Grayson Kelly, a 2020 Ohio State graduate in strategic communication, is a social media manager and DJ at CD 92.9, a local radio station.
Credit: Sophie Yates | Lantern Reporter
When Grayson Kelly posted his first TikToks for CD 92.9 in December 2020, he expected them to reach fewer than 1,000 people. Instead, he said, one video surpassed 2 million views and increased the station’s following by more than 200,000 people.
Kelly, a 2020 Ohio State graduate in strategic communication, is a social media manager at CD 92.9 — a local alternative radio station. As one of the social media managers, Kelly runs the TikTok account, which has garnered more than 230,000 followers from all over the world.
CD 92.9 is an independent radio station, meaning it is not owned by any large corporations. Kelly said he was particularly drawn to work at CD 92.9 because while most radio stations are owned by three or four larger companies, CD 92.9 has maintained its independence.
On Dec. 28, 2020, Kelly posted a TikTok giving an overview of the station and what it means to be independently owned. That TikTok now has more than 2 million views.
“It was at 15,000 and I was running around the office like, ‘Oh my God, 15,000 people,’” Kelly said. “That excitement never faded.”
The station’s presence on TikTok has increased the numbers of streams and listeners from all over the country, not just Columbus, Kelly said.
Since the newfound fame on TikTok, Kelly said his work at the station has felt less confined to a certain area and there has been a huge outpouring of support from new listeners.
“We’re used to seeing people that listen to the station around town and it’s in a radius,” Kelly said. “It’s weird how meaningful it is that there are 200,000 people that click follow and support this station.”
Kelly said social media has become a large part of his role at 92.9, in addition to show prep, video projects, meetings and live shows.
Kelly said he spent his childhood in Granville, Ohio, and took a few gap years after high school to explore career opportunities. After traveling around, Kelly said he decided to come back to Ohio and pursue a career at CD 92.9.
“I asked the program director, ‘What degree did you get and where did you get it?’ and she said strategic communications at Ohio State, and I thought, ‘All right cool, I’m gonna do exactly that,’” Kelly said.
In his time at Ohio State, Kelly was a member of AROUSE, the Amateur Radio Organization for Undergraduate Student Entertainment. He ended up running the club after one year.
As a member of AROUSE, Kelly said he gained valuable experience being on air and made connections with others in the field.
“There was actually another DJ in AROUSE that wound up being here part time for a while,” Kelly said.
The connections Kelly made at Ohio State jump-started his career and helped him get a job at CD 92.9 as a weekend DJ in 2018, he said. After graduation in 2020, Kelly became an afternoon drive DJ and a social media manager.
Laura Lee, program director for the radio station, said Kelly has been an incredible asset to the CD 92.9 team.
“If I need him to do something, he finds the time, and I really appreciate that,” Lee said. “He’s very versatile. That’s just what you need to be these days.”
CD 92.9 can be streamed anywhere in the world through the station website and can be found on TikTok @cd929fm.
