Shay Moore is the Morning Show Host on Cumulus Media’s Power 105.1 (KCJK) in Kansas City. She also hosts The Ride with Shay, a nationally syndicated evening show on Westwood One. Her more than 20 years in radio have taken her to markets like Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Charlotte, and Buffalo.
Moore started in college radio and worked her way up through the ranks as an on-air personality, Program Director, Promotions Director, and Content Strategist. She’s been in Kansas City for over a decade now and helped lead two #1-rated morning shows over the years. “My journey has been a mix of hustle, heart, reinvention, and staying connected to the community I serve,” she declares.
“To be A+ talent in the business, you have to be fluid, current, real, relatable, and also already possess or quickly develop strong social media skills. We’re being asked to do more. The people who figure out how to give more while balancing their time and keeping their integrity will be successful in this business.”
“The last twenty years have helped me to realize that authenticity is at a premium right now – particularly in a world saturated with content. Listeners want to feel something, they want to connect,” says Moore. “Our job is to move with the trends and embrace the addition of other modes of communication like podcasting. The lines have been blurred; we are now radio AND social media influencers.”
When asked about her biggest accomplishments over the years, Moore isn’t sure she’s reached the biggest yet. “There have been some wonderful milestones for sure,” she admits. “Becoming a PD of a radio station in a Top 10 market at 30 years old, hosting my own morning show (with my name on it, no less). That’s been awesome! Voicing ‘Rebecca’ for The Walking Dead video game was top tier, but I feel like I still have so much more to do!”
“It hasn’t been easy,” she says. “I have been trying to find that work-life balance. But there’s always something that needs doing. What I’ve done to meet that challenge is utilize as many tools as I can to schedule, plan, and maximize my time.”
“I love this industry so much. If I didn’t still enjoy it, I wouldn’t still be doing it, but there are a few missed opportunities that I think we need to capitalize on to help revitalize it and make it interesting for the younger generation. One of which is properly investing the money and manpower into developing and promoting podcasting and other digital offerings. We can fix it with the investment of time, talent, and resources and ensure that it is not just an afterthought.”
“Another way to keep it interesting and relevant is to accept the inevitable: AI. I use it for a myriad of things, including prep for my show, and yes, I do think it will impact the industry in a big way, but hopefully not in the eradication of our jobs! Yikes!”
“In order to prevent that from happening, my goal is to continue to put up a great show every day. One that I’m proud of and one that will make me irreplaceable in the long run. We should all be working toward that goal moving forward so we can maintain the stability of the industry and ensure that AI never replaces actual talent and engagement in the future.”
Follow Shay Moore @heyshaymoore on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and @theshaymooremorningshow on Facebook.
