An undeniable bright spot in Country music radio, Katie Neal’s bubbly and delightful personality has been bringing fun, “hanging out” vibes to listeners for years, most recently with her syndicated show “Katie & Company,” which she records out of Nashville for nearly 40 stations nationwide.
Now, she’s gearing up for the grand opening of the new sound space in Music City, born of Audacy’s partnership with Hard Rock International.
“On the 5th, Thomas Rhett is actually gonna come, and he’s gonna perform, and we’re gonna do a ribbon cutting, which I’m very excited about, and a bunch of our friends and partners from all across Nashville and the music industry will be here,” she says of the upcoming launch. The team has been using the new digs since June.
“I feel so lucky to be in a radio studio that’s built for television.” The new studio boasts cozy living room vibes, complete with a mock fireplace paired with the typical edge, neon lights, and live performance space a Hard Rock location brings. “They’ve been such amazing partners,” she says of the relationship.
Being right in the heart of Broadway in Nashville has proven to be incredibly advantageous for Neal’s access to the musicians and talent that frequent the city. “It’s been really convenient to have a space for artists to come up and do interviews,” she says.
Neal’s current home in Nashville came from a career in Country radio that she found herself in somewhat accidentally, with initial plans of going into television production when she was attending Illinois State University.
“I had always kinda thought that I wanted to be a producer,” she says. “I got to Illinois State University. I took one radio class to graduate, and I fell in love with it. And by my senior year, I had really transitioned the focus of my studies from television to radio.”
Neal got her first radio job right out of college in Illinois before moving to New York City to work for 95.5 PLJ. She just happened to be there at the same time that they launched the Country station, 94.7, and remembers fondly when Jesse Addy and Kelly Ford were hired – her future colleagues.
Spending some time working in radio ad sales, a nudge in the right direction from a program director Neal worked with in Illinois helped her land an opportunity to voice commercials for PLJ for a couple of years. Her work got the attention of John Foxx, 94.7’s program director at the time, who gave her a shot at some weekend spots with the station.
When a full-time opportunity came about, Neal focused her efforts on auditioning. “It took 3 or 4 months to convince them to give me that job,” she jests. It wasn’t long after that Foxx gave her the news that her show was being put on the network with further plans for syndication.
Country music wasn’t initially on her radar with roots in pop and hip-hop music to suit her own tastes, but growing up around the genre helped solidify her place in it.
“It is interesting because growing up, Country music was like my dad’s music. This was the golden age of Toby Keith and Garth Brooks, and so I went through a period of time where I felt like that was really cool. I remember being in my dad’s F-150 red pickup truck the first time he played Blake Shelton’s ‘Austin.’ I vividly remember hearing that song for the first time,” she recalls.
“I grew up listening to this music, so I know it.” She says of her initial start in the industry, “I kind of had to relearn everything that was popular at the moment. Now I feel like it’s all I listen to.” Having been around it in her career, she can’t imagine not being a Country music fan. “I’m very immersed in this world and very happy to be. I choose Country music to listen to,” she says.
Beyond just the music, Neal appreciates Country for the sense of community it creates among listeners and musicians.
“I can’t say for certain [about other genres], but the way things are here, I always joke that I see Luke Bryan more than I see my mom. Everyone is here and everyone is so kind and willing to show up and give you their time, and I am always just kind of blown away by that. Like the access that we have to people with the studio being in Nashville – it’s a community of people who really do care and take care of each other,” she says.
Part of Neal’s job is creating a brand around herself, which relies heavily on social media. With a strong social media presence comes a stronger connection to the listeners who follow her, giving Neal an opportunity to converse with folks in a more immediate way than an on-air platform typically allows, continuing conversations she started on her show or even just asking her followers for book recommendations.
“I think that [social media] is incredibly powerful in that it’s an extension of me and getting to know me better. What I do on social versus what I do on the air – I’m still the same person but you definitely see more of me there. The radio people are tuning in because they like the music, and I happen to be there. If you’re following me on social media, you’re tuning in because you like me,” she says. “It’s really powerful being able to communicate with people in real-time.”
When it comes to replicating this feeling of connection when she’s on air, Neal believes good radio comes from being relatable, topical, and creating a feeling of a casual and fun hang-out with the listeners.
“I want it to feel like a conversation,” she says. “That’s why I wanted the show to be called “Katie & Company” because I wanted you to feel like we were all hanging out. I’m keeping you company, and you’re keeping me company… It’s all hanging out in the living room.”
Neal is the proud recipient of an ACM, major market Gracie, and a Marconi nomination, but winning the ACM award was a stand-out moment for her in her career.
“I deserve to be here, and I have a seat at the table,” she remembers feeling at that moment. “All of these things that I have been working so hard for and that everyone on the Country team has been supporting me in for so long – everything came to fruition.”
Neal’s well-earned success in radio came when she was able to have a light-bulb moment about everyone’s tendency to compare themselves to the other greats in their lane, noting that each person brings something unique to what they do just by being who they are.
She remembers thinking, “If I actually am just myself, things will start to work out for me.”
Jacquie Cadorette is a music features reporter for Barrett Media with over 10 years of experience crafting and managing digital editorial content in the broadcast media space. Her radio career began at Philadelphia’s 102.9 WMGK where she assisted with crafting copy for promotional materials before moving on to blogging for Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, writing prep copy for iHeart, and ultimately becoming a senior editorial content producer on Audacy’s central team, where her work was syndicated to over 250 station sites nationwide. After bringing the company’s podcast editorial brand to life as the Head of Content, Jacquie dove into freelance editorial work alongside her other endeavors.
A PA native, Jacquie spent 9 years in New York City and then a few years in Portland, OR to continue her writing career and indulge in great coffee on the west coast. She now lives in South Philly and can be found enjoying live music, looking at the world through her Canon camera, or diving into a project she’s never tried before with unfounded confidence. Jacquie can be reached at jacquiecad.media@gmail.com.
