Department of Music News

Morgan Reagle, a junior from Richmond, KY with a major in broadcasting, has been involved with WNKY’s popular morning show, SOKY Sunrise, for nearly two years. Acting as the show’s producer since he was a freshman, he has had to work hard and put in long hours to create the best show possible.

Starting as a studio technician, Reagle demonstrated a strong work ethic that earned him a spot as the show’s producer. “When they were looking for a producer, some people encouraged me to just put myself out there and see what’ll happen,” says Reagle, “I put forth the effort and showed them that I wanted to learn and was willing to go the extra mile to get the job.”

With the responsibilities that come with being a producer, Reagle’s dedication to SOKY Sunrise is essential to keep the show moving. “My day consists of coming in at 3 in the morning, because the show rolls from 6 to 7 a.m. live every day. I am responsible for scheduling guests every day to come on the show to promote community events, I schedule the second guests to do fun, interactive segments that people want to watch in the morning. I help pick the news stories that we run with that day, pick out videos, and help write scripts. It’s just a lot of timing, so you can stay in that hour block.”

Reagle has big aspirations to become a sports broadcaster in the future, and is using his experience at WNKY to help him learn about the broadcasting industry. “I love watching sports and the analysis behind it. Right now, while I am also a producer of the morning show, I anchor our sports segment on Thursdays.” Reagle is not only getting sports broadcasting experience on the show, he’s minoring in athletic coaching to further improve his sports knowledge. “I really think that what I’ve learned so far in my classes is that there’s a whole different side to the game outside of being a fan,” says Reagle, “so by taking these classes, I’m learning the things that players know, so I can apply my knowledge about the game.”

When it comes to working for WNKY, Reagle recognizes how valuable his experience has been to achieving his goals. “It’s opened incredible doors, I’ve gotten such great opportunities,” Reagle says, “There are just certain things about broadcasting that you just have to work in the business to fully understand and fully get the experience.”

Reagle’s hard work on SOKY Sunrise has garnered a lot of well-earned attention. Earlier this October, the Kentucky Broadcasting Association named SOKY Sunrise “Best Morning Show.” “It feels amazing,” says Reagle, “When I started it was so different and I’ve learned so much. And it’s not just me, there’s a whole crew of people who are doing the same amount of work that I am to put the show on the air, and that fact that that work has been recognized, it just feels great.”

For more information on WKU’s Broadcasting program, contact advisor Carol Alicie or visit https://www.wku.edu/schoolofmedia/undergraduateprograms/broadcasting/broadcasting.php

SOKY Sunrise airs on WNKY on NBC 40, airing weekdays 6 a.m. – 7 a.m. Learn more at https://www.wnky.com/watch-live/soky-sunrise/