B105.7 Morning Show: Best view in Indy radio

The first thing you notice in Sean Copeland's B105.7 studio is his view of Monument Circle. He has a huge window that looks out onto the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
 
"When I do the weather, I always say, looking out the Doppler window," Copeland said. "It is this amazing view and it's so cool to be at the center of our city and the center of all that's happening. Most radio and TV stations are dumps. You're in like a closet with some rat droppings in the corner and the paint's peeling off the wall. Those are the places I've worked. So, this feels like, 'Wow I get to come here and work everyday.' I'm a small town kid from Illinois. I get to come and look at tall buildings. I get overwhelmed by it sometimes."
 
From 5-10 a.m. weekdays, Copeland plays soft rock with soft lighting in his studio, remembering how he was initially drawn in by the intimacy of radio.
 
"I was an only child," he said. "I'm an only child that was raised by a single mom. Not only did my mom work a lot, she struggled with depression and chemical dependency. So, when I was a kid, I spent a lot of time alone. I spent a lot of time alone with the radio. The people on the radio were my companions."
 
The Illinois-native realizes the competitiveness of the morning radio industry in Indianapolis.
 
"I think it's because there are so many talented people," Copeland said. "One of the things I try to do is be well-rounded. We laugh. We talk about silly things. But sometimes we talk about real struggles and emotionally powerful things that people are going through because that's how we are as people, right? We're not laughing all the time. We're balanced and well-rounded."
 
Copeland says his show is a hybrid of music and personality, featuring "bite size pieces" of content that build relationships with listeners.
 
"We're just hanging out," he said. "That's what this is. This is more of a conversation. I'm having a cup of coffee with you."
 
Copeland calls himself "beverage centric" and keeps multiple cups of coffee, soda and water within arm's reach. He also has a script that he keeps below the microphone.
 
"I always have bullet points in front of me so I can have some recollection of what's going on," Copeland said.
 
He is a "one man show" who does not have a producer to generate content or book interviews. It all falls on him.
 
"I start every day with this blank sheet of paper," he said. "Every day it's a blank sheet. Radio has the element of discovery. Like, what song is going to come on next?"
 
His mix of conversation and music is targeted at women.
 
"Our target listener is Mary Ann Coulter," he said. "She lives in Fishers. She's 48 years old. Her husband works downtown. She's a part-time administrative assistant. She has a high school senior. She's got a freshman at IU. They have a golden retriever. They go to church. She likes to drink wine. She's a Colts fan, but more for the social element of it. Not really into the sports. She thinks Andrew Luck is the greatest. It gets real weird."
 
Copeland wants to build a relationship with listeners from their car into the workplace.
 
"My hope is that when they get in the car, they choose to listen to me," he said. "A lot of times, I'll be talking about something and I'll say, 'You may have seen this on the TV before you left the house.' At work listening is usually really, really key to a soft rock's station success. A lot of people listening at work. We're not going to be boring, so we can keep you up and keep you moving throughout your day. We're also not going to be offensive or playing songs with raunchy lyrics. So, it's safe to play in your place of business. The thing I love about at-work listening, if you're in your car, I don't like that song, punch. I don't like what he's saying. Punch. Punch, there's a commercial on. People aren't getting up from their desk and changing stations every five minutes. So, it's like a captive audience."
 
When he's not playing soft rock, Copeland is likely in a local restaurant.
 
"My favorite thing to do is have good food and good conversation," he said. "Food in this town, is really good, by the way. If you want a good restaurant recommendation, I'm your guy."
 
The Irvington resident enjoys hanging out with his goldendoodle and recently started working on his college degree.

As with many morning shows, sleep patterns are a challenge. Copeland tries to fall asleep at 8 p.m., but says he's usually still awake at 10 p.m., knowing the alarm will go off at 4 a.m.

His radio career has spanned many different cities including Tulsa, Dayton, St. Louis, Kansas City, Sacramento and Indianapolis.

"Most of my career has been in network radio," he said. "Where you might be sitting in a little closet and a microphone in Indianapolis and talking to people in Phoenix. I love doing local radio. I love being able to talk about things that are happening in my community. I'm experiencing the same thing. I'm thinking about the same things people are listening to me are thinking about. That relationship, that bond, that connection is very powerful."
 
He has come a long way since his first radio gig.
 
"I was 16 years old," he said. "I would go into the radio station before school and read obituaries. Local radio is still really alive and well. There's all kinds of data that says it is the most widely consumed medium, more so than TV and even more so than the internet."
 
Now, Copeland has the best view in Indianapolis radio and a successful show to boot.

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