Sam Sirmons is Posted At the Corner of History Being Made.
Media Broadcasting veteran Sam Sirmons is preserving the lineage of black communication one broadcast at a time.
Our community values truth-tellers and articulate spokespeople, often looking to them to be the people's voice. Radio has long been a vehicle for communicating those truths and for black people our disc jockeys have been those guys, from Frankie Crocker and Jack Cooper to Atlanta staples like James “Alley Pat” Patrick, Ryan Cameron, and Frank Ski.
For the new generation there are a few notable names who are able to provide the commentary, create comedy, and platforms to host new talents, such as Sam Sirmons. Born in Indiana, he’s spent much of his life pioneering spaces for black people, creating shows like Hot 107.9’s Posted on the Corner while working alongside some of radio’s greats. But if you ask him, winning is something he was built for.
Beginnings
For Samuel, who was raised in Kokomo, Indiana, the Midwest attitude of working hard and being active in work and sports served an anchor for his youth. Samuel, who credits his parents for laying the foundation for his work ethic, often points to see them work hard to make sure they had what they needed to participate in sports and clubs.
“My Midwest upbringing was centered around the idea that you are going to have to work and there is no way around it. My parents both at one point worked for Chrysler Auto and for them to put the work in and still be mom and dad taught me the value of hard work early.”
Basketball became the sport he took towards, obtaining success on the middle and high school level, but “having the complete package and being competitive” reminded him to be successful in the classroom as well.
Inspired to take his drive with him, Samuel chose to attend Ball State University, focusing on obtaining a bachelor’s degree instead of basketball. College was the path to success for him, but it took a spontaneous event to occur for him to find his calling in radio.
“I was going to school, but I didn’t have a single direction. But I found my passion for radio in college. It wasn’t even me who saw it but someone else who told me I was good at this and needed to try it.”
Radio Pioneer
Eager to lean in to his new found love, Samuel hit the ground running, creating an engaging radio show in 2011, called the Loud Pack Show, that blended social commentary with social work. While at Ball State, he put on a charity weekend for the community that consisted of a canned good drive, clothes drive, and a Greek vs Non-Greek basketball game which mobilized the campus.
Without a doubt though, everything changed when Samuel decided to be bold, and create something for the campus he felt it needed. Innovative and groundbreaking, it ruffled feathers at the station and sowed the seeds of anger that would later define his time there.
“I kept running into issues with the radio management and advisor. I asked them about us creating a college app for the show not the station app and they didn’t appreciate us doing it before the station.”
For Samuel though, he credits the controversy with giving him the skills he needed to confront it in the real world.
Legendary on campus, Samuel sought out the big leagues, eventually earning an internship in Atlanta at V103, one of Atlanta’s most notable radio station. To pay the bills, he worked several odd jobs, even working as a substitute teacher for a stint.
Not above the grind, Samuel worked his tail off, earning a name for himself as the lead producer of legendary disc jockey Ryan Cameron’s Ryan Cameron Show as well as the producer behind Middays with Ramona DeBreaux. Years of grinding seemed to pay off and he found a home in Atlanta.
Unwilling to be complacent, he moved briefly in 2016, working in the West Coast market as a night time personality for U-92.7. The terrain was new and his connects weren’t there the way they were in Atlanta, but it didn’t stop Samuel from eventually becoming the top rated show in his market and at that time slot.
“I had all the motion in Atlanta and felt I was in rooms I wanted to be in then I pivoted. I didn’t have any relationships there. I was the only local show. I hung my hat on being everywhere and I pulled up everywhere. I was winning a lot. I know what it takes to win so I just adapted it there.”
On Top
For Samuel, whose worked in various markets and cut his teeth with personalities across the country, his current work with Hot 107.9 radio and their show, Posted On the Corner, is just an extension of his career. Serving as the executive producer alongside Incognito and DJ Misses, Samuel focuses his energy on making sure the show is heartfelt and conversational, balancing the need for comedy and levity with a reverence for the world around us.
“Posted on the Corner is unique becaeue we have made music and mixtapes fun again. A lot of shows have become more like a factory and although it works, it doesnt make it right. Everyone can talk to artists, but what can we do to pull something out of them they never discussed before? We make it comfortable to where people forget the mics are there and that’s what makes us different.”