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PROFILES in style The River’s (WRVV) Morning Man: Chris Tyler
Sitting in Chris Tyler’s office you quickly realize that this guy has been in radio
for a long time. There are pictures of him with celebrities, awards galore, and tons of
"radio related" nick-nacks. And of course, countless cassettes and CDs cover
every available corner in the room. Chris Tyler is not only The River’s morning DJ,
but he is also the Operations Manager, and has been since the station successfully changed
to it’s current format in 1992. The great music you hear every day on The River is
brought to you, in most part, by Chris Tyler himself.
Chris told MODE that he knew he wanted to be in radio right from the start. Chris
traveled a great deal as a child. He moved from state to state, but always found a way to
get involved in broadcasting or electronics work wherever he landed. In high school he was
that ever friendly "morning announcements" voice, and he covered every sporting
event he could. Chris went to college (Syracuse University in New York) for Broadcast
Media, and within his first 30 minutes on campus he was inside the doors of the college
radio station. College was good to Chris, giving him ample room to flex his radio muscles,
and he used the precious air-time he was allotted to develop his skills as a radio DJ.
Straight out of college Chris went to work for WBEN radio in Buffalo, NY. (To make a long
story short) He went from Buffalo to Columbus, OH, then to Philadelphia, PA. Radio was,
and still is, somewhat of a political business, Chris told us. "Around 1991 I was
working in Philly and I just wasn’t happy with the situation. As a matter of fact,
there was a time that I considered looking for another line of work." Chris shared
with us the reason that brought him to Harrisburg: "I had decided that the station I
was with just wasn’t good for my career. I had received an offer from another station
in Philly, and that’s when I realized that it was the area as much as the work that
wasn’t satisfying my goals."
Chris Tyler accepted the Operations Manager position with the new WRVV in Harrisburg, PA
in March of 1992, and it was the best move of his career. He commented: "I got the
chance to create a station from scratch." Being hired by WRVV gave him the
opportunity to work with great people in creating a terrific station that appeals to a
wide range of listeners. WRVV rated number one (first quarter 1996) in Harrisburg for the
age group of 25-54. Chris told MODE that Harrisburg is one of the most wonderful areas
he’s ever worked or lived in. He even told us that if circumstances ever required him
to leave WRVV, and working in radio was not an option, he would still strongly consider
staying in Harrisburg and trying a new line of work.
For now, and the foreseeable future, you can find Chris Tyler happily (and quite
successfully) guiding his River listeners through their weekday mornings. Tune in to Chris
Tyler every weekday morning 5:30am to 9am on The River at 97.3 fm. |
