BIOGRAPHY on Robert Reid
Born on June 4, 1981, my Mom knew I would be into broadcasting at an early age since she knew my favorite childhood book was TV Guide. Although, TV Guide has changed physically, I still love the performers and personalities involved with such a diverse media where everyone can enjoy something. My passion has always been daytime dramas, my favorite one being, “Ryan’s Hope”, which premiered on the ABC television network on July 7, 1975. Although being a fan of this genre, you sometimes hope that you can translate your enthusiasm onto whatever show you want to work when you are finished with college. Well for me that is what I hoped for, in 2005 I graduated college at “The Art Institute of Philadelphia”, with an associate’s degree in Video Production, and my ultimate goal was to become a scriptwriter for one of the daytime dramas, however the challenge for me was not getting hired as an intern while I participated in the internship program at my college. I tried out “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” and I wasn’t picked, however being the positive person that I am went and got other internships at “Sesame Street” and “The Charlie Rose Show”, and they were absolutely fun, and I just look back on those experiences of not getting a chance to write for the soaps, a good memory because I was actually called and maybe that wasn’t where I was supposed to be in life.
After I graduated college, the first thing I knew I had to do is go back to college again, it wasn’t that I didn’t want a job in the field I studied, the salaries just seemed really bleak compared to the tips I was making as a waiter. So what I decided to do is go back to college online, for a bachelor’s degree in business, hoping that I could become an HR director some day for a company. As I am still pursuing my degree for this, it would be fun to still write for the soaps, and who knows maybe one day it will happen, I always keep my fingers crossed.
In 2005, I wrote a 30 page synopsis of a gay drama series that I hoped one day would become a series, it is still in the beginning stages so hopefully it can get produced and I currently working on that as well as other various screenplays. I keep them really hush, only because I want them under lock and key until they are copyrighted with the proper authorities.
The beginning stages of blogtalkradio for me, what I discovered is that the internet is the hot spot for all kinds of media, and I wanted to have a program where I interviewed celebrities and personalities asking questions about their careers and getting to know them in like we were sitting down maybe having a cup of coffee. So I developed an idea, and was originally going to work on another network, but the problem was that there was a format, and the format for me would have been 30 minutes, and I thought that this was too short, and that scheduling people according to my needs would not work at all, so I discovered blog talk radio, and went from there, I wanted it to be my show and I wanted guests to schedule time with me when it was convenient for them, and so far the format has worked and the guests that I have had have enjoyed it very much.
I have made many friendships over this broadcast, and for that I am truly grateful, it means more to me to have these friends than I can say. One in particular, is my friend Marian LaSalle, who is just amazing; she is really the one who scheduled authors on my program and it has been wonderful ever since then, and she is responsible for the website. Another great friend of mine is Louise Shaffer, she and I probably have had the longest interview in the world, but I am her biggest fan and I absolute adore her, I think she is so marvelous and her inspiring emails and conversations with me make me feel like I can do anything. There are so many others out there like my childhood best friend Lauren, who is fabulous and whom I am so happy our friendship has lasted for at least 20 years, and nothing could be achieved without the success of my family, there are so many of them out there, my Mom especially who used to make sure that we had separate TV’s in the house so she and Mammy could watch “As the World Turns”, while I tuned into the ABC daytime line up of the late 80’s through the mid 90’s. My Grandpa is someone who really is a great supporter, with getting to know him and my Grandma Patt at their condo in Hoboken, while I did two internships in NYC, commuting from Philly, so my love is always with the two of them. My Grandma Teddy has always been a big supporter as well, we have always enjoyed the game shows together and those are memories in which television has really bonded us together. There are so many people in my life that I am so thankful for my second family, Mary Ann who has always been a second mother to me, our friendship means so much, and the good times we have shared together. If I ever wrote a book, I think I would need a whole chapter to express my gratitude to so many people in the world that I have had connections with. One person who I wish was here is my Dad, who left my life when I was 17, to me this was my hero, and even though he is not with my physically, I know that his presence is with me when I achieve my goals.
As you listen to the broadcast, I hope that I enlighten you; I hope that you send me emails, and want to participate because that is what it is all about. I really do this for others to get to know the person I am talking to and that we can learn from their experiences as well as how to endure them. I know that is what I get from this and it’s really a thrill for me to have these guests on my show and to listen to their stories. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.
