The Sound Off Podcast is a weekly podcast about podcasting, radio, broadcasting, voiceover, and the people shaping the modern audio industry.
Hosted by veteran broadcaster and voice artist Matt Cundill, The Sound Off Podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of audio with in-depth conversations featuring podcast creators, radio professionals, producers, programmers, voiceover talent, media executives, and industry innovators. Drawing on decades of experience in radio and podcasting, Matt brings context, credibility, and curiosity to every episode.
Each episode explores the craft, business, and culture of audio, covering topics such as podcast growth, audience development, monetization, advertising, sponsorship, dynamic ad insertion, analytics, distribution platforms, audio branding, and emerging trends in on-demand audio. From legacy radio to independent podcasts and branded content, the show examines how audio continues to evolve — creatively, technologically, and commercially.
The Sound Off Podcast is known for thoughtful, candid interviews that go beyond surface-level talking points. Guests include radio legends, podcast pioneers, seasoned producers, voiceover artists, and leaders working across podcast networks, media companies, and technology platforms. Conversations focus on real-world experience: what works, what doesn’t, and what creators and companies need to understand to succeed in today’s audio landscape.
Whether you work in podcasting, radio, voiceover, broadcasting, or digital media — or you’re simply fascinated by how audio storytelling works — The Sound Off Podcast delivers insider perspectives, practical insights, and honest discussions about the future of sound.
With a balance of industry expertise and accessible conversation, The Sound Off Podcast is designed for professionals, creators, and listeners who want a deeper understanding of how audio connects audiences, builds brands, and drives culture.
New episodes are released weekly.
In this episode Laura discusses the changing face of radio, building a youthful audience, using social media and the importance of being on the ground in your market.
Laura was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia where she attended Georgia State. In college she started out in computer science before moving to a degree in journalism. Laura got her start in radio working the graveyard shift at the campus radio station Album88.
“It was a really cool thing being someone who got to introduce people to new music. The radio station used to compete with 99x in Atlanta. Album 88 to this day is still known for that. It’s definitely still on the forefront of introducing people to non-traditional artists and genres,” says Laura.
Laura remembers her time working the 2-5 a.m. shift fondly. Saying it was as close as she got to working alternative radio. The station and the time slot gave her the freedom to play bands like The Rubens and Lime Cordial. She interned with Adam Bomb. When Adam was working on the on air portion of the show, Laura would attend local events in his place. “I would go out basically interact, take pictures get audio, do stuff for social and kinda, you know, getting an understanding and a taste of street activation for a radio station. It’s important to keep up that face to face interaction and showing people we are more than people that play music. We interact, we attend local events and support community,” says Laura.
After graduation and before moving north Laura worked in promotions and as a board op at the Cumulus stations: Rock 100.5, 99x ,and Kicks 101.5 and O.G. 97.9 in Atlanta. Today she in on evenings in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania. Working at CHR/WBHT which has two transmitters 97.1 Wilkes Barre and 95.7 Scranton (Home of Dunder Mifflin’s top branch).
Laura works a time slot that was previously not held by local talent. She says it has been nice to connect with her audience and retrain them to expect a live body in the station on evenings. She notes it is fun to stay involved with all things Gen-Z using Instagram and Facebook live to interact with her audience, but says social media can be very time consuming and that she prefers to schedule it in rather than letting it run her show. Twitter is the platform she uses least and that like it or not, you’re gonna have to use TikTok if you want to capture a youthful audience.
Every Tuesday CHR/WBHT does a High School takeover. A bunch of high school students come in and take over programming at the radio station. The station has a pizza party and gets imaging, social and word of mouth out of the deal. “We just hang out get to know them and they really appreciate that,” says Laura. She knows this is helping to build the next generation of listeners and talent.
"Radio is changing but not going away. It is in changing the way we interact with our listeners that we will keep radio alive." Her message to anyone who dreams of a career in radio: “keep pushing through.”
Laura hopes to one day be a program director at an alternative station.
Laura and Matt go to the Conclave in Minneapolis every year, along with several others who have been on this podcast. It's an event she calls exciting and inspiring for all things radio. Laura gives a shout out to some of her favorite people that she has met there: (All have appeared on our podcast) Lori Lewis, Jillene Khan, Alyssa from 107.7 The End who was on the podcast.
There's more about this episode on our show page!
Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week including:
Promosuite
Matt Fogarty Voiceovers
Justin Dove at Core Image Studios
Megatrax
NLogic
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