The man behind the voice: Birmingham Mountain Radio’s “Reg” speaks out

Scott Register hits the snooze button each morning before most people would think of waking up. 

He stumbles to the shower, grabs a cup of coffee and a banana and drives to WorkPlay. Sometimes the first words out of his mouth are on air. 

Register, better known as Reg, has been a voice of Birmingham’s burgeoning music scene for the last 18 years.

It all started when Register woke up from his reporting desk one day after deadline and said, “I’m not doing this anymore.”

In 1997, David Rossi, founder of station Live 100.5, offered Register a simple Sunday morning gig, “Reg’s Coffee House.” And with that, his longtime passion became not just a hobby but a job.

“I’d never done radio before,” Register said. “I thought he wanted me to program the show. I didn’t know he wanted me to do it. I remember the first song I played was Ani Difranco’s ‘Worthy.’”

Register’s career has taken him across the country, but he still marvels about this place he calls home. 

“I loved growing up in Vestavia,” Register said. “I’ve lived in Vestavia since I was 2. It’s home. No matter where I go, it’s where I want to come back to.”

Now he has given his children the same opportunity, attending the same elementary school and middle school as their dad.

When Register was growing up, his mix tapes were in hot demand; people just wanted to listen to whatever music he did. His golden ears come from a childhood in the ’80s, with his mother, a child of the ’60s, as his musical influence.

“Music was just always around,” Register said. “[My mom] listened to good music and wasn’t afraid to try new music.”

Now 18 years into a radio career, Register is the front man for Birmingham’s newest FM station, which evolved from two-year-old online station Birmingham Mountain Radio. On July 2, FM broadcasts began on station 107.3, thanks to a partnership with Summit Media.

“When we started the station, it was a direct answer to what we thought was wrong with the industry and we’ve been doing it our way,” Register said. “To be back on FM is a combination of so many different things.”

Register hopes the station works as a small piece of the city’s much larger puzzle.

“We wanted to do it like we’re a local radio station, but we’re on the Internet,” Register said. “We’ve been very locally focused since day one. We wanted to be part of the community and stress the reasons why I love living here in the first place: the amazing food scene, amazing arts scene, the infrastructure that is changing daily.”

Register’s show from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on the station boasts an eclectic mix of music, encompassing new and old, local.. 

“I just listen to music,” he said. “I’ve just always had the ability to hear songs. I don’t have an explanation for it.”

His station is more like a playlist than a radio show. Register said he wants it to be more about the music and less about him. He rarely lets out a word, letting the music speak for itself.

“I’d like to one day, when it’s all said and done, know I was a part of making this place a better place to live,” Register said.