The market for Florida State sports talk radio is on the verge of getting a little bit bigger.
Starting in July, journalist Danielle Kelley and former FSU fullback James Coleman will co-host “36 Degrees”. The show will air on Christian-based station Wave 94 — WAKU 94.1 FM — in Tallahassee.
“We’re going to interview a lot of former Noles,” Kelley said. “We’re also going to touch on everything FSU — not just football.”
Kelley earned her bachelor’s in communications in 1999 from Florida State before earning her law degree in 2003. Kelley’s media career began as a meteorologist, which she remains, but radio and later sports journalism opportunities opened up shortly after.
“Meteorology was my first love,” she said. “As I got into radio, more sports opportunities started opening up. I’ve got to interview Bobby Bowden, Charlie Ward and (sportscaster) James Brown.”
Coleman played fullback for the Seminoles from 2002-05, appearing in 38 games and making 18 starts. Coleman rushed for seven career touchdowns, including the only one for FSU in a 10-7 win over Miami in 2005 that snapped a 6-game losing streak to the Hurricanes.
“I feel like I can really educate people and talk to them about sports on a common level,” Coleman said. “I think sometimes people complicate things for the sake of being complicated. I’m around sports 24/7 and I’m able to give insight on athletes — why they break down, why they succeed.”
Coleman isn’t new to the media scene. After helping grow “The Sports Den” in Jacksonville, Coleman has hosted podcasts, including DoakBoyz with former FSU linebacker Geno Hayes. He’s also a journalist and columnist for Gridiron Now.
“I had connections in a lot of places,” Coleman said. “Between asking questions, having connections and using deductive reasoning, I was able to get some leads before some of the heavy hitters in the business. Being a former player, I have that aspect as well.”
The 1-hour show will begin airing two days per week, but eventually go to five days in August. A start time for the show has not been determined.
“James Coleman is a brilliant sports journalist,” Kelley said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun. I’m very excited for Coach (Willie) Taggart. I like how he’s brought the old Noles back. It’s an exciting time for FSU.”
Aside from interviews with former players, the show will feature call-ins and a number of different segments. Working for Wave 94, Kelley said the faith-based component of the station has worked to its benefit.
“As far as interviews go, that’s been a blessing,” she said. “Charlie Ward, Bobby Bowden and James Brown are all strong men of faith and happy to talk about it. My dad was actually in the Florida Highway Patrol and spent time on the sidelines with Coach Bowden at Doak (Campbell Stadium). I was on the field as a kid during the Danny McManus era.”
As a local to Tallahassee, doing a radio spot back home has been a goal of Coleman’s. Coleman just needed to find the right situation.
“The biggest thing for me was finding the time,” he said. “I’m all for having a show in Tallahassee. That way, my mom can listen if no one else does. The thing I’ve learned about radio is it’s about consistency. I believe we’ll be able to bring tremendous value to that station. We’re going to try to give some provocative interviews from some greats. It’s going to be different from traditional sports radio.”
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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