Shannone Dunlap is the EVP and GM of Black Diamond Broadcasting, overseeing its Michigan-based radio properties and digital division. A radio veteran of over three decades, she has held leadership roles at Alpha Media Saginaw, Digity LLC, NextMedia Group, and Cumulus Media. Dunlap is also Chairperson of the Michigan Association of Broadcasting’s board of directors.
Radio Ink: What motivated you to enter the radio industry?
Dunlap: I was drafted or recruited into the radio industry from a community newspaper in 1994, before newspapers went downhill. I’d gone to school for commercial graphic design and quickly learned that the creative people didn’t make money in the newspaper industry.
I said, “I want to go into sales.” I went to the sales manager and moved into the sales department, and told him that I would take a territory that wasn’t known to be very economically fruitful, and I would beat one of the top territories in the company. I did so in nine months. That accelerated my name in the marketplace.
Then a radio sales manager tapped into me, and I said, “ I love music and I love what radio does.” My ultimate goal was to be at an advertising agency and continue working through all the media so that I could really work with businesses on marketing and creative strategies.
And since 1994, I’ve been in radio, and I love radio.
Radio Ink: What are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve faced, and how did you meet or overcome them?
Dunlap: There have been so many over the 30-plus years. I currently serve as the Chairperson of the Board for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. So, I tend to speak a bit broader than just in the world of the broadcaster I’m working for.
One of the challenges is that creativity in a vacuum never serves anyone: Neither the client nor the company. And I find that because everybody is running so fast and doing so many different jobs, a lot of times we don’t take time to pause and have those cross-departmental, cross-human-nature conversations that really are where the magic comes together.
A lot of times, one of the biggest challenges is that what sits in front of me right now might be my priority, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not going to help accomplish the goal of everybody who needs to be considered.
Recruitment has also been a challenge, but I would add that while recruitment is a priority for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the bigger priority is that I don’t think that local communities realize the gems they have in local broadcasters. We are great storytellers for businesses and getting audiences engaged in what they’re trying to sell, but we don’t do a very good job for ourselves in reminding the communities we serve of what we bring to the table. I don’t think local communities remember or know how to use us in today’s generation.
It’s different from the days when press releases came out frequently and there was actually somebody in the office to write them. We don’t do a good enough job communicating our strengths, what we mean to a community, and how vanilla the world would be without local broadcasters.
Radio Ink: There are people that I talk to, business people, activists, event promoters, and I have to tell them how to interact with local radio stations because they just don’t know.
Dunlap: I was fortunate enough to be in a leadership class in Traverse City last year and work with 40 other business leaders in the community, and I’m like, “Why didn’t you ever call the radio station, see the morning show about having you on as an interview? Why didn’t you talk to a sales rep about getting involved and helping you put that event on? Why don’t you talk to me, and how we can help raise funds?
They say, “Never thought about it!” I’m like, “Why?”
So, in today’s world, that’s probably the biggest challenge: telling my salespeople that we are the original influencers: TikTok, YouTube, and all that stuff. We were there way before them, and we didn’t sit on our heels like the newspaper did and wait for technology to bulldoze us over. We jumped on the wave and did it with them. Our websites, our socials, everything that we do is an extension of our brand. We are riding the wave, not being drowned by the wave.
Radio Ink: What role do the stations do your stations play in their respective communities?
Dunlap: One-hundred-percent information: Entertainment is why people come to us, but information is our responsibility to the local community. There’s also transparency. I have a 17-year-old, and she’ll say something, and I’ll say, “Oh, who owns that app? Where’s the money coming from to fund that?” She’ll say she doesn’t know, and I’ll ask, “Don’t you think you should know? What’s in it for them? Why would they build an app for you to be able to do X, Y, and Z? If they’re not getting something out of it, I promise you they’re getting something out of it.”
Radio Ink: What advice would you offer to young women interested in pursuing careers in radio?
Dunlap: One of the philosophies I’ve had my entire career is that nobody can tell me that I can’t do something. I don’t care what your gender is, what your nationality is, what your creed is; none of that matters. It’s what you believe you can do. And when you do it, and you do it well. It is recognized and an opportunity for you to take on the roles you want. And if it’s not with your current situation, find one that appreciates you.
Radio Ink: Because they’re out there.
Dunlap: Yep, they are.
Radio Ink: What is one misconception about women in radio that you would like to see change?
Dunlap: That’s a hard one. I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered something that has set me back on my heels to say that I’m stuck in this silo of being sales only. I will tell you I’m not “the mother,” and I tell the guys this all the time: I am not here to clean up your promotions department. I’m not here to fold t-shirts for you. I’m not here to empty out your vehicles and pick up your trash. I think that there are still situations where we’re the caretakers, because that’s the role we hold most of the time at home, which also translates into the offices, where it’s everybody else’s stuff we have to take care of as well as our own. And that’s a lot.
Radio Ink: What are your short and long-term goals right now?
Dunlap: Before coming to Black Diamond seven years ago, I was the general manager for Alpha Media Stations in Saginaw. So, I’ve been in this role before. I just took a bit of a backseat to come into this company with an owner-operator versus a corporate scenario.
So, I would say a short-term goal is for me to really tap into the individual strengths of my team and bring them to the forefront so that we are unique.
I don’t want to slam consultants because we do use consultants. We do have advisors on the programming side, and we use similar tools on the sales side. But I think sometimes that having Consultant X tell us what we should do on this station is an easy fix. My more immediate goal is to tap into the years of experience and the individual ideas we have on our teams and build from those.
Long term, I would like to see our stations be recognized and integrated more into the communities and the audiences that we serve.
“Help kids master telling time! This site offers fun, interactive tools to teach children how to read analog clocks and understand angles, making learning engaging and easy.”
“Help kids master telling time! This site offers fun, interactive tools to teach children how to read analog clocks and understand angles, making learning engaging and easy.”
“Dive into the chaotic fun of this addictive merge puzzle game! Combine quirky meme-inspired characters to create wilder, funnier versions, unlocking hilarious surprises with every fusion!”
Shannone gets it! Radio thrives on collaboration, not isolation. Local stations are the unsung heroes—true OG influencers! Keep championing creativity, Shannone!
“Dive into the chaotic fun of this addictive merge puzzle game! Combine quirky meme-inspired characters to create wilder, funnier versions, unlocking hilarious surprises with every fusion!”
Shannone Dunlap sounds like she could run a small country with all that experience—maybe she should consider a side gig as a queen. Her point about local broadcasters being the original influencers is spot on; I mean, who needs TikTok when you have the magic of local radio charm? Seriously though, can we get some more appreciation for these radio gems in our communities? They really help keep us from living in a vanilla world!
“Looking to convert colors easily? This handy tool lets you switch between RGBA and HEX codes in no time, making it a go-to for designers or anyone working with digital colors.”
Love how Shannone highlights that local radio is still the OG influencer—next time someone talks about TikTok, I’m just gonna nod and say, ‘Nah, radio was throwing epic parties way before that!’
Ah, the good ol’ days when newspapers were actually a thing! I mean, who would have thought that telling stories on air could be more lucrative than folding t-shirts? Good on you, Shannone, for pioneering in radio and making it cooler than dusty newsprint!
Honestly, it’s refreshing to see a bigwig in radio acknowledge that creativity doesn’t thrive in a vacuum. I mean, who knew? Maybe next she’ll tell us that water is wet! But for real, it’s great to have someone like Shannone who understands the importance of collaboration in a world that often feels more isolated. Keep rocking, Shannone!
Wow, Shannone really nails it! Who knew radio was the original influencer? It’s about time we stop treating local broadcasters like that forgotten sock in the dryer. They’re the real MVPs, folks!
Wow, Shannone Dunlap sounds impressive! It’s refreshing to hear someone in the industry highlight that creativity doesn’t thrive in isolation—kind of like a plant that needs sunlight to grow. If only we had a brick-and-mortar school for radio folks, like a Hogwarts for broadcasting, where creativity could flourish without the chaos! Also, can we get some props for local radio being the OG influencers? Love it!
Wow, Shannone Dunlap’s journey is so inspiring! From graphic design to dominating radio sales in just 9 months? That’s some serious hustle energy 💪 Love how she calls radio “the original influencers” – so true! Local radio really does get overlooked these days with all the new platforms.
Lainie,
Thank you for sharing some exceptionally valuable perspectives from Shannone Dunlap. What a treat to read some thoughts from an accomplished, battle-tested radio field general.
It’s a daunting challenge to make it to the GM position. It’s even tougher to do it in markets the size of Traverse City, Cheboygan and Mount Pleasant in the great state of Michigan. You have to bring your “A” game every day in markets that don’t have the benefit of a few hundred million dollars flowing in from agencies all across the country.
You have to build each sale from the ground up with each local business and it takes time, tenacity and persistence for every dollar. It sure sounds like Shannone doesn’t spend much time sitting at her desk. She’s out there making it happen and leading from the front. No wonder she’s successful.
Right on, Shannone-
Thank you, Dave! This interview was a true pleasure to do: Shannone is awesome!
I appreciate your taking the time to comment!
Lainie, thank YOU for finding this exceptional manager and getting her to tell your readers a little bit about how she thinks. These perspectives are pure gold—and I’ll tell you why.
This is a manager who leads by example. How refreshing and rare.
This is someone who was never even in sales, but demanded a sales position in the lousiest territory and turned it into a fountain of CASH. I’m not reading that she had anything else but her own determination to make it happen. This isn’t a story. This is a movie script.
She recognizes the need for more internal “cross departmental” collaboration because that’s “where the magic comes together.” Who thinks like this? This should be printed and taped up on the walls of radio station conference rooms nationwide.
She recognizes the gaping void in understanding radio today: “I don’t think local communities remember or know how to use us in today’s generation” and “We don’t do a good enough job communicating our strengths, what we mean to a community…”
Then, she hunts down a room full of 40 business decision makers, gets in that room and engages them ALL and explains what radio can for them. Very few GM’s prospect. Fewer still do it 40 at a time. She’s like a one person Delta Force.
She says, “One of the philosophies I’ve had my entire career is that nobody can tell me that I can’t do something.” I’d like to nominate this for the UNDERSTATEMENT of the YEAR Award please.
She also adds, “My more immediate goal is to tap into the years of experience and the individual ideas we have on our teams and build from those.” She’s committed to making her team better. Do you know how rare that is in radio? She sees the value of professional development and she is radiating powerful unspoken lessons to her whole staff by leading by example every day. Want to get better? Watch what Shannone does on a typical day.
Lainie, there is nothing ordinary about Shannone Dunlap and reporting like this gives everyone some great examples to learn from.
I sold radio in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if Shannone Dunlap ran those stations. Some of the top CEO’s in the industry should be wondering the same thing.
Hi Dave,
I’m blushing here in Traverse City!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the piece and share such thoughtful, generous comments. I truly appreciate your kind words. Lainie was a fantastic interviewer, and I think she did a wonderful job capturing a snapshot of my journey in broadcasting.
I approach each day with determination, commitment, and passion—and then reflect on how I can do better for my team, our clients, our stations, and the communities we serve. Radio is evolving, and we must continue evolving with it. I believe local broadcasters can thrive by staying connected to the shifting behaviors and needs of consumers. That understanding is what will drive our continued relevance—or, frankly, determine our exit.
Your encouragement means a lot—thank you again.
Shannone,
I’ve worked with over 1,000 radio stations over the years in markets in all sizes and shapes from LA to New York. It doesn’t mean I know everything. It simply means I have a pretty broad perspective of the caliber of radio’s managers out there.
If somebody plugged you into a radio station in a top ten market, you would light it up and melt revenue records in your first week. Your work ethic, leadership by example and no nonsense “find a way to get it done” mindset would elevate the whole station staff to another level and together, you would absolutely smoke your competitors. It wouldn’t even be a fair fight.
When your impact showed up in the monthly market reports, the other GM’s would be so stunned, they’d drop their five irons in the middle of the fairway, collapse in shock and have to be driven back to the clubhouse and revived with an IV of single malt scotch.
Here’s the funny part. You think I’m kidding…