Wayne Coy was already building the prototype for his “Back In The Day Radio” stream before COVID-19 budget cuts put him on the beach. So in March, Wayne decided to use the opportunity of having some down time to really dig in and bring the vision to life. As Wayne shared with us, "Streaming is here to stay, and now, more than ever, content is king. The timing as I see it, is perfect."

Wayne is a Bay Area native from Oakland who says he got into radio "because it was a chance to actually get paid for entertaining, unlike stand-up comedy which was, in the early 80's more of a charitable venture than a living." Wayne started as a jock and naturally gravitated to programming as well. He shared, "I have literally worked in every region of the country which has given me a great 'big picture' perspective on what works? Why? And where?" Wayne's career highlights include PD/Mornings at WABB Mobile, WIXX Green Bay, WRVQ Richmond, KQKQ Omaha, KHOP Modesto/Stockton and WNVZ Norfolk. On-Air at KZPT Tucson, KWSS San Jose, and for the past 13 years he was at Alpha Media's KKIQ and KKDV San Francisco.

Q: Tell us about your format and what makes it unique.
"'Back In The Day Radio' is a Classic Hits station that targets adults with the greatest songs and sounds of the 1970's and 80's. Musically, the focus is on the years 1976-83 and although you can definitely hear hits from before and after, the hyper-target is 1978-80 and is aimed squarely at a 55-63 year old core listener. The ambience of the station is heavy on audio that evokes that period with a smile and lots of energy. Our imaging wizard, Johnny Desjardins has done a great job of incorporating sound from movies, TV, Sports, News, and of course, great custom jingles from our friends at JAM Productions. The desired takeaway is a listening experience that I describe as "comfort food for your ears." Especially in these turbulent days, having a place to land where you can get away from the constant negativity and feel good again is a valuable thing."

"Ad agencies and media buyers have suffered from "25-54 itis" for decades. As a result of that foolish myopia, there is a gigantic opportunity to thrive and create a revenue stream with a business model that connects squarely with the 55+ audience. I am happy to watch the "experts" bludgeon each other to attract the so-called "money demo" while we acknowledge and super-serve a massive audience that loves what we are offering them. 29% of the US population is over 55. The average income of those consumers is almost identical to those in the 25-54-year-old demo. The big separation comes when you compare the percentage of that income that can be classified as disposable. It is 17% higher with the 55+ group. They make as much and spend MORE. 81% shop online and 61% make at least one major purchase ($10,000 or more) every year. How can that be ignored? That has always puzzled me. But, as they say, 'their loss is our gain.' And as I say, 'forget bliss, ignorance is ignorance.'"

Q: How does MusicMaster help you do what you do?
"MusicMaster gives me the ability to really control that environment with a user-friendly platform that makes the difficult easy. The software is intuitive and allows Programmers to be as detail oriented as they want to be without the heavy handedness that requires a PHD to use that is prevalent with competing music scheduling software. Do not mistake ease of use for an inability to create perfect hours of music. They have just figured out how to best supplement a programmer's vision. It is evident daily that MusicMaster was designed by and for real radio people. Predicted results on paper are one thing. The real test is when the rubber hits the road. What comes out of the speakers is what matters most. MusicMaster understands that. They just get it!"

Q: What challenges do you face as a web streamer?
"The challenges presented by being a streaming only station are the obvious ones. Almost all center around content availability and ease of use. We are currently developing our own native app that will be devoted 100% to the intended mission of “Back In The Day Radio.” In the meantime, we have our web site and of course, we are available on most of the popular streaming apps including TuneIn, Amazon Alexa, Apple Music etc. I am finding that our listeners are savvy and have taken to this form of consumption much easier than I would have imagined even a few short years ago. It is exciting that the newer connected automobiles have really levelled the dashboard playing field with terrestrial radio."

Q: What streaming platform do you use and why?
I use Securenetsystems. Stream quality is very good. Downtime is almost non-existent, and, like MusicMaster, customer service and support are a huge priority. Our encoder is Rocket Broadcaster and we use Stereo Tool for processing.

Q: Which automation system do you use?
"In all these years, I can say, I literally have tried them all. I am in love with InfoAudio. It is packed with usable features. Whether you are a traditional broadcaster or streamer, there is so much that it can do. Reliable and 100% state of the art. It shines as pure automation software, in live assist mode, voice tracked or 100% live. The developers are never afraid to evolve and they rely on their clients' feedback to constantly improve the product. Best of all? They are perfectly integrated with MusicMaster which allows your scheduled hours to come to life seamlessly."

Q: What's next for you?
"After coming home to the Bay Area from Las Vegas in 2007, I thought we would likely never move away. You know what they say, "never say never." We are relocating back to Vegas at the end of September and I am looking forward to all that awaits there, including the debut of my new daily show, "Coy & Company" along with other awesome personalities that are excited to be a part of what we are creating. I will also be lifting the lid on a new syndicated show that has been in the works for over a year. It all fits nicely under our “ON-AIR LAS VEGAS” umbrella. And I keep hearing about someone else heading to Las Vegas from Oakland. I wonder who that could be? Hmm…"