Today is WORLD RADIO DAY!  We want to celebrate along with you and share some fun stories from the Country 93.3 family on why they love radio!

 

Taylor Pope

 

I never would have imagined the path this job has taken me on. Landing in Fort McMurray, Alberta though has changed my life and given me a career and a family.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I packed up my car and drove across the country to be a weekend news reporter. From there I started hosting my own show while reporting on the side. Eventually I became an afternoon show host on 97.9 Rock and after three years I ended up taking over the morning show on Country 93.3.

It’s been a wild ride with a lot of movement but I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in the same city that I now call home.

Radio has allowed me to follow two of my biggest passions, music and sports. I get to listen to music all day and talk to amazing people and hear and share their stories while also getting to ply my trade at play-by-play in both hockey and baseball. It really is hard to have a bad day at the rink or stadium.

 

Nathalia Cordeau-Hilliard

“Radio: The dream job…for the kid who used to get paid to stop talking! Not only am I encouraged to keep talking but I get to meet interesting people through the industry. I love that it’s an outlet to spotlight the positive things that are happening in our community and around the world, when sometimes (most times) there’s a lot of negativity going on in the media. My favourite part of working in radio is that no matter where I work, I know I can be connected to anyone who wants to listen. Plus, I get to stay weird!”

 

Mike Jones

From “recording” his own radio shows on a Big Bird cassette players as a wee lad to relentlessly following/borderline stalking radio personalities in high school I finally took the leap and enrolled in the Radio and Television Arts program at NAIT in 2011. After a brief stop off in the Grandest of Prairies a job offer sent me up Highway 63 to Fort McMurray in 2013.  The rest, as the say is history!

 

Heather Williams

“I never thought I would be lucky enough to get paid to do what I love. I always felt dumb in the “normal” subjects at school, so when I excelled at the performance-based stuff (who ENJOYS math??), I did everything I could to find a way to make a living through it. There was a lot of failure, LIKE A LOOOOOOT, until I discovered radio. It brings out the best parts of myself because growing up, I used to be ridiculed by the kids in my class saying I was “too loud”, “too chatty” or “too weird”. But now I’ve taken those childish insults and made a career out of those very traits. Through radio I’ve learned that everyone has a story to tell, to let go of the baggage, and to leave room for the good stuff. Working with like-minded people who are hilarious, kind, and feel the same as I do about “work” has been a dream come true. I’ve found my tribe and I don’t plan on stopping now!”

 

Phil Wood

When I was a kid, I would “broadcast” while playing hockey games on my computer. After completing my history degree and working for a few years, I decided to go back to school and see if there was a future for me in radio. I worked in a number of markets in southern Ontario, and now I’m out in Alberta announcing and doing afternoon news full-time ????

 

Stu (the boss) McIntosh

Since I was six, I knew I wanted to do one of two things with my life; drive a monster truck, or talk on the radio. Happy to say I’ve achieved half of my childhood dreams (and the ship still hasn’t sailed on the other one)! I’ve now been “on the air” in one form or another for over a third of my life. I can honestly say after all the moves, miles, marriage, mortgages, and kids, talking to you the radio is still one of my favorite things to do in the whole world!