The latest round of radio layoffs doubled down on the longstanding feeling of uneasiness for everyone in the radio industry. On Monday, I wrote about surviving a radio layoff. Right now, for a lot of our colleagues, the future feels uncertain. For many, the question of what comes next is still unanswered.
Today, I’m choosing to highlight someone who made a choice to step away from radio. Megan Ryte made an intentional career pivot that may surprise you. My hope is that it will also inspire you to think outside the box for your own future.
Ryte built two decades of equity in radio. She rose through markets including Norfolk, Miami, Houston, and eventually landed at the legendary HOT 97 in New York City. She has DJ’d stadium stages, toured with artists, and even released an album. Ryte gradually moved into television as a correspondent for ABC News, Good Morning America, and Extra TV.
Now she’s making a hard pivot — this time into anesthesiology, after earning her chemistry degree and securing a role as an Anesthesia Tech at a level one trauma center. Her story is about more than career reinvention. It’s a roadmap for anyone feeling at a crossroads.
The Gradual Shift & Identity Crisis
Ryte doesn’t point to a single turning point. The shift was gradual. “I woke up feeling like I no longer enjoyed what I did,” she says. “And then it was important to me to figure out why that was.” That kind of honesty isn’t common in an industry built on performance and presence. Sitting with discomfort long enough to understand it takes real courage.
For Ryte, the harder part was accepting what she found. “Coming to terms with the reality that it was time to move on from something I spent almost two thirds of my life doing was incredibly difficult,” she says. “Even though it felt like the right thing, it felt like weirdly a part of my identity.”
Identity is the word that keeps surfacing when radio professionals talk about leaving. The industry doesn’t just give you a career. It gives you a name, a voice, and a sense of self. Walking away from that is more personal than professional.
Why Medicine?
The jump from HOT 97 to an operating room is jarring to imagine. But for Ryte, it wasn’t a leap into the unknown. It was a return.
“I grew up wanting to be a doctor, and then life took me in a different direction and I became a DJ instead,” she says. “But that dream never left.” Before committing to the pivot, she did her homework. She reached out to a hospital and shadowed anesthesiologists and CRNAs in an operating room for a full day. “It was a polar opposite from the studios and stages I was used to,” she recalls. “But after being present for my first surgery, I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.”
She’s now on the floor full-time, assisting anesthesia providers. And she draws a direct line between her media career and her medical one.
“Spending my career in high pressure environments helped prepare me to work quickly and efficiently in stressful situations,” she says. “The pressure is a completely different type — but the muscle is the same.”
What Radio Taught Her
Ryte isn’t bitter about the industry. She’s reflective. She started in radio in 2007 at WOWI 103 Jamz in Norfolk — then a Clear Channel property. The industry was already churning. Ratings moved from diary to PPM. Jobs were disappearing. The anxiety felt familiar then, even if the scale is different now. “Radio has been through a lot, like many other industries,” she says. “Being there through the transition from CDs into streaming, the consolidations, the loss of jobs — it has been tough.”
Still, she believes in radio’s staying power. “Radio is and will continue to be important, it just may look a little different,” she says. “I hope that as many local voices as possible can continue to represent their communities.”
Advice for the Next Generation
Ryte has clear advice for people early in their careers. Stop thinking in formats. Start thinking in range. “When I first got into the game, I wanted to be a VJ,” she says. “That job doesn’t even exist anymore.” She’s not being dismissive. She’s being practical. TRL is gone. 106 & Park is gone.
The landscape shifts, and the people who survive shift with it. “Instead of looking at it like ‘I want to be a radio host,’ look at it as ‘I want to work in media as a whole,'” she says. “Whether you are in front of the mic or camera, or behind the scenes — be an asset.”
She also reframes what radio still offers right now. Big salaries may be fading, but the platform builds something durable. “Radio can be a great platform to market yourself and then move on or evolve when the time is right,” she says.
The Multi-Track Mindset
Ryte’s career reads like a highlight reel across industries. DJ. Radio personality. TV correspondent. Recording artist. Label executive. Now, anesthesia tech. Was it all planned? Not exactly. “I would not say every path I took was completely intentional,” she admits. “But having a multi-track approach is very necessary now more than ever before.” She chased what she wanted and figured out the path as she moved.
That willingness to act — even without a full blueprint — is what set her apart. “If I had a dream, I went for it,” she says. “A few small wins can lead to your next great opportunity.”
The DJ Never Left
Despite the pivot, Ryte is clear on one thing. She’s not walking away from who she is. “I am a DJ first and foremost,” she says. “My goal is to get to a point where I can DJ and take on gigs or projects because I want to — and not because my life depends on it.” She’s not retiring the name. She’s giving it more freedom.
For radio people feeling the weight of the industry’s uncertainty right now, Ryte offers a challenge more than comfort. “You made one dream come true,” she says. “Who says you can’t make another?”
The mic doesn’t have to be the last thing you ever love. It can be the thing that taught you how to love what comes next.
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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.
