Mary Flowers-Boyce, former Head Writer for The Tom Joyner Morning Show
Since the 90s, Mary Flowers-Boyce has been working in the radio industry, although she tried to deny her passion at first. Fast-forward almost 30 years and the vet is now head writer for “the hardest man working in radio” Tom Joyner for the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. And chances are, you’ve probably laughed at the awarding-winner’s jokes on the morning ride with Tom. Mary loves everything about radio and writing and gracefully merges the two together. She contributed to Tom’s memoir in 2005 and has since started her own company with two other women to help people bring their writing vision to fruition.
Read more about Mary Flowers-Boyce in Episode 7 of People You Should Know.
1. How did you get your job as Head Writer for the Tom Joyner Morning Show?
I was living in Compton and writing comedy sketches for Tom Joyner’s weekend countdown show “On the Move,” that was being produced in Los Angeles. When he started the Tom Joyner Morning Show he asked me to move to Dallas to become his head writer.
2. What is it like working with Hall of Fame disc jockey Tom Joyner?
It’s great. He is known as “The Hardest Working Man in Radio” and that means he has the hardest working staff too. But honestly, you want to work hard for people you respect and who set a good example. And the payoffs are good too. Our show has traveled for work and pleasure to the Caribbean, Greece, Amsterdam, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic to name a few.
3. What do you do as a Head Writer of the show?
That is the question I answer the most of people. Tom Joyner Morning Show is comedy driven, in fact most morning radio are. Just as late night talk shows depend on news and current events, so do we. And it’s up to writers like me to find the humor in almost any situation. So, write jokes, comedy bits and speeches for my boss. He’s amazingly funny a witty on his own. I pass him the ball a few times a morning and he shoots a three-pointer, most of the time.How did you first get into radio and why?
4. How did you first get into radio and why?
Radio is perfect for me because I’m a behind the scenes person. I fell in love with it in college; here I was a journalism major with emphasis on radio. I did three internships at different stations, two R&B and one Country, which taught me if you listen to a music genre long enough you’ll find took something that you’ll end up liking. After graduating though, I took a detour and got into print journalism, but radio was always in my heart. Even while I was working as a print journalist, radio was my side hustle. I did an apprenticeship at a public radio station where I wrote and produced documentaries and on scene reporting for live events.
5. How has the industry changed, from your point of view, with online radio stations and radio apps popularity increasing?
To me, radio is facing the biggest challenge ever because of the Internet and smart phones. There are so many ways for people to not only access music but to choose their own playlists. Live radio, local and syndicated has to find a way to compete with that and their strongest defense is the human contact with radio personalities. When there’s a tragedy or big human-interest story, radio is one few forms of media that allows people call in live to voice their feelings. The question is will younger audiences even care about that since their major form of communication is texting. I think the only time my college-age children actually talk on their phones is when we call them. Otherwise it is texting and FaceTime. If radio as we know it is going to survive the industry has to find a way to communicate on a level its younger demographic will be comfortable with. They used to listen to the car radio but now with ride sharing, they’re not even tuning in that way any more.
6. What should a person do if they want to be a writer for a radio station, but don’t know where to start?
I’m not sure there are that many writing jobs left in radio but if there are, they most likely will be in syndicated radio because they have larger budgets. The best advice I can give is to be willing to work for free or for very little money at first. You want to demonstrate what you would be able to contribute if you got hired. Anytime you have a chance to build relationships with people who are employed at doing the thing you want to do, take it, regardless of the pay. Look at it a taking a “class or course” for free because the knowledge you gain is something you can’t put a price on.
7. You contributed to Tom Joyner’s memoir, “I’m Just a D.J. But… It Makes Sense to Me” in 2005. What was that experience like and how has your career changed?
It was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve ever done career wise. Tom trusted me to do something I’d never done before and I couldn’t afford to fail. It was the first time a writing assignment didn’t come relatively easy and it was good for me. What I thought was my best turned out to be a first draft and that made me have to dig deep to make it what it should be. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when it turned out well. It changed my career by adding another layer. Tom didn’t have to include my name on the cover but he did, and the coolest part was to see the book in Barnes & Noble and to participate in book signings.
8. What other type of writing do you do?
Almost every kind, TV scripts, ghostwriting, speeches, blogs, etc. and I don’t really recommend taking that route. I think when you spread yourself thin it takes longer to perfect your craft, although some people are able to do it.
9. Have you won any awards?
I share an award with Tom for his weekend countdown show “Rightbackatcha”, which I write.
10. What’s one myth in the radio industry that a lot of people don’t know?
A lot of people think the DJ is still actually choosing songs from a stack of CDs, but most DJs have a playlist prepared by a music director and typically a board operator is actually playing the music that is stored in a computer.
