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| Professional/Personal Overview |
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I'm the morning co-host on Power 93.9 (KDGS) in Wichita, KS. We call our CHR/rhythmic morning show "Hitman and Heather in the Morning." We feature celebrity interviews on our show as well as discussions about local and national hot topics. Music & entertainment news as well as pop culture, viral videos, sports, and gossip are also subjects we talk about.
Listen online at Power939.com or on our free KDGS app in the iTunes app store. We broadcast M-F 6-10 am Central.
I'm a diverse freelance writer with experience in broadcasting as well as online and print media. I am currently freelancing for HalogenTV.com, the companion website to the cable channel about social good.
I'm also a blogger. CureCJD.wordpress.com offers a mix of science, medical information, and personal experience about the fatal degenerative brain disease known as CJD. |
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| mediabistro.com Questions |
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What's the hardest work project you've ever tackled?
Producing a morning show! One of my best "gets" was when I got Justin Timberlake's mom to do an on-air bit with us. Not only was I excellent at booking great guests for myself and the hosts to interview, I also wrote tons of show prep and did entertainment news reports. I did it by multi-tasking and by owning a smart phone before it was cool to have one. They don't teach you how to do this in school; I was self-taught!
What's the best job you've ever had?
As a pop culture addict, I have to say morning radio. A close second was writing entertainment news for Westwood One because I love interviewing people about their work.
I also really enjoyed the two years I spent being a full-time freelancer and working part-time at 98-7 The Peak here in Phoenix on the air. There's a lot of freedom in being one's own boss and I learned so much.
What's your idea of a perfect Saturday night?
Hitting the most amazing music festival where all my favorite artists are playing: The Black Keys, Phoenix, Coldplay, Billy Currington, Gavin DeGraw, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, The Bravery, Michael Franti and Spearhead, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Tori Amos, Weezer, Page and Plant, Paul McCartney, Madonna, and last but certainly not least -- Mana! I'd travel anywhere to see Mana. They're my Grateful Dead.
What's your idea of a perfect Monday morning?
It's creative and productive. It's an energizing morning where I conduct a celebrity interview, knock out a couple blog posts, and create a killer multimedia story for the radio and web. Then someone sneaks me an album leak from a major artist and we have a productive creative meeting. This could be done for a radio station where I'm on the air or for any kind of news website that's savvy with their online properties. And these mornings really do happen!
In ten years, I want to be:
Still on the radio, ruler of online content, and doing something on TV. I'd also like to be more creative than ever, world-traveled, filthy rich, and with a couple of books published.
What do you wish you'd learned sooner?
MLA format, guitar, singing, and how to be a good manager of both myself and others.
Describe your dream assignment
It involves travel, ideally. But most importantly, it's an assignment where I get to meet fascinating people. I love connecting with others and interviewing them to get their story.
What book is on your nightstand right now?
There are 86+ books on my Kindle! I'm a big fan of HBO's "True Blood," so I'm catching up on the entire Charlaine Harris series about Sookie Stackhouse. I'm a sucker for a series like Steig Larsson's trilogy and even "Twilight."
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| Work Samples |
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RESUMES |
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(11/1/2010)
This is my radio-only resume that shows what I've been doing in radio since 1997. Radio has been the primary focus in my career; I've also been fortunate to have worked in print journalism and online content creation.
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(11/1/2010)
This resume shows my writing experience in SEO; print journalism; online content writing and journalism; and broadcasting.
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PRINT JOURNALISM |
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(The Westerly Sun, 3/29/2008)
I wrote an article for a the Westerly Sun about Greg Culver and his custom building business. The newspaper was running a special section filled with stories highlighting local businesses. Culver builds some pretty amazing homes. I'm always fascinated when I get to interview passionate people abou
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(Organic Processing Magazine, 1/1/2008)
This article is for the B2B magazine, "Organic Processing." This organic-themed magazine is about more than just food. I wrote a feature about an organic wool company called O~Wool. I was interning for the publication at the time and am listed as a contributing writer in this issue for January-Feb
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(CONTACT Magazine, 6/7/2007)
This was an article I wrote about the Grand Prix event that was supposed to have taken place in downtown Phoenix. Unfortunately the plans were scrapped and it never happened. But here's an article about what could have been.
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(Paradise Valley Community College Puma Press Newspaper, 10/1/2006)
Prop 204 was an initiative on the ballot in Arizona in 2006 that made humane farming a state law. This is an article I wrote ahead of that election to find out what Prop 204 was all about. Follow the link to read the article in its entirety.
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(Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, 11/1/2005)
I interviewed Janice Parker, Executive Director of the non-profit Save The Family in Mesa, Arizona. The organization needed donations for the holidays in order to help the state's large homeless population.
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(Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, 10/1/2005)
I went to Stapley Junior High School in Mesa, Arizona to interview students who had raised $20,000 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The photo accompanying the article is mine.
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(Gilbert Lifestyle Magazine (Valley Publishing), 10/1/2005)
This is an article I wrote while working as the managing editor for Valley Publishing. It ran in Gilbert Lifestyle Magazine.
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(Gilbert Lifestyle Magazine, 1/9/2005)
This article is about an Arizona mother who lost her son to a Methadone overdose. This story shows how an average, suburban family can fall victim to a heartbreaking loss like an addiction to prescription medication.
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(Puma Press (college paper), 5/5/2004)
I did this article when I was the wellness editor of my college paper, the Paradise Valley Community College Puma Press here in Phoenix (and the college I attended in my pre-Boston University days). I was working weekends on the air at KDKB-FM, where Alice Cooper was doing a brand-new night show. A
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(SWEAT Magazine, 2/1/2004)
This article is about top cyclists coming to a big race that was covering the streets of Phoenix and into the Casa Grande area outside of the Valley.
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(SWEAT Magazine, 12/1/2003)
As an intern for SWEAT magazine in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was often assigned an article to write. The publication covered a variety of sports and athletic activities in the Valley, as well as anything related to a healthy lifestyle. This particular article is about how integrating a pedometer into
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(SWEAT Magazine, Scottsdale, AZ, 1/10/2003)
This is an article I wrote for SWEAT Magazine in Scottsdale while interning there. Krav Maga means "contact combat" in Hebrew and is taught to law enforcement around the world for self defense. I have been training Krav Maga for five years now and it's one of my favorite subjects to write about.
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ONLINE JOURNALISM |
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(HalogenTV.com, 12/23/2010)
Celebrities Fight Autism with Fundraising:
Hollyrod Foundation's Christmas 2010 initiative called "Give the Gift of Voice." The charity raised money to give iPads with speech software to special needs children with challenges in speaking.
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(HalogenTV.com, 12/21/2010)
Country singer Jimmy Wayne walked halfway across America in 2010 to raise awareness of homeless children and teens who "age out" of foster care at age 18. I interviewed Jimmy about his "Meet Me Halfway" campaign for this article.
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(HalogenTV.com, 12/15/2010)
Iraq war veteran Troy Yocum drums/walks his way across the U.S. to raise money for soldiers' families in need.
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(Batanga.com, 9/9/2007)
Batanga.com hired me to cover the Phoenix Mana concert, and the article I submitted was in English. Believe me, my Spanish isn't this good! It was one of the best concerts I had ever seen and made me a fan for life. I look forward to reviewing more concerts in any language.
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(Suite101.com , 3/13/2007)
I did a Skype interview with Macy Gray around the time her album "Big" came out. All went well until Macy put me on hold for two minutes in the middle of the interview! I'll never forget it. But I still managed to get plenty of information about her new record for my article.
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(SongwriterUniverse.com, 5/11/2004)
I did a profile on songwriter Kenny Nolan for SongwriterUniverse.com.
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ONLINE CONTENT CREATION |
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(self; WordPress blog , 11/25/2010)
I interviewed pop singer Fefe Dobson and posted the interview in three parts on my blog, EverythingHeather.wordpress.com. The interview is posted in three different video installments. Here is part three.
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(self; EverythingHeather.wordpress.com, 11/18/2010)
Here is part two of three of my interview with pop singer Fefe Dobson.
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(self; EverythingHeather.wordpress.com, 11/17/2010)
Part one of three of my interview with pop singer Fefe Dobson.
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(Suite101.com, 3/10/2007)
I decided to examine whether or not being on Fox's "American Idol" opens doors for its contestants in the music industry. Yes, that's my own photo of Simon Cowell and myself in the PDF. It's my personal photo and it was taken at the season two finale event at Universal Studios when I was there for
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(CNET's Webshots.com, 2/20/2007)
CNET hired me to write a short paragraphs filled with links to the best in the site's entertainment photos. I got to pick different topics to write about; on this particular mid-February week, it was the Grammy Awards.
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(CNET's Webshots.com, 2/12/2007)
CNET hired me to write a short paragraphs filled with links to the best in the site's entertainment photos. I got to pick different topics to write about; this was a post where I found a way to string together various current celebrity news stories with links to photos of them.
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(Suite101.com, 2/8/2007)
For this feature, I wrote about the hidden power of producer and former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry.
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(CNET's Webshots.com, 2/5/2007)
CNET hired me to write a short paragraphs filled with links to the best in the site's entertainment photos. I got to pick different topics to write about; for this post, I highlighted one of my favorite rock music producers for her celebrity connections. Webshots had a goldmine of celeb fan photos a
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(CNET's Webshots.com, 2/1/2007)
CNET hired me to write a short paragraphs filled with links to the best in the site's entertainment photos. I got to pick different topics to write about; for this post, I made a tongue-in-cheek comparison between Tom Cruise and Jesus Christ.
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(KISS-FM Phoenix Website , 12/1/2001)
It was my first Christmas doing morning radio on 104.7 KISS-FM (KZZP) Phoenix. My morning show hosts, Kid & Ruben, indoctrinated me into their annual charitable drive for Arizona's homeless children. They helped the Real Gift Foundation every year. It's a charity that helped paid for what was -- a
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(Clear Channel )
When I worked at KZZP-FM Phoenix (Clear Channel Communications), I often created web content that was syndicated across the company's radio station websites. I'd create articles for my home station that would be picked up by other stations. At the time, I was the morning news personality on "Kid &
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PRINT FEATURES |
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(Veg News Magazine, 5/1/2006)
This is a personal experience article I wrote for the national publication VEG NEWS MAGAZINE. I went vegan after my mother died of a genetic form of CJD and I tell my story of how I did it in this piece. I blog about CJD news, including developments in agriculture and neuroscience at my blog: http:
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(Gilbert Lifestyle Magazine, 11/1/2005)
Why gift someone with a cheese log when you can send them on a whitewater rafting trip? For this article, I was tasked to find the most "extreme" holiday gifts that could be found in the Valley of the Sun for "Gilbert Lifestyle" magazine.
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(Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, 10/1/2005)
For a fun Halloween article, I interviewed the owner of Arizona Paranormal Investigators about the best haunted sites in the area.
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(Senior Lifestyle , 1/1/2005)
This feature is about three women who were once recipients of charity. They each managed to get back on their feet thanks to the kindness of strangers.
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Articles where I am quoted |
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(Media Bistro , 1/3/2011)
While this isn't an actual piece I've written, it is a piece where I am quoted about how to conduct celebrity interviews as a journalist. I've interviewed celebrities for radio, print and online outlets. Thanks to journalist Kristen Fischer for asking me my thoughts on this great subject! I've seen s
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| Work Info |
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Expertise |
| Content Editor (online) |
9 Years |
| Writer |
8 Years |
| Radio: on-air personality, broadcast news writing, writing for radio station websites. |
13 Years |
Specialty |
| Lifestyle |
8 Years |
| Music |
13 Years |
| Entertainment |
13 Years |
Total Media Industry Experience
13 Years |
Media Client List (# assignments
last 2 yrs)
Elph Studios (SEO Content Writing) (11+), The Westerly Sun, CT (1-2), Batanga.com (1-2) |
Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)
Bonneville (on-air personality) (11+), Entercom (on-air personality) (11+), Westwood One (full-time editor) (11+) |
Other Work History
Morning Show Co-Host/Producer, Entercom, since Jan. 2011 (current);
Freelance writer, HalogenTV.com, since Nov. 2010 (current);
Entertainment News Writer, Westwood One, 15 mos;
DJ/Creative web content writer, Bonneville Broadcasting, Phoenix, AZ;
Submitawebsite.com, SEO Copywrtier, Scottsdale, AZ (6.5 mos);
Managing Editor/Writer -- Valley Publishing, Mesa, AZ (2 months);
Broadcast News Writer-Editor, National News Unit at Westwood One Metro Source, Scottsdale, AZ (14 months);
Intern, Sweat Magazine, Scottsdale, AZ (semester);
Intern, RAZOR Magazine, Scottsdale, AZ (semester);
Morning Show Producer/On-Air Personality, KZZP-FM (2 years) ('02-'04) |
Computer Skills
iMovie; Hearsay; Cool Edit; Google Docs; NexGen radio software; Mac OS X; Blogger; Wordpress; content management systems; Adobe Photoshop Elements; Google Picasa; Artweaver; Open Office.org; Gmail; Apple mail; Microsoft Word; Outlook; Apple's Pages; basic HTML; Goldwave; Garage Band; Clear Channel's Prophet Systems (pre-NextGen); Enco Dad Pro; Audio Vault for broadcast; VoxPro; Shortcut 360; Instant Replay; some experience with Final Draft & Quark Express; Scrivener; iMovie; Social Media; Skype; iChat. |
Technical Skills
Video editing; Digital audio editing software like Goldwave, Cool Edit, and Garage Band; Clear Channel's Prophet Systems (pre-NextGen); Enco Dad Pro; Audio Vault for broadcast; VoxPro; Shortcut 360; Instant Replay; Audacity; Garage Band for podcasts; multi-track digital editing; some Pro-Tools knowledge though not current; radio broadcast equipment. Some basic Pro Tools experience; Apple iMovie. |
Equipment
Apple MacBook; 8.0 Megapixel Olympus E-300 eVolt camera with regular and telephoto lenses; Flip Mino HD; iPhone for field reporting at live events. |
Foreign Language Skills
Very basic French and Spanish. |
Work Permits & Visas
No work permits or visas, but do have a valid U.S. passport. |
Unions
n/a |
References
Available upon request (since this page is public). Please email me at hotwords [at] mac [dot] com for a list of references. |
Awards
Bitboard.com's Brommie Award for morning radio show prep writing in August of 2002 & March 2003. The honor is given by morning radio peers for writing excellent show prep; Arizona Press Club Scholarship, May 2004. |
Other
Bachelors degree in liberal studies from Boston University. Volunteer mentor 6 hours/week at Youthville to foster kids.
Certificate in journalism from Paradise Valley Community College.
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Freelancer Availability
I occasionally freelance. I live near Wichita, KS. I am willing to travel anywhere. I have a driver's license. I have access to a car. |
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