About Heather Larson

On The Air: I’m on the air once in a while just to fill in on the weekends because radio is a fun habit that is hard to give up. Like cigarettes. Listen to The Peak online at 987thepeak.com. Follow me on Twitter while on air @heatherlarson.

I also have a “real job.” I am currently working full-time as an entertainment writer for the Westwood One Metro Source newswire. The stories we write for the wire also go online to hundreds of Westwood One radio affiliates who post our news feeds on their websites.

everythingheather [at] gmail [dot] com

or

hotwords [at] me [dot] com

On Twitter: @heatherlarson

Clips and resume are at my Media Bistro profile

I blog about CJD at:  CureCJD.wordpress.com

I blog about literally everything I’m interested in, like music, entertainment, food, and life at EverythingHeather.wordpress.com.

Bridging the gap between old & new media.

I combine the art of writing with the business of radio.

I combine old & new media.

I combine on-air with off-air.

I combine journalism & entertainment.

It’s the 21st century skillset necessary for building an audience and a brand.

I think it’s necessary for the survival of broadcasting.

Did you read a bizarre post on “The Rip Off Report” about me? Get the real story on my blog by reading my rebuttal on my blog.

My full-time job is being a broadcast entertainment news writer for Westwood One Metro Source.  My previous position with the company for a year and a half was as an online news editor.  From 2004-2005, I worked in the national news unit.

Here is some more about me:

I have the most experience in the realm of writing entertainment news, music, and gossip since I’ve written and reported it for radio and the web since 2000.  I’ve also written about a variety of things for print, like a tragic methadone overdose and Proposition 204 during the 2006 Arizona election.

I support the CJD Foundation in Akron, Ohio, as my mother passed away from CJD in 2004.  I have servee as a volunteer/advocate and enjoy helping other CJD families navigate the hell I went through the hard way.  I also volunteer for the CJD Foundation’s medical education program with the CDC.  We’re educating doctors, nurses, caretakers, and funeral homes around the United States about CJD.

Accomplishments:

•    Ten years of radio on-air talent, production, and programming experience
•    Four years of print/online journalism
•    2004 Arizona Press Club print journalism scholarship
•    Over two years SEO content writing
•    Fourteen months broadcast news writing

Where I’ve been published:

Print

•    The Paradise Valley Community College Puma Press Newspaper in Phoenix, AZ

•    Sweat Magazine, Scottsdale, AZ (fitness)

•    Veg News Magazine, San Francisco, CA (national vegetarian publication)

•    Contact Magazine, Phoenix, AZ (design, now Kontakt)

•    Gilbert Lifestyle Magazine, Valley Publishing, Mesa, AZ

•    Mesa Lifestyle Magazine, Valley Publishing, Mesa, AZ

•    Senior Lifestyle Magazine, Valley Publishing, Mesa AZ

•    Organic Processing Magazine, Tempe, AZ (national/international organic trade magazine)

•    The Westerly Sun (local paper covering Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut)

Online

•    Italknews.com
•    1047kissfm.com (music news, jock bios)
•    Mix969.com (music news)
•    Z100.com and other Clear Channel websites (via Clear Channel entertainment feed 2002)
•    987ThePeak.com (Peak Legends, blogs)
•    CNET’s Webshots.com (entertainment channel posts)
•    Popmusic.suite101.com (pop music feature editor)
•    PhoenixArtSpace.com
•    Batanga.com (review of Mana concert)

Long Form Programming (Radio)

•    Nelly hour-long concert special for KZZP-FM Phoenix, AZ
•    Usher hour-long concert special for KZZP-FM Phoenix, AZ
•    Eminem hour-long concert special for KZZP-FM Phoenix, AZ

Where I’ve Interned:

•    RAZOR Magazine, Marketing Department, Scottsdale, AZ (national men’s magazine)
•    Sweat Magazine, Scottsdale, AZ (fitness)
•    Organic Processing Magazine, Tempe, AZ (national/international trade magazine)

Radio Station Call Letters Where I’ve Worked:

KOHL, KSJO, KUFX, KCNL, KKIQ, KFJO, KXJO, KNBR, KZZP, KDKB, KPKX

Markets Where I’ve Been Syndicated:

•    Tucson, AZ (Kid & Ruben in the Morning)
•    Tulsa, OK (Kid & Ruben in the Morning)

Events Covered:

•    American Idol seasons 1 & 2 finales from Los Angeles
•    Red carpet events in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Scottsdale
•    Round tables for movie promotion in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Los Angeles
•    Concerts in Arizona
•    Music festivals in Arizona

Podcasting:

•    MelodyTrip.com

Radio Show Prep Writing:

•    Won 2 Bitboard.com “Brommie” awards for radio show prep writing while working as a morning show producer for “Kid and Ruben in the Morning” on 104.7 Kiss-Fm (KZZP Phoenix)
•    Wrote some prep in summer ’07 for TheBitXChange.com
•    Westwood One Metro Source writer-editor in the national news unit for 14 months during the busy morning drive shift.
•    Long form radio programming in the form of hour-long concert specials on Usher, Nelly, and Eminem. 

Skills:

•    Radio on-air talent
•    Audio editing and production
•    Morning radio show production
•    Entertainment reporting
•    Radio public affairs program host
•    Radio Remotes and endorsements
•    Long form radio programming
•    Radio station website content
•    Copywriting for radio spots
•    Print journalism
•    Online journalism
•    Public speaking and appearances
•    SEO content writing
•    News writing
•    Podcasting
•    Proofreading, editing, AP Style
•    Blogging
•    Basic HTML
•    Social networking literate
•    Research, interviewing, reporting
•    Photoshop Elements basics
•    Screenwriting

Certificates:

Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix, AZ:

•    Journalism

Ohlone College, 2003, Fremont, CA:

•    Radio Broadcasting Program Management
•    Radio Broadcasting Air Talent
•    Radio Broadcasting Studio Operations

Education:

Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLS) Degree in progress at Boston University expected 2010. (Online via B.U. Metropolitan College in the EUDCP program).

Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix, AZ

Rio Salado College, Tempe, AZ

Ohlone College, Fremont, CA

Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA