RadioDays Europe: Elvis Is In the Building

Elvis Duran

“Do you love what you do?”

Elvis Duran said he was very nervous as he took to the stage at #RDE15, but his wisdom, experience and ideas about radio production and presentation was second to none.

Early on Monday morning the radio industry in Milan sat in silence, Elvis gave attendees something to think about.

The audience was treated to several insightful videos. Watching Elvis on air is like watching a master at work. he is one of the biggest radios stars worldwide and he’s got their through hard work. But he does not want to be bigger than his radio station.

“Being real is everything”.

Elvis was keen to emphasize that the key to success was to be yourself. “People who listen to you known when you’re lying, so you owe it to your listeners to be real”. And nothing is off topic - boobs, sex, gender. You just might have to apologise for what you’ve said.

There’s a big team involved in Elvis’s Z100 Breakfast Show. And in a world of shrinking budgets this is probably unusual. But everyone is integrated on air and on social media. Sometimes it feels like Elvis is not even the biggest person on his own show, let alone Z100.

And it’s not just laughs. Elvis has dealt with disaster on air too. The day after 9/11 he tried to help rebuild New York, using radio. “People actually hear what we say on the radio and the power to connect with people is incredible”.

Elvis has been on air since he was 15, but he was born to be on the radio.

Juel Lundgren talks to Elvis Duran from Z100 about the secret to his success at Radiodays 2015.