(By Charese Frugé) Maddie Reis is the new Morning Show Host of Desert Valley Media Group’s Hot 97.5/103.9 in Phoenix. Maddie in the Morning is a one-woman show where Reis is facing a studio alone for the first time in her career.
Her first taste of the business was “Job Shadow Day” in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for her local station 92 Pro FM. She worked on the street team for WEEI Boston and interned at The TJ Show on WODS Boston. From 2021-2023 she served as Executive Producer of The Chet Buchanan Show at KLUC in Las Vegas, and from 2023-2024 she was Executive Producer of The Morning Mess.
Reis says with the new show, her main focus is getting to know as many listeners as possible. “I miss the days of radio where there was a [wo]man on the street, talking to people, getting involved, and having FUN,” she says. “I plan on bringing more [wo]man on the street content than I have experienced in shows prior. It is one of the things that made me fall in love with radio in the first place.”
“My mom was in the radio industry before I was born,” says Reis. “She actually told my dad she was pregnant on air because what husband wants to keep that a private matter? I grew up with stunt guys, producers, and even hosts showing up to the house, always causing havoc but infectiously laughing together. I knew it was what I wanted to do my entire life. Something about radio hooked me back then, and I haven’t been able to let go since.”
“I think my experience with The Chet Buchanan Show taught me more than any classroom would have,” says Reis. “It’s what made it possible for me to jump from EP to Host so quickly. From day one, Chet tested my chops because he wanted to know where my radio skills stood. He knew I was a competitive athlete so he challenged my skills and continued to teach me at every moment he could. I still remember him telling me to ‘be a sponge’ on day one. I have not stopped soaking up as much information as possible since. Also, MSBC in ’22 was a time when my confidence really blossomed.”
“J Love from Audacy LV Mix 94.1 put me in front of the right people and gave me the pep talk of a lifetime. He could tell I was a little nervous to be myself around a bunch of people I was pretty much fangirling over, but he also saw my competitive nature and he told me to be me, it is the only way I can achieve my goals. Right after that, I was placed on the ‘Talent to Watch’ panel. It was such a great experience. Also, I have to give credit to Michael Gallagher, my new program director, for making this leap from producer to host. He saw the fire in me the first time we met and gave me my shot, so without him recognizing that, I wouldn’t be here.”
Reis has had a busy few years with career and life changes. It’s hard to imagine how one person can balance it all successfully.
“This opportunity came to me after I had decided to take a step back from the mic and focus on making more money for a few months,” explains Reis. “My wedding was coming up and the talk of houses and babies was becoming more real every day. Thankfully, the hard work I put in with my producing and networking before stepping back is the reason I can sit here today and talk to you. I have always been the first one in and the last one to leave the studio since the day I walked into one. I connected with some people over at Desert Valley Media Group when I first moved to Phoenix a year and a half ago, and I am so thankful that my hard work is being recognized by Michael Gallagher and Michael Cutchall.”
It’s tough to connect with a new audience on a new station, but Reis says she has no limits when it comes to sharing her personal life. “I am an oversharer TO THE MAX, but with good reason,” she says. “I think everyone is nosey (the ones who say they aren’t are hiding something) so if everyone is nosey, why not give them a little bump of a little bit of TMI? I have been sharing my authentic self on the station since I started, and the audience has had some great responses to it. Someone actually said my humor was an 8/10 and I’d say week one, that’s pretty damn good. I have been asking listeners what they do and don’t like about the station, show, and radio altogether because I want to do things that they WANT to listen to. Not what I think they want to listen to. I have gotten some great feedback and a couple of ideas that I plan to bring on air soon.”
“I have also experimented with AI a little for titling. I love a good alliteration and sometimes after a full show and then a few meetings, your brain can’t think of something catchy to say. ChatGPT is pretty good at it. I did try and use AI to find some trending stories the night before my first show and the first story it found was from 2022, so I decided that was not going to be a part of my show prep sites.”
“As for DEI, I’d like to say we have moved the needle a little, seeing as I am a young queer Woman hosting my own show in a major market, but I do hear and see a lot of problem areas. I think there are issues everywhere, but as long as we keep staying vocal and more generations of aspiring radio personalities come through the door, we will see a huge improvement. My generation is all about speaking up when something isn’t right, and I feel as though our voices are being heard.”
What keeps Reis up at night? “Besides the obvious in 2024? Literally, the college kids I live with,” she says with a heavy sigh. “From music blaring at night, to the heavy foot syndrome that lives above me, college kids keep me up at night. It’s funny when I leave for the station at 4a, I will see girls heading back to their dorms with heels in hand. They look at me like I am the crazy one for being out at 4a ready for the day.”
What brings her balance? “My wife is my perfect balance. She knows me better than I know myself and I am not exaggerating,” says Reis. “She has been there for me throughout every decision needed to be made. She helps me calm down because I tend to go into panic mode, and without her, I am not sure I would have made it this far in my career this quickly. She has taught me a lot and I am so thankful to her for everything she sees in me, even on my worst days.”
“In the future, I would really love to take up stand-up comedy,” says Reis when asked about her other interests. “I have gotten into listening to stand-up comedy while I clean the house on Sundays, so much so that I finally bought a notebook to start writing jokes in. But for now, I am focusing on creating a great show day in, and day out. Having your own show is a lot, especially when you are the host, cohost, and producer, but I have been preparing for this for a while, and when I am ready to take the next step into standup comedy, I will.”
“As for Maddie in the Morning, I see it as something long-term. My wife Mae and I really love living here. It is hot, but we have already been scoping out houses with pools. I think it would be a great place for my parents to come visit when it’s cold, and I love the city. We have met some great people out here and found some cool spots for food and to hang out. Everything just feels right, and I can’t wait to see everything Maddie in the Morning will become because I am putting my heart and soul into it.”
Follow Maddie Reis on IG/TikTok @maddieinthemorningAZ and IG @hot975hot1039.
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.
