By Katie Bell, Staff Reporter.
At age 18, Bingham knew three things: he was passionate about 90s grunge and alternative music, he had the ability to make others laugh and he excelled in high school. Multiple career paths were at Bingham’s feet, but he wanted more than the typical 9-5 American Dream. With these things in mind, Bingham enrolled in the Electronic Media/Broadcasting program at Delta.
“I felt the classes were, as they still probably are, focused on television and that’s not what I was interested in. I wanted to do radio,” says Bingham.
Despite Bingham’s apprehensions, he stilled obtained an associate’s degree in Electronic Media/Broadcasting (EMB). He received a bachelor’s in Business Management through Delta’s 3-and-1 program with Northwood University. For Bingham, the B.A. is something to fall back on.
What Delta did not offer through classes, they provided through their internship connections. With help, a 19-year-old Bingham was able to receive an internship working at the rock radio station Z93 in the promotion department.
The internship was part of a three month program that would allow Bingham to receive one credit hour, but he ended up staying at the station an additional six months before being hired in as a part-time employee.
From there, Bingham worked his way through the WHNN classic rock station. The first year he worked overnights on the weekends. He would typically work after 11 p.m till 6 or 9 a.m. While on the air, he’d play pre-recorded voiceover tracks and music.
While at WHNN, Bingham hoped one day to return to Z93; although, during his internship Z93’s program director told Bingham he did not have “the rock guy look”
Eventually an opening did present itself and Bingham was the one to fill it. He made his debut doing overnights, which involves pre-recorded voice tracking between midnight and 5 a.m.
Over the next six years, Bingham acquired the titles of afternoon host, assistant program director and music director for Z93. In 2011, he was also voted Most Promising Programmer at Active Rock Radio from Friday Morning Quarterback, a trade magazine which covers radio and music industries within the United States. This award is voted on by industry professionals across the country, which was a great honor to him.
However, Bingham’s success with the station was short lived as Cumulus Media purchased the radio station that year. The company was looking to make budget cuts and he was let go due to financial reasons.
“It was really sad for me and I was really bummed for a while. There are times I’m still really bummed that I’m still not there,” Bingham states. “It was my hometown station and I had the opportunity to work there for quite some time. That doesn’t happen often.”
Despite this, Bingham believes that getting let go was one of the best things that has happened thus far in his career, as it pushed him outside his comfort zone and into uncharted territory.
“The fans that I had back in Saginaw have continued to follow my career, too, which is really, really cool,” says Bingham.
Determined to not let this destroy his career, Bingham landed a job at a country station called KWWR Country 96, working as morning host and program director in Mexico, Mo.
Bingham says he was under the impression that he’d have free range to produce and create what he thought was best for the station.
This turned out to be incorrect and after seven months there, Bingham quit.
Two weeks later, Bingham was hired as brand manager and afternoon host at 96-5 The Fox KBYZ in Bismarck, N.D. He is still working there and says he loves his job.
“Everything that is happening in the station, I have my hands in,” Bingham states, “From running and updating the website, writing blog posts, creating videos, scheduling music – I do it all.”
According to Bingham, Townsquare Media (the company that owns 96-5 The Fox) is redefining what it means to produce media. The radio station is just one part of a bigger media presence, mainly through the use of the Internet with videos and blog posts. If there is something happening in the music industry, they cover it.
“The times of hosts just showing up, doing their slot and going home are no more,” says Bingham.
The downside of stations venturing into all these forms of media is that they are short-staffed. The workload Bingham takes upon himself could be spread out to multiple members at a station.
Though the format of radio and working at a station is changing, Bingham strongly believes that radio is here to stay, especially in Bismark.
“People love local radio here,” states Bingham, “That may not be the case in Michigan, but people in North Dakota really love live and local radio.”
Bingham would like to take his career back to Michigan and believes it’s a great possibility working with Townsquare, as they have radio stations in Flint, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Bingham states, “I position myself as a down to earth guy, who just landed a pretty cool job.”