Ryan Max, WMSR’s newly appointed General Manager, took some time away from the station to answer a few burning questions we had. Ryan was very candid with us about his passions in life and what his new role on campus entails. Below, you’ll find more dirt on what inspired him to initially become involved with WMSR, his goals for Miami’s student-run radio station this year, and what his post-grad dreams are!
Name: Ryan Max
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Just for fun!
Hobbies: Ultimate Frisbee, Piano, Cooking
Dream job: Professor of Psychology
Favorite TV show: The West Wing
Favorite band of all time: Jack’s Mannequin
Favorite Miami memory: Playing sand volleyball on Western Campus before it was under construction
HC: How did you first get involved in WMSR here at Miami and what inspired you to do so?
RM: Andrew Tonne (Miami Grad) invited me to co-host a show with him in the Fall of my sophomore year. It seemed like a good fit and I fell in love with the station.
HC: Tell us a little bit about your position as the General Manager.
RM: It was a bit of a hectic start to the year with WMSR. I was originally signed on to be the Program Manager, which I was truly excited about. I would get to work with the general members and act as the liaison to the Executive Board. After I stepped in as General Manager, I took on more organizational and leadership roles for WMSR (planning events, scheduling shows, running meetings, etc.). Now I’m doing both jobs, with the help of the rest of the executive board, and the year is off to a smooth start.
HC: What is your favorite aspect of the radio station?
RM: My favorite part of WMSR has always been the people. I’ve met hundreds of students in my 2+ years at the station and it’s great to see them in a setting where they can be themselves. Everybody always has something they can bring into the spotlight and I think it’s great that WMSR gives people that opportunity.
HC: Do you plan to pursue a career in radio after graduation?
RM: I don’t have any plans to pursue a radio career right now. I’m currently applying to graduate school programs so that I can earn my PhD in Psychology and teach at the college level, while conducting research.
HC: What goals do you have for the station this year?
RM: This year our main goal at WMSR is to increase our audience size and our presence on campus. Right now, there are more students that have never heard of us than students that know we exist. Hopefully that changes by the end of the year. We have such great people and programs at the station that we want to share with as many people as we can.
Over the past few years, our News and Sports programs have grown significantly and we want to find new and better ways to showcase them. We’re doing much more on-site reporting and broadcasting also, and I want that to continue to grow as well. I also want to get more students involved with our live broadcasts this year. We’re currently looking into doing live sports broadcasts from Intramural Sports championship games and from Tailgate Town.
HC: Where can we expect to see WMSR on campus this year?
RM: WMSR went live on Monday, Sept. 30! Anybody can tune in by going to www.redhawkradio.com and clicking on the “Listen Live” button. As far as on campus events, we hope to do promotional events at the Shriver Center, FSB, the Seal, and various quads across campus to raise our visibility. You also might see us uptown for concerts, karaoke nights, and other promotions. Also, we broadcast live from most home sporting events such as hockey, football, baseball, and men and women’s basketball. Look for our broadcast team at the games or tune in from home online.