Brian Oakland has worked with BIT for 19 years and currently
serves as a Web Server Administrator for the Data center. When he’s not at BIT,
Brian does radio announcing for KGFX- where he has announced for almost 22
years!
You may have heard the voice of Brian Oakland on the radio
from time to time. It’s possible you’ve even heard him over the lunch hour and
then seen him in a meeting 5 minutes later. Although Brian is pretty awesome….
He’s not Superman :).
Brian explained “I usually do weekend on-air shifts, but
record them on Friday evenings, or some time over weekends before the shifts
are scheduled to begin. If I am asked to fill in for a weekday shift, I will
usually record those the night before.” He elaborated, “Recording is still done
in the studio. I don’t have any fancy equipment set up in my house or
anything.”
He went on to joke, “It’s always funny when someone sees me
in public just minutes after hearing me do a radio show on the air. Trying to
explain my superhuman ability to literally be in two places at one time
(without the help of my twin brother) can be pretty entertaining.”
Brian’s degree in Mass Communications from USD in
combination with knowing the station’s general manager for most of his life
helped open a door for him to start working at the station part time while in
college.
Brian does play-by-play coverage of high school football,
basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. He has also done live on-air
broadcasting and even DJ’ed weddings and proms back in the day. The man has done
it all! Brian explained:
“It's the play-by-play announcing that I have the
most fun with. I have a real passion for high school sports,
and I have gained a lot of friendships over the years with parents,
coaches, school officials, and even student-athletes, who usually have
a great appreciation for what we do for them. Watching the
kids grow up before your eyes, from one year to the next, also makes
it special.”
When asked if he has any funny stories to share along the
way, Brian explained:
“I like to tell the story about how I was a Computer Science
major at one time while in college at USD, but I changed my major to Mass
Communication. In an ironic twist of events, my full-time job is now what
I turned away from in college, while my part-time job is along the lines of
what I earned my degree in.”
Brian’s wife, Jami, works for DCI. The couple has two children: Justin who is a sophomore biology student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and a daughter, Carly, who is a sophomore at T.F. Riggs high school. The family has four dogs and one cat.
In his free time, you can find Brian bowling, playing golf
and softball, making casino runs, and taking the scenic route when
road-tripping. His favorite foods include the famous prime rib from the
Cattleman’s Club and movie theater popcorn. Brian also coaches youth bowling
and softball. In the summertime, you can often find him at the batting cages
down at the Oahe Softball Complex, where he serves as a coordinator of
volunteer workers.
If anyone is interested in free hitting for
yourself or your kids this summer, feel free to get in touch with him!