Liz Felix is the Music Director/Assistant Program Director at WNKU. Before coming to Cincinnati, she was the Music Director/Assistant Program Director at WAPS – The Summit 91.3 in Akron. Before that she was the Program Director at Cumulus Triple A KBXR in Columbia, MO. Liz is no newbie to radio.
WNKU recently changed up their format and are now playing local music every hour and even have a Local Discovery each month! The Local Discoveries thus far have been Jeremy Pinnell, The Yugos, Moonbeau, MULTIMAGIC, and Young Heirlooms. Liz has a huge role in the push for promoting local music.
When radio stations are overwhelmingly dominated by men, Liz Felix is our local woman ambassador on the radio.
Cincinnati knows Liz Felix from WNKU. Many may not know that you have been in the radio game for quite some time. How did you determine that being in radio was your path?
It happened naturally as a result of being a music fan. I was lucky to go to a university that had a great college station (WPGU at the University of Illinois) and got my start there. When I started, I just wanted to play awesome music on the radio. I never thought it would become a career, but I got an opportunity to work in radio full time after I graduated and just kept going from there.
Being a fairly new transplant to Cincinnati, what do you feel is different about the music scene here based on other cities you have lived in?
There's so much variety here. Maybe that's the result of where Cincinnati is located - the north, the south and the midwest meet in this city. I think you can see the different cultural influences in our music scene. Cincinnati has an amazing history of rock, bluegrass, soul and funk - just look at the recordings that came from King Records and you get a sense of how important this city has been in the history of popular music. I also think the quality of the bands in this city is really high. There are bands just getting started now that have a real shot at making a national impact outside of Cincinnati.
As a woman, do you feel that your gender has ever hindered your path? Do you feel that you have to work harder to get your voice heard?
Radio and the music industry in general continue to be male-dominated fields. I didn't pay much attention to that when I was younger, but as I've gotten older I've started to realize how valuable it is to have other women in your working world. I do think we have to be more persistent to have our voices heard. There are challenges for women that men never consider or think about. I think it's important for women to press forward in spite of obstacles. Women have so much to offer - the women I know in this business are very dedicated and hard-working, and maybe that's in part because of those obstacles.
As an obvious music lover, what has been your all time favorite concert you have attended?
Wow, tough question. One that stands out is the late-night My Morning Jacket show at Bonnaroo in 2008. They played for three hours and continued even when it started pouring down rain. They covered Erykah Badu and James Brown. Insane. Somebody bootlegged it - I think it's still floating around online.
What do you want people to take away with them when they think of you?
Pretty simple - that I'm just here to share great music with our community of listeners.
*Interested in Submitting Your Music for Airplay on WNKU?*
Please send TWO compact discs (no cassettes or tapes, please) to:
WNKU
Music Director
301 Landrum Academic Center
Highland Heights, KY 41099
March is Women’s History Month, in celebration, CincyMusic.com will be featuring important women behind the music scene in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is the home of so many amazing women within the music industry. These women include; a Venue Owner, a well known DJ, Educators, the First Lady of Cincinnati Music, an Assistant Program Director, Writers, Photographers, and a beloved fan.
Stay tuned to CincyMusic.com for our Features on these talented women this month!
