This month we had many submissions and we would like to thank you all for participating.  After much debate, our emerging winner is KNDY Radio in Marysville, Kansas.

We took a few minutes to get to know Derek Nester of Dierking Communications and KNDY Radio. We hope you enjoy the interview and if you’re ever in Marysville, Kansas be sure to tune in!

How long have you hosted your site with Lunarpages and which hosting plan are you using?

I have been using Lunarpages since August of 2007. We are using the Basic Plan.

What makes you stay with Lunarpages?

The low prices, as well as the top-notch customer service.

Tell us a bit about your site and what you do there?

Our website is the digital extension to our radio station. We post local news, weather, and sports information for our coverage area of Northeast Kansas and Southeast Nebraska.

Tell us about the design of your site. Did you design it yourself?

Our website is run on the WordPress CMS. We purchased a template and customized it to our own image. All the content is updated by our station staff on a daily basis.

How long have you been in the radio business and what got you started?

I got my start in the radio industry in 2002 at the largest agriculture based radio station in the United States in Salina, KS. I moved to my current station in 2004. My interest in radio came at a young age when I would listen to Bob Davis call Kansas City Royals and University of Kansas ballgames on the radio. My love for music, news, and sports has kept me around. In 2005 I also joined the staff at the Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network in Kansas City.

Can you tell us what a typical day in radio industry is like?

A typical day in the radio industry can last between 10-18 hours. Depending on what special programming is scheduled for that particular day, the staff will arrive around 6 am for the morning show, and to prepare the news and sports information. The sales team will work typical 9-5 schedules. If a ballgame is scheduled to be covered, you might not get home until midnight. The reward to me in the long hours is the satisfaction of a complete stranger stopping you to say “Thank You” for the service you have provided, and seeing how I can make a difference in the community.

How many listeners do you have and what is your typical listener like?

Our radio station is located in a rural community. Our signal typically reaches about 40,000 listeners in the geographic area we cover. Our typical listener is female, between 15-54 years of age. We cover the entire spectrum of country music. Our FM station plays contemporary country music, targeted for young women. Our AM station plays classic country music from the 1960’s through the early 1990’s… with special focus on the 80’s.

Can you share with us a memorable experience working in the radio industry?

On my birthday a couple years ago I got to call a high school basketball game, that went down to a last second shot in triple overtime. It was the most thrilling ballgame I’ve ever been part of.

How has the internet helped your business?

The internet has extended our radio station beyond the reach of our broadcast signal. We have several former community members who have moved away, and use our station and website as a way to stay in touch with local events and news. It has also been invaluable for us to get our message out to our listeners on their schedule, instead of our schedule. All the while we are able to push our brand on a regional and national scale, where previously we were regulated to our local coverage area.

Are you actively engaged in Social Media, do you see any value?

We started first with a Facebook fan page when we launched our website. It is now the focus of our internet strategy. We are able to directly communicate with our most valuable listeners, and they are able to contact us in ways we never thought possible. We also have a twitter account, but find that twitter is best used to push out information to other media members as we form a network with our peers.

A breaking news story about an armed fugitive being on the loose was picked up by a regional television station from our Facebook page. Our “Likes” doubled overnight.

Who is your favorite artist and have you had a chance to meet them in person?

While our stations focus primarily on country music, my favorite artist is R.E.M. and Depeche Mode. I grew up with an older brother and sister and that is the type of music I grew up with. Unfortunately I have not been able to meet any of the band members in person, and with R.E.M. breaking up this year, the hope of that dream coming true has faded.

Favorite song?

Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?

I would love to be a CNN correspondent oversees. My Journalism background makes me interested in how high pressure, high stakes international journalism works. I would imagine a single day would be more than enough though.

Apple or PC?

A year ago I would be yelling PC so loud your ears would bleed. However, I’m getting my first iPhone this week, and I’ve been happy with my use of iPads. I think it will be many, many years before I give up my PC. I would say I’m 80% PC now.

Domain name you wished you owned?

I wouldn’t mind owning Google.com! I think that played off pretty well for them. I have a couple more I might get, but I don’t want to share them yet.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us this month Derek.  Since CNN or ESPN are usually on in the lunch room each day, perhaps we’ll see you on TV too!