9 Things About Big Rob: #8 The Start Of “Big Rob”

As the “new guy”, or maybe a guy you’ve listened to for years, I wanted to pull back the curtain a little bit to re-introduce myself as I begin this next chapter in my radio career at 99.9 The Point with 9 things about me. Yesterday we talked about how my radio career was jumpstarted and guided as a young kid… Today, let’s chat about how my actual radio career began!

After the Roller Express collapsed in March of 2002, I went to a local Broadcasting School in Denver to learn Radio and TV. I wasn’t ever interested in TV because Radio was always something I loved growing up so I put all of my focus on breaking down the door and getting into the biz! In August of 2003, I was hired as an intern for then “Clear Channel” and spent a ridiculous amount of time there soaking it all in. I spent so much time there, asking questions and learning by watching folks work, that I was awarded “Most Intern Hours” (in the School’s history at that point) when I graduated!

I’ll never forget my first time getting behind a radio microphone during my internship. I was in the studio, with Radio Legend Uncle Nasty. The Studio was full of, let's call them, dancers, and he kept asking me questions and having me describe what was going on in the studio. When I got to class the next day I swear, my whole class must have been listening because I was the hero of the day! I was so lucky as an intern to be able to work with and learn from some of the Denver Radio greats such as Uncle Nasty, Willie B, Marc Stout, D-Mac, Lewis & Floorwax, Nerf, and the list goes on!

Eventually, I was hired as a Promotions Assistant in March of 2004. I was driving vans and setting up station events all over Denver. Shortly after I was hired for Promotions, I was given my very first on-air shift on the former “KISS 95.7” in Denver. Sure, it was overnights, but I didn’t care. I was on the radio in my hometown at 18 years old! CRAZY!  In April of 2005, that radio station changed formats and I was left without a radio home. I’ll never forget reaching out to Chris Kelly and the late Stu Haskell in Northern Colorado and asking if they needed an On-Air talent. Chris wrote back and said they didn’t have the money to hire anyone new at the time. My response was simple, ‘I’m not in it for the money, I just want to be on the air.” That turned into me going from the weekend/fill-in guy to a full-time Morning Show Host in a matter of 4 months! Proud to say that was the birth of "Big Rob on the Radio" and Northern Colorado has been my Radio Home Market ever since! Sometimes in life, you get lucky and other times it’s all meant to be. I think it was both in this case and I’ll always be grateful for my humble beginnings.