Local radio personality Liz “Faith” Dixson is the embodiment of determination and dedication to one’s career. Any Hoosiers who have listened to the radio within the past 20 years have probably heard her work, whether hearing her chat on air or listening to a show she was contributing to behind the scenes.
When Dixson was a student at Purdue University, she studied to be an engineer. She gained an interest in radio after scoring an engineering internship at WGCI 107.5, a radio station in Chicago. While working, she met famed on-air personalities Doug Banks and Tom Joyner. Her co-workers encouraged her to question if engineering was truly her calling after experiencing her cheery personality.
“I never went to school to be on-air in radio, but I accidentally bumped into the career. They said I had a bubbly personality and I didn’t seem like an engineer. They gave me the name ‘Shotglass.’ They liked my personality, they liked my laugh, and I got bit by the industry bug,” said Dixson.
Dixson feels the foundation of her career was laid in Chicago. She wore many hats as she advanced from an intern, to a record rep, to a programing assistant. In the late ’90s, Dixson moved to Indianapolis and started working as a producer for the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and the rest is history.
Over the course of her career, she has worked with 106.7 WTLC, Hot 96.3, AM 1310 The Light and Radio Now 100.9. One of her most memorable moments involved working as a producer for the late Amos Brown and learning from his years of wisdom. She is thankful for the opportunity to build such a strong presence in our city.
“A lot of people in this career have to go from market to market, but my entire on-air career was in Indy. I have been really blessed to not have to go seek another market or move my family around,” said Dixson, who refers to her first son as her “radio baby” because he went everywhere with her and would often sleep at the station when she worked late nights.
The road to success wasn’t always glamorous or easy. Dixson says the radio business can be quite cutthroat and that there is still a glass ceiling that makes it difficult for women to advance in the field.
“I had to overcome being overlooked for positions because I wasn’t male. I had to work three times as hard to be accepted for the work that I did. At the time, there were a lot of men in leadership. I have watched women give their all and never get a promotion, and a man would be there for two years and get a promotion,” said Dixson, who took it upon herself to work hard and make a name for herself despite obstacles. She credits God and her children for giving her the motivation to keep going.
Her determination has paid off. Today, Dixson is a business owner who offers media training for individuals and corporations across the country through her company Media Concept Solutions. Emmaus Christian Church recently hosted a free appreciation concert for Dixson to allow the community to thank her for her hard work and service. Dixson says she is incredibly blessed to see firsthand the impact she has had.
“I could not believe that people would come together. I don’t ever give expecting a return, because I will get my reward from the Lord,” said Dixson. “To know that anyone would want to celebrate me when I didn’t ask for it, there is no way. It’s a blessing. I’m speechless.”
