Featured Spotlight Station: Big 8 Radio

Michelle Ruoff -

Live365's "Featured Spotlight Station" this week is Big 8 Radio! We spoke with Charlie O'Brien about their setup, what listeners can expect to hear, and the station's favorite songs. Check out the interview below!

What brought you to Live365?

Live365 is a one-stop solution. It's very important that royalties are paid!

What's your studio like?

Big 8 Radio runs on RadioDJ. The radio PC is an older dedicated i5 DELL Pentium running Windows 10. We use ORBANpcn software for processing, and our encoder is the StreamS HiFi Legacy Encoder. Our production work station is a custom i7 Pentium PC running Windows 10. As for recording software, we use Adobe Audition and Sound Forge 12. Our production mixer is an 8-channel analog Behringer with phantom power, and our mic is the Audio Technica AT3525 Condenser Microphone, which is now discontinued.

What can listeners expect when they tune in to your station?

Big 8 Radio is a tribute station to the "Boss Radio" sound of the 60s and 70s, recalling the Bill Drake stations like CKLW, KHJ, and KFRC. We use the legendary Big 8 CKLW Windsor/Detroit as our image branding and format. A library of over 12,000 HD oldies from 1965-1979, classic jingles, classic commercials, and weather from the 60s and 70s give it a true historical sound. Our sound processing is set up to be remininscent of the high energy 50,000 watt stations of the past.

What has been your favorite moment as a DJ/Station Manager so far?

Seeing the audience grow weekly is the best part. Also, getting our 9000 strong Facebook group growing, and getting them to try the Oldies Stream.

What is the best concert you've ever attended, and why?

The Band in 1972. Pure genius with all of the musicians trading back and forth effortlessly between different instruments and awesome vocals. It was tremendous energy and sound from the future Hall of Famers.

What artist (dead or alive) would you love to see live, but haven't had the chance to?

George Harrison

We asked for some of the station's favorite songs. Here's what they had to say!

With our newest feature "The Guest List" (for the pandemic), we have invited musicians and celebs to give us their 10 favorite songs. Here are a few:

  • Don Randi of the famed studio session group Wrecking Crew picked The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron," which is one of the ten songs he played on.

  • DJ Kris Erik Stevens picked The Doors' "Light My Fire," a song he played on the radio in Detroit during the 1967 riots!

  • DJ Scott Regen chose "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes, not only for the vocals, but the tremendous session musicians playing on the track, The Funk Brothers.

  • No surprise, but of all the guests, the two most named songs on their favorites lists were The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Righteous Brothers.


Listen to Big 8 Radio on Live365.com, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram!

Live365 Broadcasters! Want the chance to be featured? Fill out the form at the following link: Featured Spotlight Submission Form. (Duplicate station entries will only be featured once. You must have a Live365 Broadcaster account.)