teachers, mentors, and connections are the things that fortify you. “There's going to be somebody somewhere along in your career, or high school, that's going to inspire something in you. And don't just discard it. Look for that. Look for that one person that kind of inspires you and can mentor you along, because that may be all you need.”