General manager Cheryl Devall discusses first semester at KRVS

Cheryl Devall joined KRVS as the first general manager in 10 years after the position was held on an interim basis.

 Devall graduated from Columbia University in 1982. Devall has several decades of journalistic and radio experience and has built a career doing what she loves

“It put me in places where things were happening,” Devall said. “Journalism was my vehicle.”

Most recently located in El Cerrito, California, Devall has familial roots throughout Louisiana. Both of her parents are from the state, but they moved to California in hopes of more opportunity for their family. Devall has kept her ties to the region before relocating to Lafayette. 

“I like very much the idea, that while I am not from here, I have returned to try and make our family’s ancestral state a little better,” Devall said. 

Before joining the KRVS team, Devall was a fan of the station due to her love of zydeco music. Devall is a long-time fan of zydeco music and said she has been a fan of KRVS because they do not sound like anyone else. 

Prior to working at KRVS, Devall would listen to zydeco music on the station on her laptop while working. 

When Devall found out that the position for general manager was open at KRVS, she applied, but did not expect things to go very far. Her first official day was May 1, 2022 and said that it has been a very fast ride.

Devall is one of seven staff members at KRVS. Devall said that through her time at KRVS, she has worked to boost morale and garner more support at the station.

“The learning curve has been steep, and sometimes slippery,” Devall said. 

Devall brought on Ashleé Michot as the host of “Bonjour Louisiane”, a French morning program at the station that plays five days a week.

Devall also has worked to expand programming and hopes to broaden the audience of KRVS during her time as general manager. 

Devall said that by representing KRVS at events and adding heft to public relations, she hopes to expand to new audiences and expand the station’s listenership. She said that the station is working to gain more members to support the station. 

“We are going places we haven’t been to hand out swag, stickers and buttons to let people know where we are and what we are,” Devall said. “I find that people either know us and feel very enthusiastic, or they have no idea who we are and have no idea what role members play.”

She also plans to broaden KRVS’s reach during emergency weather events, such as hurricanes. The station broadcasts to Lake Charles, and she has begun to reach out to emergency management services to aid during hurricane season in South Louisiana. 

“Behind all the culture and all the fun that exists in this place, behind all of that is a lot of hard work,” Devall said. 

Devall is joining the next group of Leadership Lafayette and is immersing herself even more into Acadiana and KRVS. 

“It is very different to visit a place, even for a few months, and to live in a place,” Devall said. “I need to know this place. I want to know this place. This is where I plan to stick around for many a year, and I care about it.”