5 Quick Questions with: Gray Barnhill, an Eagle Scout and CMA Award-winning radio producer

Not very many people get to hoist a Country Music Association Awards (CMA) trophy.

Of course, famous musicians in the genre, like George Strait, Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift, have received one. But the association also honors radio stations and personalities in varying markets across the country.

This past November, 94.7 QDR, a country station that serves the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina took home the CMA in the “Large Market Radio Station of the Year” category. On that award-winning crew is Gray Barnhill, an Eagle Scout and promotions director of the radio station at the Curtis Media Group.

As part of his job, he produces a morning show, runs the station’s social media pages, manages remote broadcasts and hosts a weekly show on the air.

Barnhill started as a Cub Scout in Pack 515 of Wendell, N.C., and crossed over to Troop 515, where he earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2012. In 2013, he moved to Troop 365 and continued to work on Eagle Palms.

In the Order of the Arrow, Scouting America’s national honor society, Barnhill served as the lodge chief for Occoneechee Lodge #104. For 10 years, he also worked on the summer camp staff at Camp Durant in North Carolina.

We caught up with Barnhill recently to ask him 5 Quick Questions about his career as an award-winning radio producer.

How did Scouting influence your career choices?

From a young age, I always knew I wanted to work in radio. My love for radio really started around eighth grade, but Scouting gave me the opportunity to try a bunch of different things, especially through the merit badges I earned.

I earned the Aviation merit badge and decided that flying was not for me. However, I also earned the Cinematography merit badge and found out that video editing and sound are a lot of fun! I was able to take what I learned and turn that into a career. I took my love for media editing and found a broadcasting degree in college that turned into what I do for work now.

What personal qualities are essential for working at a large radio station?

There are a lot of things that are needed to work in radio, but I would say organization and practice are some of the best. There are a lot of moving pieces in radio. Not just what goes on the air — although that’s a lot — but behind the scenes too.

When you win something on the radio, someone has to ensure you get your prize, right? That’s a big part of my job too! What goes over the air is just part of what radio stations do, so obviously, organization is key. But practice is important too.

Some people believe that being on the radio is super simple and all you do is talk, but it does take some skills that have to be learned, along with pressing multiple buttons all at once! The more you practice, the better you will get. And truly, that’s with anything you decide to do.

What are the differences between producing a program and being on air yourself? 

There are a lot of differences between producing and being on the air myself. When you’re producing a show, you are really looking at the show from two different angles: the talent and the audience.

When producing, part of your job is working on content for the show, but you have to make sure that it is something that the talent will actually want to discuss and it is something that the audience would like to hear. For example, if you find a really cool story to discuss on the air about hamburgers, but your talent has discussed in the past that they are vegetarian, will this story work? In some cases, the answer is still yes, but you just have to approach it from a different angle.

But it also works the opposite way. If you or your talent want to discuss something, but your audience really won’t care, then you might have to cut it from the show. Personally, I believe being on air myself is more fun. I get to reference things that have happened in my life and what I care about and what I believe the audience will care about. It’s also a lot of fun for your audience to call in and interact with people over the air.

What was it like being at the CMAs and hearing your team won an award?

The Country Music Association Awards were really cool! The event happened in Nashville, Tenn., which I had never been to before, and of course, all of the biggest stars were there too. It’s kind of like a big concert, but you are in the audience with all of your favorite country singers instead of your community around you.

Being a part of the winning team also showed me that I was a big part of something larger than myself. The award truly was a team effort, but knowing that some of my skills and talents helped the team reach that goal showed that what I’ve learned in my past can truly propel me into the future.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career thus far?

Anywhere you go, any time of day and anyone you’re talking to can teach you something! We all come from different walks of life and at different times. It doesn’t matter the age of someone or what they do — everyone has some kind of wisdom. In my current career, I have learned a lot from people of all ages, from all walks of life. It’s important to listen to and learn in everything you do!