Valerie Smaldone resurfaces after more than two-decade career at WLTW

Keeping busy with many projects in pipeline/Valerie Smaldone

Atop the radio world, Valerie Smaldone looked into the crystal ball and decided to walk away from her lucrative job with WLTW.

Fittingly, Smaldone, with one of the smoothest voices, had a successful run hosting middays on Lite-FM for nearly 24 years. She was a consistent number-one performer for the station. But in December 2007, several factors gave Smaldone the impetus to leave.

“There was a contract offered to me. I decided given that the climate of the industry had changed at [station owner] Clear Channel, because they were going private at the time… it seemed the right time to make the jump.”

Smaldone--- who at her zenith had an average of 2.5 million listeners per week--- was now out of work.

With a contract-imposed three-month, no-compete clause, Smaldone began to weigh her options. But timing didn’t play to Smaldone’s advantage as the economy began its descent into the abyss. That led to the “the radio industry [becoming] really freaked.”

Despite the apparent hiring freeze, the veteran announcer found work at WOR Radio soon after her moratorium lifted. She took on the role as one-time fill-in host for the popular Joan Hamburg. Also in March 2008, management used Smaldone on the morning show.

Timing once again was not a friend to Smaldone.

“Right at that moment… they brought John Gambling back. So they were testing the waters to see what they wanted to do, and John became available. …So that [opportunity] was very nice, but it just didn’t go anywhere.”

Instead, she “fell back” on her voice-over talents. Actually, it’s been a steady supplement of income for Smaldone over the years. Starting in 2004, she began the lead voice on MSG Network’s “Boomer Esiason Show,” thus adding announcer to her list of commercials, promos and narrations. However, that prominent gig ended when the show left the air in 2009.

She maintains a strong vocal visibility at NBC, as she records billboards and promos for the sports department. 

At times, she takes her voice-over work on the road as the “Voice of God,” a role traditionally reserved for deep, powerful male voices (i.e., James Earl Jones). Smaldone has used her gifts as “God” for the Tony Awards pre-show in 2006 and 2007, and reprised it at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2009.

In addition, her to-do list is filled with ways to implement her skills and develop programming that Smaldone believes “was not being paid attention to.”

Prior to leaving Clear Channel, Smaldone was working with their online radio division.

“I was involved with a woman’s talk channel, not only as a host and producer, but… the beginning stages of planning it,” Smaldone said.

She said they pulled the plug on the project shortly before launch.

“So I had all of these interviews that I had done, sitting around and now [I’m] wanting to develop those,” Smaldone said.

The longtime radio jock has other ventures for radio and TV that she hopes will one day “go to the next stage.”

“Once you’re a producer… you have to have 10 to 15 projects going because maybe one or two will see the light of day,” Smaldone admitted.

She said there is some frustration not knowing which, if any, will reach the next level.

The recession has also proved to be a cause for frustration to so many, in and out of broadcasting. For the unemployed in the industry, the future is all about reinventing themselves.

To that end, in the summer of 2009, Smaldone began teaching a class on Internet Radio at The School of Visual Arts.

“I felt that there are people who are still interested in creating a new path… A person can literally broadcast from their home anywhere in the world and have their own radio program.

Smaldone said it was a niche that made sense for her, helping students create content.

Additionally, the accomplished voice-over artist offers a one-on-one course. But Smaldone actually offers it as part of a three-pronged effort, coaching how to be on radio and TV presentation.

“You’ve got to… figure out how to work with the new world order,” Smaldone said. “Because banging our heads against the wall, against what was, doesn’t matter anymore. …It’s just not productive.”

Padding her resume further since June, Smaldone, an occasional actress, has been the Manhattan Theater columnist for Examiner.com.

But, of course, even though Smaldone is smart enough to plan for the future, she still misses her glorious past.

“People still, no matter where I go… [say], ‘I just heard you the other day.’ If they think they heard me –it’s in their mind—fine.

“They don’t remember what radio station it was,” Smaldone said. “They just know my name. So that’s a good plus for me. It’s like I’m still out there.”

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