Katrina Johns

Katrina Johns graduated in 2003 as a Radio major at Columbia College Chicago. After graduation, Katrina traveled south to Nashville, Tennesse and has now established herself as an award winning Producer of sports programming at WLAC. Katrina took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.


1. First off, how is life in Nashville and do you miss Chicago?

Life in Nashville is pretty good. It’s really cool how a town like this has professional hockey, football, arena football and the farm team for the Brewers. However, I do miss Chicago. I miss the big city, the food, and the Cubs!

2. When you were in your last semester at Columbia, did you have a definitive outline of a career path you might want to take?

During my last semester, I really had no clue as to what specifically I was going to do. I had in interest in production and news. I had spent a lot of time focusing on those areas. I was hoping to get a job doing either one of those. I have a feeling if I was more decisive I might have started working right away.


3. Before attending Columbia College you had a background in radio. What type of experience did you have and how did that come about?

I started doing radio in 1995. I was a music reporter for a local show in Rockford called Pow’rPlayRadio. I began as the person who went to all the local Christian rock shows and covered them including the major festivals. That grew once I got the hang of the editing equipment (SAW). I then began interviewing bands and artists for my own feature and giving a weekly music news segment. That experience lasted until 1999 when I was hired by a music magazine to be the assistant editor for which I moved to Austin, TX. I missed radio. So in 2001 I moved back to Chicago to get my degree from Columbia.


4. At Columbia you had a few internships. The first one at WJMK-FM seemed to be a perfect fit. If memory serves me well, you are a huge "Oldies" fan. What was it like walking through those doors and rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in Chicago radio?

I was impressed to meet Dick Biondi, John Records Landecker and especially Jim Smith. Jim and John were responsible for the introduction to the mass public of Styx. Dick Biondi is a man that when I mention his name (anywhere in the country) people know who I am talking about.


5. The crew at WJMK-FM was quite close. Was it shocking to hear they had flipped formats?

I was completely shocked when I learned of the format switch. It’s typical of radio though. You never really have a good grip on your job or what is going to happen tomorrow or next week. The only way to survive in this industry is to constantly prove yourself. Keep your demo and resume updated, stay in touch with the radio office at Columbia, and be prepared for anything!


6. Your WCKG internship helped you on the producing end of things. What were some of the technical skills that you learned?

I guess the biggest skill I learned working at WCKG and more specifically for Steve Dahl is to keep the talent happy. If the man who is paying you and earning the bread and butter of the show and station isn’t happy, then nobody is happy.


7. What was your most memorable experience at Columbia?

I was riding the El, headed for school to do my news shift for the morning show at WCRX. On my headset I heard that war had been declared in Iraq. I scrapped the stories I was going to cover and led with the biggest story I have ever done. It was an extremely sad but exciting story to get to break to our listeners. Cheryl Morton-Langston prepared me well for that situation!

8. The past few years have been a whirlwind for you. Before leaving Chicago, what were your main concerns about moving to another market?

I think the biggest concern was whether or not I was going to catch on to the vibe of the city. I’ve lived in Minneapolis, Austin and Chicago…but Nashville really seemed like a completely foreign culture to me. I didn’t really want to leave Chicago, but the opportunity came up and I had to take it. Once I got here, I picked up the newspapers, watched all the local news and got a great start in a new city.

9. What class do you feel prepared you the most for a career in radio?

I didn’t have just one class that prepared me, I had several. The talk radio class with Cheryl Morton-Langston, the news delivery class with her and the production class with Domingo Castillo were so informative and helpful.


10. Working at a sports station I imagine that the action never stops. What event(s) has given you time to pause and say this is why I decided on radio as a career?

The day that I found out I was nominated for an A.I.R. award was a thrilling day. My production specials (two features with the Titans and a Super Bowl piece) and my on-air work were submitted. I love what I do, but to find out that others thought I was the best in my market made everything that much sweeter. Good grief this sounds cliché, but I was truly honored to be nominated…but I was ecstatic when I won!


11. What are some of your future goals?

I want to continue doing sports radio but I think I would also love to co-host a morning show. I’ve got too many pop culture references crammed in my head!