Bernie Egan is a blind radio host who lives in Indiana

Jeremy Levy back with you this week to write about one of my interviews. Bernie Egan is a blind radio host who lives in Indiana. I first read about him on the People Moves InsideRadio website that he was retiring. Bernie still works weekends on WYXB radio B105.7. I also e-mailed one of the program directors. Scott Roddy, about some other hosts and he also told me about him. I recorded this interview back a couple of Octobers ago with my job coach at the time, Leah Wing She was my job coach from Shalom Denver. After my questions to Bernie, Leah had a couple of other questions for Bernie. The main thing I learned from Bernie is that blind people can accomplish their goals and dreams. Bernie has been in radio for a long time. He still enjoys working on weekends.When I talked with him over the phone I could sense how much he loved the industry.Here is my interview with Bernie.Jeremy Levy: I first heard about you from InsideRadio people moves and I know that you have been in radio for a long time in Indiana. Is this where you got your start in radio?Bernie Egan: I bothered a lot of radio people until they gave me a chance basically. I started talking to people at the different radio stations and that’s how it all started.JL: I heard in an interview on the station's website that you started in Muncie, Indiana. Which station was this? Also when you started on that station what challenges did you face being blind and wanting to work in radio?BE: That was WERK in Muncie, Indiana. That would have been 1980. The challenges I faced when I started were convincing the people at the station that I could do the job. I mean I knew what to do. It was convincing the people at the station that I knew what to do.JL: At WYXB radio did you come across the same challenges?BE: After WERK I worked at WEMS radio After that I switched over to WYXB radio and I’m now doing weekends there. They were pretty helpful about accommodating me. Everything is now touch screen now.JL: Which is a little bit of a challenge for those of us who are blind.BE: Yes that is true.JL: How do you compensate for this?BE: The way it works is I have a plexiglass board that goes over the touchscreen. This board has holes in it where my finger can touch the screen in the places I need to do it. It enables me to start songs, start commercials, or stop the system if I need to talk without music under me.Comment from Jeremy Levy. I think this is a wonderful accommodation!JL: You have been at WYXB radio for a long time. What is it like working for such a heritage radio station?BE: I got very lucky landing with a great company. I have been with this company since 1981. I have worked with 2 different radio stations with the same company. It’s been great. I got so lucky. I can’t believe that I get to do this for my career that I love.JL: I also heard your name from a program director who used to be in Indiana named Scott Roddy. What was it like working with Scott?BE: I know Scott from his time in Indianapolis. I never worked for him.JL: If you did I’m sure that it would have been great. Scott is now in Oregon doing radio out there at KWWJ The Wolf in Portland Oregon. You have worked with Ann Richards for a long time at WYXB radio as well. Did you learn anything from her and how is she to work with?Be: It’s very nice. It’s a great relationship. Everyone there is very accommodating.JL: What is your favorite part of working in Indiana radio?Be: Just really being on the air. I think it is all theatre of the mind. It’s like painting a picture when you talk on the air. Things that you say sometimes you just never know what people might come back with. I’ll see comments on face book sometimes of things I have said on the air sometimes and I don’t remember I said those things.JL: Are there any special remote broadcasts or special interviews that you have done that are some of your favorite radio memories?BE: Probably the one that comes to mind is John Cougar Mellenncamp. I did an interview with him back on WENS and it was an hour long interview. It just went very quickly. He just stayed on as long as we wanted him to.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into radio?BE: It’s a lot more difficult than it was back when I started. There are fewer people in it now because of voice tracking. Program directors don’t have to have as big of a staff. Because of the technology aspect of it it is a lot harder as well. What you really have to do is to have someone who really believes in you to say we will do what it takes to get you up to speed. It’s just more difficult.Leah Wing: How do you think radio is going to change in the next 5 years?Be: I think it has changed so much already. I think that radio really needs to find a way to create it’s own foot print going forward because everything has changed. Everything you want you can get on your phone or you can get on your computer. You don’t necessarily need to listen to the radio to get your music or information. Radio basically needs to figure out a way reinvent it self. I really appreciate Bernie Egan sharing this interview with me. It was helpful to get another blindness prospective from a host that has been in it along time.Stay tuned for information on my new podcast.