There are very few people in radio who have actually lived the syndication journey from beginning to end. Fewer still are willing to pull back the curtain and explain exactly how they did it. That’s what makes Randy “R Dub!” Williams’ book, Go Syndicate Yourself!, more than just another industry read—it’s a masterclass from someone who built one of radio’s most successful independently syndicated brands from the ground up.
Williams, the creator of the internationally syndicated Sunday Night Slow Jams, doesn’t spend hundreds of pages talking theory. Instead, he walks readers through the realities of building, marketing, producing, selling, and sustaining a nationally syndicated radio program. Along the way, he shares lessons learned from his own career while also featuring insights from some of the biggest syndicated personalities, network executives, and programming leaders in broadcasting.
One chapter caught our attention for a very personal reason.
While reflecting on the earliest days of expanding Sunday Night Slow Jams, Williams recalls meeting a young Program Director named Steve Mills at a radio convention. According to the book, that conversation led to one of the show’s earliest affiliate opportunities on KTBT in Tulsa, helping lay the groundwork for what would eventually become an international syndication success. It is one of those stories that reminds readers how a single conversation—or one station willing to say “yes”—can change the trajectory of a career.
For Steve Mills, seeing that moment preserved in print isn’t simply nostalgic. It’s a reminder of something every programmer knows but rarely says aloud: sometimes believing in great talent before everyone else does becomes part of radio history.
Perhaps the greatest strength of Go Syndicate Yourself! is that it doesn’t treat syndication as an impossible dream reserved for the industry’s biggest stars. Instead, Williams breaks the process into practical, understandable steps, covering everything from production and affiliate development to presentation, barter models, networking, and long-term brand building. The book also features perspectives from nationally syndicated hosts including Delilah, Dave Ramsey, The Bert Show, The Breakfast Club, Johnjay & Rich, Ace & TJ, Mojo in the Morning, and many others, along with executives from the industry’s leading syndication companies.
In an era where local talent is searching for new opportunities to expand beyond a single market, the timing of this book feels just as relevant today as when it was first published. Syndication is no longer reserved for massive corporations with endless resources. With the right content, strategy, persistence, and relationships, talented broadcasters have more pathways than ever before to build regional, national—even international—brands.
Whether you’re a first-time air personality dreaming about your first affiliate, a Program Director looking to better understand syndicated programming, or a veteran broadcaster searching for your next chapter, Go Syndicate Yourself! offers something increasingly rare in today’s media landscape: practical advice from someone who actually did it.
And sometimes, the biggest careers begin with one handshake at a convention… and one station willing to take a chance.
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.
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