by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
The line between work and fun often blurs for the FM-95.1 Morning Zoo Crew.
Technically, the morning radio show crew – Steve Sutton, Eden Kendall, Amadeus and Jay Dubb – spends four-and-a-half hours in the studio each weekday. They talk on the air for just 45 minutes of that time. But Amadeus said the crew never really goes off the clock. After all, their lives provide material for the show.
“We’re getting paid for the 20 hours of the day that we can use on the air,” said Amadeus.
For the last 10 years, the crew has shared quirky news and tidbits from their personal lives with First Coast listeners. Sutton said a recent survey found their audience adds up to about 250,00 people.
With that many people tuning in, Kendall said she’s not surprised when people recognize her voice at the grocery store. She added that many of them have been listening to her since the show started, so they feel like they know her.
For example, Kendall was single when the show began. Now she has an 8 year-old son, Noah, and a 5 year-old daughter, Chloe.
“Our audience has gone through all of it,” said Kendall. “A lot of people will see my kids and say, ‘I can’t believe how big they are. I remember when they were born.’ ”
Friends and acquaintances may want to use some caution in the presence of the crew, however. Dubb said she doesn’t hold back funny stories.
“People say, ‘Oh, I know I shouldn’t have done that in front of you because it’s going to be on the air tomorrow,’ ” she said. “And it will be.”
The crew keeps busy with other tasks besides anecdote collecting, however. Amadeus said they usually arrive around 5 a.m., 30 minutes before the show goes on the air. They usually do a last-minute check of the news to make sure their bits are up-to-date.
During broadcast, Sutton said, “We all have three minutes to shine.” Each crew member has their own regular subject to talk about. Kendall, for example, does a gossip bit called “Hollywood Sleaze.”
“Everyone will be able to identify with one of us,” said Sutton, explaining that the variety of personalities draws in a broad audience. He said the brief talk times are unique, as well: “We listen to other people’s shows to compare. Some guys just go on and on.”
Amadeus said the crew used to give regular news updates, but surveys after 9/11 showed that people didn’t want lighthearted material mixed with hard news. Now, Sutton said the crew tries to talk about news “like a friend would.”
“They come to us for a break from the news,” said Amadeus. “We have to find a different angle.”
Their schedules can be a bit out of the ordinary. Dubb said she often goes out clubbing and comes straight to work, while Kendall goes to bed at maybe 8 p.m. and spends afternoons with her kids.
But despite the odd hours and constant search for material, the Morning Zoo members said they enjoy their jobs. As Dubb put it, “I don’t feel like, ’Oh God – I have to go to work.’ ”
Amadeus agreed.
“There’s an old saying that if you do what you love, it’s not really work,” he said.