10 Questions with ... Karah Leigh

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started in a small market, Lufkin/Nacogdoches, right out of college doing middays on a CHR station, KFOX 95.5, when it was still owned by Clear Channel. After about a year, I transferred to Houston to do weekends at 94.5 The Buzz. I eventually landed a full-time gig doing imaging for a few of our stations and kept doing weekend shifts for The Buzz and picking up out-of-market voicetracking shifts, too. It wasn’t until the Spring of 2014 that I finally made it to nights, and I’ve been doing that ever since.

1. How did you first become interested in radio?

I’ve always loved music, but I have absolutely no musical talent, so I was always listening to the radio or watching MTV (back in the days when they still played music videos). I wrote in my senior memory book that my dream job would be working at MTV or 94.5 The Buzz, but I didn’t think either was realistic. I went to college as a computer science major with the intention of doing something in web design, but I realized very quickly that I was bored, and I didn’t want to spend my life being bored! I was browsing through the list of degrees my school offered and saw it: a communications degree with a focus in radio and television. That was it. I knew I had to at least give it a shot.

2. You’ve been at The Buzz for almost 20 years. What’s it like working at The Buzz and what do you love most about your job?

The Buzz has become home, especially after being here for so long. I’m so comfortable in this job and with the station that coming to work and doing my show feels natural in a way I never thought possible. My favorite part is the freedom and autonomy that our PD, Elliott Wood, gives me. He trusts that I’ve got this, and he supports me when I don’t. That security of not having to worry about being micromanaged really lets me have fun with the rest of it.

3.  You’re PD calls nighttime jock extraordinaire. How would you describe your style and show at night?

I hear so many people say they got into radio because they love people. You know, the self-described “people person.” That’s not me! I got into radio because of a love of music, entertainment, and pop culture, so I connect with our listeners through that. I fully understand that they are the reason I have a job, so my focus is on keeping them informed on what their favorite bands are up to, the meaning behind songs, etc. Because even if we don’t have anything else in common, we’ve got that.

4.  What is your show prep routine?

This is the best part about being with a station for so long; I know what’s happening and I’m familiar with our content. I used to get the log before my show and outline exactly what I was going to say and when, but I’ve gotten comfortable enough that I just sit down at the console, put on my headphones, and go. The one thing I do outline before I get on-air is my contests for the night, because mine aren’t restricted to any set time. But other than that, it’s a very free flowing show. If I get to a spot where I’m stuck, that’s when look for something interesting about the song or the artist that I can share, like the fact that Pearl Jam’s “Black” was never intended to be a single played on the radio. If you stay up to date on what your core artists are up to, it makes life so much easier.

5.  What do you love most about being on-air?

That’s such a hard question! I had a former PD ask how I didn’t get nervous on-air, especially considering that I’m shy in real life. But really, being on-air means I’m in a room by myself talking about music and current events. So I think the best part for me has to be that it means I get to keep up with what’s happening in the world. Being on-air is a great reason to read music magazines and follow bands and do all the things I enjoy that would otherwise be pushed to the back burner.

6.  What makes your show unique?

The first four hours on weeknights are business as usual, but from 11p to midnight it switches to new music. That’s my sweet spot. I like introducing people to new songs and especially to new bands. I like it so much so that I curate a new music show on Sunday nights called “Do You Hate It?” where I take it even deeper and feature amazing artists who don’t get regular airtime.

7.  How are you using social media to augment what you’re doing on-air?

You can only paint so much of a picture when it comes to audio, so I’ll send listeners off to our website or my social to get more of a story. But I also use to show more of who I am, because I get around five chances an hour to talk to our listeners and those breaks have to be fairly quick. But I can hop any social media and take all the time in the world. I really like interactive Instagram stories to get feedback from people, and I use it to recruit listeners from time to time. For example, I do an annual podcast episode with a local medium around Halloween, and I’m using my Instagram story to find two listeners who want to do a reading.

8.  Tell us about all the stations you track and how you localize each market?

I’ve got a handful of stations outside of my home market: Rock stations in San Diego, Denver, and Tampa, and Alternative stations in Philadelphia and Charlotte. I really try to focus on the local events they’ve got going on. If a band is on tour but they aren’t stopping in that market, I don’t even mention it. And I always check the weather for that city, too, so that I can throw in little bits that are relevant. I don’t want to talk about how hot it is (for me in Texas) if I’m tracking Philadelphia and they’ve already got sweater weather. It’s such a little thing, but it gives a local touch.

9.  Who is your favorite on-air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?

I’m on the hunt for a new favorite because the two women I admired most in the industry recently left! Annie Mac and Kat Corbett were both talents that I followed and would stream because they were just so at ease being on-air.

10.  What would surprise people most about you?

I’m so short! People are always surprised about that, and they don’t even try to hide it. I once had someone tell me that I “sound taller on the radio”. I took it as a compliment, but I’m not sure he meant it that way. And I love listening to NPR and podcasts. It’s a totally different type of radio and I’m in awe of how they pull long form journalism shows together.

What are weekends like for you?

I almost always have to come into work on weekends and record a handful of shows because I do anywhere from 8 to 10 shows for various markets on Saturdays and Sundays, and it’s too much to get done on a Friday. Other than that, I try to spend time reading and catching up on whatever is good on Netflix or the other streaming platforms. My weekends have gotten very quiet since the start of the pandemic.

What are your favorite places to eat in the area?

I don’t get there as much as I would like, but Mary’z Lebanese Cuisine is fantastic.

Rank your sports teams in order of passion.

U.S. Women’s National Soccer team. That’s my team. They are the only one I care about.

First record ever purchased?

Play Deep from The Outfield. I was spending my money on my first ever cassette tape and my brother talked me into that one because he wanted it. It was good though and it saved me from having to say The California Raisins were my first record.

First concert?

I think it was Warped Tour 1998. I wasn’t actually allowed to go to concerts so I spun the narrative a little bit and sold it to my parents as a skate show where there might be a few bands playing.

Favorite band of all-time?

I’m fickle and my favorites change all the time, but if I’m looking at the classics I’ll go with Nirvana or The Beatles.

Favorite new band over the past year?

Des Rocs. He just released his first ever full-length album and that kid is talented!

Anything else you would like to add?

Radio is all about who you know, so don’t be afraid to make connections.