It’s fortunate that Ray Jones has a name that’s easy to remember because you’ll be hearing it if you tune into WNCI (97.9 FM).
And it’s a bonus that the Columbus native’s new single is titled “Tell Somebody” because that’s what you’ll want to do when you hear it.
When Jones landed an opening spot in the iHeart Acoustic Summer Series — a collaboration between Experience Columbus and iHeartMedia — it opened a door to getting his voice out to the public.
“I got introduced to one of the executives at WNCI and we became sort of fast friends. He really liked the music and he liked that I had a team working with me that had credibility and experience. This has been a team sport,” said Jones, 38.
“Ultimately, I think the sound works for WNCI and they believe I have more to come.”
Normally, stations in the CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio or Top 40) format are the least likely to play unsigned artists, said Michael McCoy, senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia.
“But I have found over the years that there is some great music originating in Columbus, Ohio. One of the ways we can stand out as a radio station, both locally and nationally, is to embrace local artists,” he said.