(By Charese Frugé) Kaylin Mozdzen is the midday host for Cumulus Media’s B106.7 (WTCB) in Columbia, SC. A Radio Ink 30 and Under Superstar 30 in 2022, she was named 2024 Radio Personality of the Year by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association. She has also been a participant in the RAB’s Rising Through The Ranks program.
Kaylin’s journey in radio has lasted through her entire life: “When I was in high school, I used to listen to Zach Sang of Amazon Music and Shelley Rome of Z100 on their internet radio station, Goom Radio. They had so many of my favorite musicians and celebrities on their show. I remember there was one weekend, the band Push Play was doing an in-studio appearance ahead of their show at PopCon in Long Island, NY, which I had tickets to.”
“I won tickets to the in-studio experience – and I went with my mom and my best friend to their studios in Jersey City. When I got there, yes I was excited to meet the band, but I was more energized and ‘geeked’ by the whole radio studio atmosphere. Zach and Shelley put some of the winners of the contest on air with them, and that was my first time ever on the radio in that capacity. Most people who walked away from that were excited because they had just met their favorite band. For me, I was excited because I had just been on the radio, and I wanted to do it again and learn more about the industry.”
“After that visit, I went home and applied to be part of a college radio seminar that was being offered for high school students in my community. I got accepted and learned enough there that I knew I wanted to be part of the industry and make a career out of it. That experience prompted me to contact every single local radio station in my listening range to see if I could shadow a jock and get my foot in the door. Townsquare Media was the only one that contacted me back. I was there so often job shadowing that they asked me if I wanted to work for them part-time. The rest is history.”
Mozdzen began her radio career in 2010 while a sophomore in high school, working part-time with Townsquare Media. She handled weekend shows and covered for full-time staff on vacation at Lite 98.7 (WLZW) and Big Frog 104 (WFRG). She worked throughout high school and into college, but took a two-year break to complete her junior and senior years of her bachelors degree.
From 2016 to 2018, Mozdzen joined iHeartMedia in Albany, NY, where she served as a Commercial Traffic and Continuity Manager while also working weekends at 99.5 The River.
In 2018, she took on a full-time role with Townsquare Media Utica as Production Director for the cluster. She quickly advanced to afternoons on Lite 98.7 (WLZW). By 2019, she had shifted to middays and in 2021, was promoted to Assistant Brand Manager, then to Morning Shows. In 2022, she ascended to Brand Manager. The following year, Mozdzen relocated to Columbia, SC, for her current position and continues to fill in at Warm 98.5 WRRM in Cincinnati, OH until September.
Like many, Mozdzen is more than just on-air talent. “On top of my shows, I take care of all of our socials, our websites, and other digital products, and I assist our other stations with this as well when needed,” she explains.
“I work with my PD to come up with promotions and am in charge of execution. I manage all of our contests and am the one to coordinate with all of our winners. One of my strengths is graphic design and video editing, so I do a lot of that not just for my station – but for all the stations in the Cumulus Columbia umbrella. I work with our sales team to pitch our promotional ideas and create the sales decks to be able to accurately portray our vision. I am also the coordinator for our public affairs show, so not only do I schedule guests, but I am in rotation with other jocks to interview them as well.”
“I’m told I am the face of our station, so 9 times out of 10 I am the one being asked to be present at a variety of different meetings and events to talk about and represent the station. I am also on the FUN Squad for Cumulus Columbia, where we strive to maintain a positive workplace environment and culture. We plan different fun activities and events for our team, so everyone feels appreciated and valued.”
“I have done so many amazing things since I’ve been in Columbia that I never thought I would have the opportunity to do,” says Mozdzen. “I would say the most exciting thing that I have been a part of was our promotion with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We gave away tickets on our station in a variety of different ways and $1 of every ticket sold we were able to give to a local charity of choice. We worked with the Ronald McDonald House and went up on stage the night of the show at Colonial Life Arena to present them their check for over $10K! It was such a surreal moment to be able to do that and be a part of making that happen.”
“I’m very lucky,” says Mozdzen. “It’s really rewarding to me that B106.7 is the only station in our market with a fully local team. From 6 AM to & 7 PM, M-F, we are live and have talent in our studios doing shows. Because of this, it really allows us to be out in the community more than our competition. It’s been a huge advantage for us. With my role as the coordinator of our public affairs programming, I also work hand in hand with many local non-profits to get the word out about what they do and the signature events that they put on. If they have a message they have to get out, they know they can reach out to me. It’s a great role to have honestly.”
“My journey hasn’t come without its challenges,” says Mozdzen. “It’s definitely gotten better over the past few years, but my imposter syndrome is definitely one of my biggest challenges. I’ve had so many experiences in my career where some not-so-very-nice people have made me feel like I’m not capable, or who have made me seriously question if I’m meant to be doing this as a career. Changing my environment has definitely helped, but I also handle it by remembering that I am doing my best. No one is perfect. I have hit so many low points in my career and have felt like I’m not enough in so many ways to be doing this, but I persevere every time.”
“I have to remind myself daily that I would not be where I am if I didn’t have the skill, determination, drive, and the right personality for this. I keep myself open to learning new things and developing who I am as a person daily. That’s all I can do, along with confiding in my support system.”
“My advice to Women who want to be in the business: Don’t be afraid of other positions to get your foot in the door. The larger the skill stack you have, the more valuable an employee you are! I have done everything from on-air to production to traffic to street team and some other stuff in between. My skill stack is growing every day because I am constantly willing to learn. I know that the more I know, the more valuable an employee I am to this business. The reality of the industry in this day and age is that you have to work your way up. Be okay with that, and the opportunity will come. And be willing to LEARN IT ALL!”
“In terms of getting the younger generation to get excited about radio, Programmers used to be able to prioritize their staff being live, and unfortunately that’s not the case anymore. I am so thankful I got my start before a world where voice tracking became the norm. If we want to engage a younger audience and bridge the generation gap in this industry, we need to give them opportunities to be able to do so. Welcome them into the workplace, teach them, mentor them, let them learn.”
“Many companies don’t allow internships, so find another place to put them. I think getting your foot in the door starting on a street/promotions team is a great way to get started. If they have questions, answer them. If they want to learn more, let them. Getting them excited with opportunity will help engage them and will help bridge the gap.”
“As far as DEI in the industry, I think we have moved the needle compared to when I started, but there is always room to improve and do more work. As a newbie when I started, I felt small, but even smaller as a woman in the industry. To now see this huge number of women thriving in radio is amazing, but all companies and executives need to do more. Not only just in terms of opportunities for women versus men. But also when it comes to age, race, etc. There needs to be more representation all around.”
What keeps Mozdzen up at night? “In terms of work, I ponder did I remember X/Y/Z items on my to-do list, whether will I be able to get everything done on my to-do list for the next day, what can I do better, my imposter syndrome, and many many more things. Literally, my cat keeps me up at night because she wants attention. And, my dogs, because they hog the bed.”
When she’s not on air, Kaylin, who is married and a mom to three fur babies, is always on the hunt for the best experiences around the world. You might catch her globetrotting, attending shows, plays, and concerts, or diving into games of Pickleball and Volleyball.
A fan of binge-watching all the latest chick flicks and shows, Kaylin also has a passion for culinary adventures, meticulously tracking restaurants to try on a shared spreadsheet with her husband. And if you’re familiar with chicken riggies or half-moon cookies, you’re already on your way to becoming her best friend!
She does work hard to try and maintain balance though. “I had a really hard time with this with my previous employer, and now, I try really hard to keep a routine. Some days are easier than others, but I really try to stick to a routine and my schedule – going to the gym, unplugging after I leave work for the day, etc. I also am a huge advocate for actually using vacation time. I coordinate with my PD and travel when my schedule allows.”
“As for as what’s ahead for me, I am a new member of the Junior League of Columbia, so I will be getting involved with the community a lot more than I am now. We are hosting an event in September called ‘Sips & Sounds’ that I am so excited to have played a large role in launching. It’s something we’ve been working on for so long. It’s going to be great to see all of our hard work pay off. Other than that, I’ll be exploring new places, spending time with my family, and celebrating my 30th birthday!”
Follow Kaylin Mozdzen and @radiokaylin on Facebook and Instagram.
Charese Frugé is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talents, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. Find her at @MCMediaOnline. See more Women to Watch here.
