Who Is Ron Murray Jr.?
Courtesy of Ron Murray Jr.
Ron Murray Jr. was a military kid that grew up participating in sports, and it was his childhood dream to pursue a career in the sports industry. It didn’t matter if Murray had to create his own content of stats on cassette tapes or radio, working in the sports industry was going to be part of his future in some fashion.
While in high school, Murray was on the football team and also was on the wrestling team with hopes to play at the collegiate level one day. That dream would later come true, and he was able to play football after making the transition to Dallas. Murray would attend Paul Quinn College, where he played football for two seasons during his freshman and sophomore years. After the completion of his sophomore year, Murray would accept an internship with one of the local radio stations and would have to make the difficult choice of giving up his dream of playing football. However, the local radio station (K104-FM, KRNB-FM, KKDA-AM) that he interned with just happens to be one of the top stations in the nation.
Murray would start his internship with Soul 730 AM KKDA, and was able to work his way up to become the K104 sports personality. He covers the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, and high school events throughout the DFW Metroplex, where he earned the name “Mr. High School Holla”.
Ron Murray spoke to The Hype Magazine about his journey to becoming one of DFW’s most recognizable faces.
What got you interested in radio in the first place?
The interest started with my passion for sports. I always knew growing up that wanted to pursue a career in sports, but I didn’t necessarily know the avenue I would take to enter the business, whether that would be as a coach, a scout, an analyst or doing something as far as, media. Radio was the blessing that opened as an avenue to work in, and it really started with my love for sports, and the radio gave me the opportunity.
After college were you able to take the usual routine of getting an internship and getting hired on upon the completion of your internship?
That is actually how my journey really began after college. I went to college at Paul Quinn College and majored in Broadcast Communications, under the mentorship of Cheryl Smith, who was the head of the Communications Department at the time. I think she did a great job of if there was something you wanted to do, she would connect and direct you in the direction you wanted to go. During that time at Paul Quinn College, I was playing football for my freshmen and sophomore year. After the competition of my sophomore year, I landed an internship at service broadcast, which is K 104 FM, KRNB FM, and at that time Soul 730 AM KKDA. When I started taking a liking to it and realized it was something I really wanted to do, I decided to quit football. I still finished my degree because that was the promise, I made to my mother, but is how my journey to K 104 began. I eventually was hired on and have been here ever since.
What advice would like to share with the youth that has gone through several internships, but they haven’t led to a full-time in their field of study?
I would say this and this is something I share with all young people, work as soon as you can because if you are one of those people, who are in school, but your only jobs have been on campus and you are not branching out into the local television stations, Radio or newspapers to gain real work experience it will hinder you. Nowadays it’s not just the internships there are kids out there with their own brands before they even leave high school. So, my best advice is to work as soon as you can to find those opportunities to get the experience under your belt early and network because the worst thing, they can say is no.
Can you talk about the segments that you are a part of at K 104?
It is a big package because they have me doing the Cowboys coverage, but is also the K104 Friday Night Lights. We pick one of the best games in the Metroplex and we go out there live to cover it Cat Daddy, me, the K104 street team and have a good time. I also have a segment called the K 104 High School Holla with Bay Bay. During the segment, we scout all the kids in Dallas and enjoy being able to recognize the kids in the Metroplex. The last segment is the K 104 Beast of the Week and that is when we go out and pick a player of the week in any sport. When we had a sponsor, we would give footballs to the football players that we selected and would also bring them and their family into the studio and it was fun for everyone involved.
Have you thought about a couple of the kids up to the radio station and give them a preview of what it is like to work in radio?
Absolutely, there is one young man that I am bringing up to the station next week because I am someone that is willing to help the next generation get their foot in the door if they show me that they are serious about their craft. Last season I was at the Cowboys and Titans game and wasn’t able to meet the UNT NABJ because they were visiting the radio station at the same time as the game. So, we are willing to do it now it might not be that we go to every high school, but everybody in the station in the past has been willing to help kids that reached out and showed an interest. Networking is the real deal because you never know I might need to ask them for a favor five to ten years down the road. You never know, so it’s always a good thing to build a relationship with people.
What do you personally look for in interns?
I don’t have the ability to hire interns, but this is what I would look for if I did. I would look for people that know what they want to do, not saying you must have it all figured out, but someone that wants to work. Individuals that are not afraid to start at the bottom wherever that might be. The consistent thing I see from kids wanting to skip the leg work and jump right into being on the radio, and they don’t watch the truck, fold shirts and pay dues. Are you someone that is going to really put in the work or are you going to complain all the time or do the work that is asked to get to that next step?
There are plenty of people who swear they want to work in this industry, but when they get here they lose sight of their goal. The lore of what they thought it would be is not what they were hoping it to be. Some become preoccupied with what other people are doing instead of running their own race. There are reasons why horses have blinders when they are running races. So, people that are willing to put in the work, because I am telling you when you do it will pay off. It might not be when you want it to, but it will come.
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Landon Buford Washington State Graduate Past Interviews include Grammy Award Winner Kenny G, David Banner, WNBA President Lisa Borders, What's Trending's CEO Shira Lazar, Ice Cube, NBC's Chicago PD LaRoyce Hawkins, Family Matters Darius McCrary, En Vogues Maxine Jones, Team USA Track & Field Member Norris Frederick, James Kyson, WNBA Great Lauren Jackson, and more.
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