NAME: Debra Leigh
TITLE: Co-Host, Girl Talk
STATION: WASH-FM
MARKET: Washington, DC
COMPANY: Clear Channel
BORN: Washington, DC
RAISED: DC suburbs
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: News Director, WSIG-AM; Morning Shows, WINCand WAZR-FM; entered DC market as weekend/swing jock at WMZQ in 1993 and switched to WASH-FM in '97.

WEBSITE: debraleigh.com

1. How did you get your start in radio?

A college senior in 1980, I switched majors from theater to broadcasting and decided my life’s dream was to write and produce radio commercials. I walked into WSIG, a country AM located (literally!) in the basement of a house, to see if they’d offer an internship in commercial production. PD Dave Parks asked me to sit down and read some PSA copy before I even had a chance to make my intern pitch. He listened back to the tape he’d rolled and asked if I had any interest in heading up the station’s first ever news department he was about to create? I answered “my life’s dream is to head up a news department” and was hired. I went full-time after graduation. How Cinderella-like is THAT?

2. What are you passionate about?

MEGA passionate about a Women’s Talk radio format. I feel it coming as an FM format within the next few years and I believe it will be absolutely huge. It’s ironic men were given the chance to create and embrace their own form of talk radio years before we women - The Verbal Gender!

3. You're doing a talk show "for women," a category that a lot of hosts and programmers seem to have differing opinions about- what does a "talk show for women" mean to you? What kind of things do you talk about to attract that demographic?

Topic: “Do These Headphones Make Me Look Fat?” Kidding! Most women aren’t drawn in by the Yin & Yang philosophy of needing to side with the host or caller, or with Host A or B. Conflict doesn’t attract us the way it attracts males. In fact, conflict is often a turn-off for us. We don’t need to agree or disagree with what we hear in order to become emotionally involved in the discussion. We emote naturally and are drawn into a conversation much more easily than a typical male. We’re just attracted naturally to talk itself. We feel good when we nurture by listening, contributing and advising. So, on "Girl Talk" we discuss the exact same stuff girlfriends talk about when we hang out together at lunch or when we get up en masse and leave the guys at the dinner table while we head to the ladies room: trying to analyze and understand guy’s behavior, sex, body image, gossip, children- stuff I would have thought most men would consider boring beyond words. But we have tons of male callers, too!

4. If you hadn’t gone into radio, what would you be doing today?

I probably would have pursued an acting career…..so……probably I’d be a waitress somewhere in L.A.

5. As the only talk show on a music station (although you do have some music on the show), do you find that listeners accept that you're talking a lot- has doing something out-of-format, different from what the listeners may expect, pose a problem, or has there been acceptance from listeners?

Overwhelming acceptance! So many women tell us “I’ve always punched away from talk on the radio before – but this I love!” Guests tell us they get WAY more hits on their websites, books and merchandise ordered, etc. after being on our show than after being on traditional talk shows. Women listeners are very responsive with their pocketbooks. As far as being “different” from the station’s everyday format – we’ve had only one “hey, where’s the music?!” call, from a guy back in late August when we test-drove the show in the middle of the night. Since then, not one. Unless our call screener is lying to us because she knows we’d feel rejected and start to cry.

6. Who are your influences?

Don & Mike, Kathy & Judy, Stern, WMZQ’s Carol Munse - jocks and hosts who make the listeners feel like they’re just hanging out with friends.

7. What's the most annoying thing about your co-host? The best thing?

Annoying: She’s the gorgeous, talented, witty, younger one - and I’m the other one. Best: Her talent and wit are absolute genius – she makes anyone she works with shine – and she’s working with me!

8. What do you do for fun?

Just hanging out with my family keeps me laughing – most of us are colossally ADD and we’re constantly forgetting and losing stuff and laughing about it. We lost my uncle last year. It was fun. I can’t remember if we found him or not.

9. Fill in the blank: I can’t make it through the day without _______________.

Going to the gym. I’m addicted to sweating. Okay, and to watching guys pump iron.

10. What’s the best advice you ever got? The worst?

Best: Don’t worry about “entertaining” the listener - just be real and connect as a friend. And tied for first place: A year ago, when I told my husband my idea for this kind of radio format and he said “don’t just talk about it - go for it” Todd, you rock!

Worst: Don’t acknowledge any mistake you make on the air.

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