Annie Camp grew up watching her father host mornings on WTQR. She caught the radio bug early, but it took years behind her own mic to fully understand what she’d been watching as a kid.
Today Camp is the solo morning show host on Audacy‘s 93.1 The Wolf in Greensboro, NC. I met Camp through social media first and then at the Women in Radio conference held in Atlanta a few years ago. She’s someone who is constantly making me actually LOL on her Instagram. I wouldn’t have pinned Camp as a radio “nepo baby”, but I have always found that whenever I meet someone who has gotten into the business as a second-generation radio peep, they are here for the best reasons. The connection, the authenticity, the community. That’s Annie Camp.
“Part of the reason I fell in love with radio is that I watched my father connect with people, and I always thought it was so cool that my idol could get along with so many folks from all walks of life,” Camp said. “What I didn’t realize or appreciate was how authentic that connection was. My father didn’t have to try; he just did it.”
She’s carried that lesson forward. “Connection cannot be forced, and authenticity cannot be faked,” she said. “Listeners can cut right through your bull.”
Staying “Annie Camp” Instead of Building a Persona
Camp has resisted a manufactured on-air identity from day one. “I was never cocky – just confident in knowing that I knew who I was,” she said. “I understood the toll that being a ‘radio persona’ could take on someone, and I witnessed firsthand growing up around the people in this business that if you weren’t authentically you, it would break you down over time.”
Camp still lives and works in the community she grew up in. “I go to the small-town church, I walk the dog and wave at my neighbors, I scroll the same tiring social media, I drive the same pothole-ridden roads, and I experience every bit of life the same as anyone else,” she said. A former boss gave her advice she still repeats to herself. “‘People know Annie Camp…just be that,’ and as simple as that sounds, it resonated so hard with me.”
The Reality Behind a Solo Morning Show
Camp hosts entirely alone. “It’s literally just me. No producer, no one answering phones, not even an in-house PD,” she said. “I am the sole person representing this radio station locally and live every day.”
I asked her about how she preps for a solo show day in and day out. She tries to know “the biggest things that are happening in the world and [takes] the time to sort through them.” Camp said she will “pick and choose what I think a person on the other end would resonate with and try to spin it so it’s relatable to everyone.”
Camp admits the job rarely feels as smooth as it sounds on air. “Some days I honestly can’t believe I made it through another show alone, and I leave most days feeling like I could’ve done more. So, honey, if it sounds ‘effortless’ and not the hot mess express that I feel like it is, then that’s a blessing in itself.”
Navigating Country Radio as a Woman
Camp doesn’t dodge the double standard she feels as female hosting solo. “I believe many of my fellow women in radio feel they have to walk into work with something to prove because society has made us feel this way,” she said. “No matter how nice you are, no matter how much you try to fly the straight and narrow or keep your head down, you just aren’t always going to be someone’s cup of tea.”
She said the harshest judgment comes from the audience, not her superiors. “I can’t be too loud, I can’t be too opinionated, I can’t talk about myself too much, I can’t be too overweight,” she said. “There have been so many times when I’ve been torn down by the people I’m trying to love, while nothing was ever said about my coworkers, at least not publicly, as I experienced.”
Her response is to lean harder into herself. “I got my job by being exactly who I am – loud, silly, opinionated, personable, and relatable,” she said. “No one is going to dull the sparkle I spent years trying to make shine.”
Mornings With a Six-Month-Old in Tow
Camp is raising two children while working radio’s toughest shift. She says she is “a mom first; that is my most important job,” she said. “I make sure my older child has what he needs for the day, then I pack my six-month-old baby up, and we head into work together. I strap the baby to my chest, and we cut on the mic together.”
Local daycares don’t open early enough for her schedule, so she’s built her own workaround. “My village has changed since I had my first son while working in this business, and daycares aren’t open at 5 am,” she said. “So, I do what I have to do to continue living out my dreams. Six months into this, and we’ve got a good rhythm going now.”
She said motherhood reshaped how she connects on air. “I’ve always been an empath, but there’s a level of understanding and allowing others to feel their feelings that’s just different now that I’m a mom,” she said. “It’s made me a better listener, and in turn, an even better storyteller and person.”
Why Her Social Media Doesn’t Feel Curated
Camp treats her feed the same way she treats her show. “I’ve always said that radio personalities are the original influencers – we have always shared so much with people out loud on a personal level for the world to see and hear long before it was for likes and comments,” she said. “I share my life, but I don’t sugarcoat anything.”
She doesn’t chase approval. “At the end of the day, I’m just going to be Annie Camp,” she said. “I don’t care if you like my loud mouth or not. Sure, I’d love for you to like me or my content or ‘follow’ me for more, but if you don’t, that doesn’t define me. The more unauthentic content people have to scroll through, the more I hope my non-filtered, non-trending self reels them in.”
Building Friendship, Not Just an Audience
Camp wants every interaction to feel personal. “I’d like to think I leave a wide-open space for people to come as they are,” she said. “I want to be someone who makes them feel good about themselves, who reminds them they aren’t alone, and who makes them feel like they can share their thoughts and opinions openly.”
Camp feels the responsibility of setting the tone for her listeners’ mornings. “There is a massive unspoken responsibility as the person who sets the tone for someone’s day,” she said. “If I come in with a bad mood and bring that to the mic, people can feel it.”
Her husband has watched strangers approach her in public, convinced they know her personally. “When they walk off, he’ll say, ‘Who was that?’ and he’s always surprised when I tell him it was a listener, because he thought they were some old friend!” she said. “It’s not just the music or the personalities that make for great radio; it’s the listeners. If they’re not your friend, you’ve got no one.”
Shining a Light on Two Rising Voices
I asked Camp to spotlight some peers she admires in radio. “My co-worker, Maya Brantley, is the do-it-all queen,” she said. “She jumps in wherever needed across 3 of my sister stations (WJMH, WSMW, WQMG), and she’s constantly asked to show up and handle business when others fall short.”
She also praised Alyssa DiTomasso, a co-host on Your Georgia Country, WNGC. “Both of these powerhouse females know what hard work is,” Camp said. “They love this business as much as I do, and it’s something we’ve all wanted to be a part of our whole lives. They’re fighters who will stop at nothing until they’re the ones in the driver’s seat. You can’t fake that kind of drive and passion – we need more authentic women like this fighting for the love of radio and fighting for a seat at the table.”
Looking Ahead: More Responsibility, More Fight
Camp wants influence beyond the mic. “I’d love to have more responsibility outside the mic and more control over what people don’t see” she said. “I’ve had the chance to hold the coveted morning drive seat, and now I want to learn and be part of every aspect of running a 100,000-watt radio station.”
She’s clear-eyed about the extra work that requires. “I’ll never be done – there is always another skill to learn, another milestone to reach, and another opportunity to pursue, but often finding the support to do that is the hardest part. Doors don’t just open for you; you have to be the one to kick the door down.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Bethany Kent is a Music Radio Editor for Barrett Media. She spent nearly 20 years bringing radio to life on stages, across the airwaves, and through unforgettable listener experiences. Her career spans local markets including Providence, Philadelphia, and New York City, most recently serving as National Director of Music Initiatives for Audacy. From producing major live events like HOT 97’s Summer Jam to leading strategic national marketing initiatives, she has built a career at the intersection of music, media, and culture. She can be reached at bethany@barrettmedia.com.