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Blythe Earl takes WRKF into new territory and hopes to attract younger listeners with Gumbo Files.

Blythe Earl is 23, which puts her about 32 years shy of the average WRKF listener and 60 years younger than senior program host Lew Carter. But that didn’t stop General Manager Jim Engster from naming her operations director of the station that has always bulls-eyed an over 50 audience. Completing renovations at WRKF, Engster has hired two more 20-somethings in the past six months. Earl’s baby is Gumbo Files, a monthly series that mixes guest commentary on local art events and south Louisiana’s rich cultural history with new music from Baton Rouge artists such as Fred Weaver, Reception Is Suspected and Harlan. She hooked up with 225 for a little media-on-media action.

225: So what’s behind this youth makeover at WRKF?

Something just happened. The staff here hadn’t changed in a long time. I guess Jim is willing to take a chance on young people. Since Jennifer Berniard was hired, the office is a little crazy. We may be a little loud. So if you bring some 40-year-old lady in, we might scare her away.

But WRKF’s audience hasn’t changed.

Right. But that’s why I’ve tried to gear my show toward a younger audience, because it’s always important to bring in new listeners.

So with Gumbo Files do you make a conscious effort to cover newer cultural topics rather than regurgitating stories like the history of zydeco or something?

I’m still new to it and trying to figure the show out. It’s hard for me because I’m in a certain scene. I like indie rock. But I’ve also had Kenny Acosta on, who is kind of out of my range. So I want to expand my taste.

Tell me your worst DJ nightmare story?

At KLSU, I was Adam Planche’s co-host on Saturated Neighborhood, and he knew everything about every band. He knew who their mothers were. So I just put the CDs in and didn’t really say much on the show. One night, Adam had to work, and he calls and says, “By the way, Mike Pinter is coming. Can you do the interview?” I knew Mike from hanging around The Bayou, but I was so nervous and just trying to get the interview going, and I told him he was “anal.” It was awful. For weeks, I had people saying “You can’t call a musician ‘anal’ just because they haven’t finished their CD yet.” I didn’t ever want to do another interview again.

You basically earned your way onto the WRKF staff by volunteering over and over. They couldn’t get rid of you. Is that your advice for young people: Do whatever you can to get your foot in the door?

When the job opened up, they actually called me, because I had volunteered on all the campaigns and interned one summer. I stuffed envelopes, did grunt work. People nowadays are so worried about getting paid for something. But it will pay off in the end. You just have to get out there and meet people.

Gumbo Files next airs Sunday, May 14 at 3 p.m. on WRKF 89.3-FM.