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10 Questions with ... Cate Carrier
July 28, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. The All-Request Drive at 5 is something I look forward to every single day. It's definitely my biggest feature every day. I take requests in the studio and online as soon as I get in and you never know what will come in. I'm fortunate to also have a lot of freedom in what I can play during that hour. It never gets old when we blow someone's mind when we play a song they never thought they'd hear on the radio!
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started in radio in 2012 when I started working at the Kansas State University student radio station where I worked as Promotions Director. From there, I went on to do nights on 101.5 K-Rock (KMKF) in Manhattan, Kansas until 2015 when I was moved to the morning show. In 2016, I made the move to KRXP in Colorado Springs!
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
I am actually from a radio family! My grandpa did radio and TV, and my mom did radio for over 30 years. I grew up around it. My mom broadcasted from our house every morning so we had to learn when to be quiet or when we could pop in and ask her for something in the mornings when we were getting ready for school. When I was a senior in high school, she started going into the studio for the morning show and during the summer, spring break, winter break, etc., I sometimes went with her because I loved being a part of it and just being a fly on the wall watching the morning show!
2. You’ve been working with Shawn Rock since 101.5 K-Rock in Manhattan, Kansas. I heard you replaced her in mornings at K-Rock before joining KRXP. What have the last four years been like for you at RXP @103.9.
I've felt very lucky to be where I'm at these last four years. I learned so much from Shawn Rock in Manhattan and when she left, I never thought we'd work together again! The first few years I was at RXP, we were just coworkers after a few years of her being my PD in Kansas. Now she's my PD again! I think it's created a great dynamic in how we work together.
I'm also very fortunate to work at a station like RXP. To be able to play and introduce people to music you genuinely love makes everyday fun. I always say it feels like so much more than four years because of how much we've done in the last four years!
3. You have a unique afternoon air shift that recently expanded to noon-6p. Tell us about your All-Request Drive at 5 and the other benchmarks on your show, including the new RXP @103.9 Wednesday at noon artist takeovers.
The All-Request Drive at 5 is something I look forward to every single day. It's definitely my biggest feature every day. I take requests in the studio and online as soon as I get in and you never know what will come in. I'm fortunate to also have a lot of freedom in what I can play during that hour. It never gets old when we blow someone's mind when we play a song they never thought they'd hear on the radio!
The 12 O'Clock Takeover started post-COVID and quarantine as a chance for people to connect with and hear from bands while live music is on hold. Bands and artists, we play on RXP send us their playlist of songs they are currently loving along with audio of them talking about why they chose them. It's a fun way to change things up in the middle of the week and hear a different side of the artists we play.
4. How would you describe your on-air style?
My on-air style is 100% my everyday personality. My grandpa used to tell my mom when she was starting in radio, "Just be you!" and my mom passed that advice to me. I don't have a radio voice or change my personality to fit an "on air persona." I do swear a lot in real life, so that's the main difference.
5. What is your show prep routine each day?
I'm on Twitter about 70% of my day so before and during my show, I look at what's trending, music and pop culture news stories, etc. Being live, we have the opportunity to watch and talk about what unfolds throughout the day rather than needing a whole show's worth of content put together all at once. I feel like that makes show prep more fluid for me!
6. What do you love most about being on-air?
What I love most is connecting with listeners every single day. I love telling stories or talking up a new band I'm really into just like I would with one of my friends. It's so rewarding when I meet people who listen, and they tell me they loved a story I told or now love a band I talked about. It's a constant reminder that anything you say can resonate with someone out there listening.
7. In addition to afternoons, you are also Promotions Director. Your boss told me, “Cate loves live music and has a new outlook when it comes to promotions. She's truly the future of radio.” Explain.
For a good answer, you'd have to ask her! But I do think as promotions director and being on the younger side of our demo, I can really think about everything we do in a way of, "Would I or one of my friends enjoy this? Will they care?" However, I answer that question really helps in putting ideas together. I also think it's important to ALWAYS adapt to what interests’ people and be willing to change with the times. Radio will always live on as long as we're willing to adapt and reach our people in a new way!
8. What is a typical workday like for you?
These days, my workdays look a lot different than they did pre-COVID! What's stayed the same is the first half of my day is dedicated to promotions director work, whatever it might be on my to-do list for that day! I get everything done that I need to so I can then get in the studio and focus 100% on my show. No day is the same in this business!
9. What would surprise people most about you?
I have a twin sister! When people meet us, they usually don't believe we're twins because we look very different. Usually they have to really look at us to see the similarities, and usually they just go "Okay, I kind of see it."
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Soda water. I drink like 6 a day, which is probably too many. Also, these days, I can't go one day without watching at least one scene from "Hamilton."
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
On the weekends, I love to cook. Cooking is something I used to be terrified of and convinced myself I couldn't do, but nowadays, I cook to relax! I also take walks with my boyfriend and dog, FaceTime with my family, and every once in a while, take advantage of the amazing hiking trails we have here in Colorado Springs.
What have you watched recently on Netflix that you would recommend?
"Middleditch and Schwartz" is my current favorite! Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch do long-form improv and it's hysterical!
What are your favorite places to eat in Colorado Springs?
The Burrowing Owl is our go-to spot. Amazing food, drinks, and atmosphere!
How often do you get back to Kansas and what are your top priorities when you get back home?
I usually get back home every three or four months. My niece is almost a year old so these days, my top priority is spending as much time with her as I can.
First record ever purchased?
I'm having a really hard time remembering the first album I actually bought with my own money that I didn't just take from one of my siblings! I do remember in 2005, I bought Tool's "10,000 Days" with my own money before school the day it came out and sat by myself at a track meet so I could listen to it.
First concert?
The Chicks, 2000.
Favorite band of all-time?
Chevelle. I lived for that band in middle and high school and will always love them!
Favorite new band over the past year?
Des Rocs!
Anything else you would like to add?
2020 started out with us excited, almost overwhelmed at how much fun stuff we had in the works. All of that changed a few months in and it's been a very different year than what we thought it would be. It's been tough and I miss live music so much, but I am proud of what we've done as a station to adapt to our current situation. We've created some new programming and utilized our online tools a lot more to stay connected with our audience the best way we can. We will go back to normal someday, but I will say we've had a chance to get creative and come up with some new things that will be useful even when we're back to normal.
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