Radio Host Creates Broadcast Camp and Book for Young Adults

When COVID-19 caused camps to close this past summer, nationally syndicated radio show host Sam Alex knew he had to set up his own virtual camp.

“I was just so heartbroken because I loved being a camper and a counselor when I was young,” Alex said, in a phone interview with the Journal. “I can’t imagine where I’d be in the world and achieve what I have without it.”

So Alex set up Camp Broadcast, where young adults of all ages – from middle schoolers to college students – could tune in and learn radio hosting and reporting skills, find out how to get started in the industry and even interview celebrities like former football quarterback Donovan McNabb and Nickelodeon actress Siena Nicole Agudong.

Campers got to make a 90-second reel of them interviewing a celebrity so they have it when they apply for an internship for a job, and they learned from celebrity guest instructors like ESPN play-by-play announcer Jordan Bernfield and “Inside Edition” correspondent Megan Alexander.

“The campers learned how to be confident in themselves,” said Alex, who was interviewed about his camp on The Today Show. “It’s not just for people who want to be a host or broadcaster but it’s for people who want to try something different. They learn how to a host or producer of their own program like a YouTube channel or podcast. The coolest thing is they get to interview a celebrity on their own, one on one.”

“It’s not just for people who want to be a host or broadcaster but it’s for people who want to try something different.”

While Alex lives in Nashville, his campers are from all over the U.S. Some reside in the same cities like Nashville and Orlando and are now partnering up. “They’re collaborating with each other by hosting YouTube shows and podcasts and being guests on each other’s programs,” said Alex.

Some campers have even snagged coveted career opportunities. One is now working at a Fox affiliate and another got accepted into an NBC fellowship. “I’m so proud of them,” said Alex. “They are further along in their career than I was at their age.”

Campers are also coming out of their shells thanks to Alex’s teachings. One camper, Nia, was scared to participate at first but quickly flourished. “She told me at the end of camp she was ready to take over Camp Broadcast and be the director,” Alex said.

For aspiring radio show hosts who want additional resources, Alex provides mentorships, and he’s written a professional guidebook called, “Get on the Air: An 8-Step Guide to a Career in Broadcasting.” It’s a step-by-step manual that shows readers how to design their own education plan and pursue internships, build a reel or aircheck, put together a website and network successfully. He’s also hosting weekend sessions and plans to bring his weeklong sessions back this summer.

Alex knows how important it is to build relationships, take internships and gain career experience. In his 18 years in the radio industry, he’s worked for iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, and Townsquare Media, where he interviewed country music stars like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks.

But the one who stood out to him the most was Dolly Parton. How she presented herself at a red carpet event had a big impact on Alex – and now he’s passing what he learned from her along to his students.

“When Dolly was on the red carpet, she talked to every single news outlet, giving everyone equal time with her, looking them in the eye and listening to their questions,” Alex said. “She didn’t need to do any of that. She’s Dolly Parton. What I teach my campers is that no matter whom you’re interviewing – whether it’s a major celebrity or a musician who may not have any followers – treat them the same. That’s a good life lesson too.”

Kylie Ora Lobell is a writer for the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, The Forward, Tablet Magazine, Aish, and Chabad.org and the author of the first children’s book for the children of Jewish converts, “Jewish Just Like You.”