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Charese Fruge’ (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Audrey Allen
April 11, 2023
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Audrey Allen is the newest addition to the Booker, Alex, and Audrey Morning Show on KAMX Mix 94.7 in Austin. She describes her responsibilities as talking about current events/pop culture, dating, listener call-ins, and other general entertaining bits on the radio. “I also do a lot of work on our social media,” she says. “I hope to eventually start a podcast through Audacy, and I am beginning to get involved with several organizations outside of the show and entrenching myself in the Austin community!”
“It started for me with my senior year of college. I got started in the radio industry via my internship,” says Allen. “I interned at The Kidd Kraddick Show. After about seven months there, I graduated college and began applying for jobs. After a few months, I ended up getting the job I have now. I moved to Austin in October and have been here ever since.”
Allen shares why she got into the business, “I was always passionate about pop culture (borderline obsessed), television (mainly reality TV), and entertainment in general, but didn’t think I’d be able to have a career that involved it. When it came to entertaining, I’ve always loved creating content, like videos on YouTube or different accounts. In college, I got involved in the television station and decided to major in Broadcast Media. We had to have an internship in that industry, so I applied at ‘The Kidd Kraddick Show’ since I grew up listening to it and my college was in Dallas, where it broadcasts from, anyway. And to my surprise, I got the position.”
“I feel very lucky because the job in radio itself is very exciting every single day! Some notable moments for me so far are picking up traction/going viral on the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show in Dallas, which really kick started my career, and getting the job at Mix 94.7 that I have now! Every time a listener messages, or comments, or interacts in any way that elates me and lights me up.”
It hasn’t always been easy for Allen though. “After my internship ended, I really struggled to find my footing and figure out where I would go or what I would do next. The job interview process, especially in this industry, is difficult and lengthy,” she describes. “I had a lot of different places I was talking to, not knowing if it was where I’d go or if I would get a job at all. There’s a lot of rejection involved in this business, there are a lot of people interviewing for a limited number of roles, so that did take a toll at times and can make you feel hopeless. I began to interview for waitressing jobs in the meantime, and actually got one at a movie theater the day I heard back about being hired at Mix 94.7!”
“So, my advice to women who also want to get into the business is keep your shoulders back, chest up, and your voice loud. It’s easy to feel inferior or drowned out in a male dominated industry, or any industry at all,” she says. “Having a woman in the room is vital to the success of any entity, and we have a perspective that needs to be heard in every situation. Our strengths can go toe to toe with any man’s. We offer a unique perspective that is otherwise missing and severely crucial. Never doubt that or they will too. If you want to be a leader, treat yourself like one. Act like you already are in any role, no matter what you do.”
Allen’s advice on capturing the loyalty of Gen Z: “I think the most important thing about obtaining a loyal audience is making them feel seen/heard/appreciated and knowing that they can rely on your content,” she says. “Taking the time to respond to every person that messages me has allowed me to sustain followers/listeners from one position to another. I still have people that follow my content and what I am doing from my hometown or my internship that do so because I created a relationship with them. I reached out to personally thank the people that left positive comments on my first show’s social media videos of me, and they continue to comment to this day.”
“Another thing that is healthy is staying consistent,” says Allen. “If the audience knows and can count on consistently being entertained by you, they value the ‘follow’ that they give you on their account and stay loyal to it.”
“I’m not super familiar with AI in radio yet,” Allen admits. “The capabilities it has are wild and there are undoubtedly endless opportunities created by it. While the basics of it intrigue me, I know how long of a way having actual humans in radio goes. You cannot create artificial personalities that connect with listeners the way a human does! It is always about real authenticity. That’s what separates us from AI talent.”
“It’s hard for me to speak on how we’ve moved the needle in diversity personally, because I am so new to the business,” explains Allen. “But I can say that I do think we are making progress. Women are severely underrepresented and underappreciated with all jobs, but radio specifically. I think just getting more of our voices on the radio and in rooms where big decisions are made is crucial. I’m lucky to have a female boss, Nikki Nite, who has astronomically impacted my view on just how important this is. She is strong and leads with a certain compassion that I don’t think would exist in our work environment without her or any other female.”
“While there are great strides being made in the representation of women, like the example I just gave, I do think we need to do better at making sure all voices are heard, like that of other underrepresented communities,” adds Allen. “We miss out on so much in every single conversation without them. We can do better by making sure they are included and considered in every single conversation, and especially every single decision. Ideally, they will be speaking for themselves. Progress is progress, and it is important to value that, but there are always improvements that can be made!”
What keeps Allen up at night? “Insomnia,” she admits. “I would say that was a dad joke, but I have struggled with it throughout my life! Melatonin is a godsend. In all seriousness, I do have a lot of anxiety, which has been a battle throughout my life. I do worry a lot about my interpersonal relationships and if I feel guilty about the state of a relationship or am worried about my friends/family, sleep takes the backseat.”
“Finding balance is still a struggle!” says Allen. “Though I am a few months into my job now, I’m still adjusting my routine and changing things up as I go to make sure it’s optimal for me. It’s a work in progress (as am I) you could say. Even when I’m not at work, I constantly think about it. That being said, I don’t think I’d trade it for anything.”
As for Allen’s immediate future, she’s focused. “I may be biased, but I think there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to me!” she says. “I haven’t even scratched the surface on the content I want to create and the impact I want to make in both Austin and worldwide. I think since I’ve been so occupied with just getting started at my current role, I haven’t expanded into all the things I want to do in general. Definitely look out for a podcast being launched, and way more content being posted on my personal account. When it comes to the show, I plan on launching more video content from us on all platforms. I really want to expand on the magic I think we have and give all our listeners more to look forward to. Also, I want to build on the audience we have, and take us to the levels I know we are capable of and talented enough for!”
Follow Audrey Allen on Instagram with three l’s- @audreyalllen. “Audrey Allen was taken, and she isn’t the most family friendly, so don’t make that mistake,” she says. “This goes for all social media accounts! I also have YouTube. It’s slightly dormant currently, but I have made several videos and plan on posting more on here too!”
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