Radio and the super Soper

by Makayla Secrist Staff Writer

Nearly every person on earth has a dream. Whether they actually pursue it is an entirely different story. For one Iowa Laker however, his dream became reality.

Tim Soper, On Air Talent and Assistant Production Director for a variety of local stations in Spirit Lake, IA and Jackson, MN, first wanted to be a teacher.

“It kinda came about junior year of high school,” said Soper, “There was a career day my junior year where I went to the teaching one and I’m like ‘well that doesn’t sound fun at all.'”

Disappointed his original idea for a career wasn’t actually for him, Soper went back to explore other prospects presented at his high school’s Career Day. There he met his future coworkers at the station, Scott Nolte and Scott Ten Kley who first introduced him to the wonder that is radio, “It sounded really fun so that’s how I kinda got into there,” said Soper, “Another friend of mine Chris McArdle, he worked at KILR at the time, and he was just like, ‘you want to come along and call a game with me?’ and I did as a junior in high school and ever since then I kinda liked it.”

After high school, Soper jumped into the broadcasting program of Iowa Lakes Community College in the fall of 2014. During his time there is when the broadcasting program of ILCC got it’s make over and introduced three new instructors with real world jobs in the subjects they taught. Matt Heinrichs for journalism, Jason White for film, and Kevin Tlam for radio.

“It was kinda the guinea pig stage where we were kinda testing through some things,” said Soper, “A couple classes here and there that I probably didn’t need so they kinda let me substitute in other classes here and there. It was a feeling out process…. and it’s good to see [the program] growing since then.”

Fresh out of school in spring of 2017, Soper applied for his current position at the station, but was ultimately passed over for someone with more experience, “which is understandable,” said Soper. He then ended up working at Pizza Hut that first year with some part-time work at KILR in Estherville.

“Then I got a call from Jason Jacobs who asked if I was still interested in full-time radio,” said Soper. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Soper attributes being able to land the coveted position to the new ILCC Digital, Social and Broadcast Productions Program. He enjoyed having instructors with jobs in their chosen field and making those much needed marketing connections as well as being able to “pick their brain.”

While he currently has no major plans for change, Soper is excited to see where his career in radio will take him, “I’m still new and learning everyday,” said Soper, “I think ultimate goal would probably be a sports director position somewhere, but if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen.”

Perspective students looking to go into radio or any media in the future would benefit greatly from the new Iowa Lakes broadcasting program.