Katie Summers knew from early on that she wanted to work in a field that allowed her to use the power of music to connect with people. But it wasn’t until she attended an open house at SAIT that she decided to pursue a career in radio to share her passion for songs and pop culture with the world.
Now she’s the popular host of AMP Mornings with Katie and Ed, a nationally syndicated show that is listened to by thousands every day.
Summers grew up with music playing all around her, and it has been an important component of her daily routine for the years following graduation—from tunes playing on the kitchen radio to the sounds of her favourite songs blasting in the car and in the mall. It was then that her curiosity began to take shape.
“I always thought to myself, like, ‘I love to be a part of something like that.’ Not necessarily on the radio, but I just thought it was such a cool job,” said Summers.
But music isn’t the only thing Summers enjoyed about radio. She also liked the hosts, and the conversations they had between songs—she felt they were talking to her.
“They felt like my friends. And then as I grew up and got older and figured out what I wanted to do with my life and became a disc jockey for a music radio station, I realized that is literally your job.”
Summers knew from early on that she was an extrovert, and that made it easy for her to find new friends.
“I’ve always been somebody who likes people, and I’m very outgoing. And so that’s sort of carried me through school,” said Summers. “I feel like that’s been a big part of what got me to where I am now, just in terms of what I do for a living.”
Stepping into the radio world
Determined and excited, Summers was set on learning more about the industry so she could become a part of it. Attending the open house at SAIT in 2006 and enrolling there afterward was exactly what she needed.
“I learned how to produce commercials, produce imaging, how to schedule music. It’s very hands-on, almost like a tradesman’s experience of radio,” Summers said.
On her first day interning for Wired 96.3, which no longer exists, she expected to have to fetch coffee and do clerical work. Her boss at the time, Chris Myers, told her she would be working in-studio to get some practical experience on air.
She was not expecting to be challenged right away, and thanks to Myers, that was the spark that started her career and her most fond memory to date.
“Once I sat in that studio, and did that show, I thought ‘Yes, this is it. This is when I finally figured out what I want’,” said Summers.
Later that same year, she co-hosted the morning show at The Range FM 106.1 in Airdrie. A year later she worked as an editor/anchor at 660 News here in Calgary.
AMP Radio
In 2011 she started working the evening and swing shifts at 90.3 AMP Radio, and 2025 will mark her 14th anniversary at AMP while also celebrating being one of the very first females to host a solo show in the country.
“I did the show by myself for two years,” said Summers. “I was in the top five, and it was the highest by a mile that any show at this radio station had done before.”
Summers made headlines in 2018 when she spoke out about the sexual harassment she faced from Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard, who has been in the news recently for similar allegations.
As Summers’ program got bigger, and so did the requirement and the standards across the field, where every show needs at least two hosts. At AMP Summers shares the presenting responsibilities with her co-host, who only goes by Ed.
“It’’s not just me in this show anymore. Like, there are three of us. We have a producer who works really hard at prepping the show. It’s a collaborative effort, though, in terms of what we’re going to talk about,” said Summers.
Korri Macdonald, who has worked with Summers for nine years, believes her colleague is well-suited to the radio business.
“Her work ethic is incredibly strong, especially in an industry known to throw some whirlwind curveballs,” said Macdonald. “I personally believe that Katie is the same on air as she is off-air.”
Summers finds most of the materials for her show on different sites and applications. She pairs what she finds with her knowledge of popular culture to make her show stand out even more.
Her husband, Tristan Bauer, cannot keep up with her.
“I would say that a fair portion of her personality is pop culture. In our house, we joke that if it’s pop-culture-related, she knows what’s going on. I frequently send her articles and posts, and she laughs and says ‘I saw this three days ago’,” said Bauer.
Even with emerging new advancements, Summers believes that radio will still be relevant for the years to come.
“There’s always some new technology that’s killing radio. First, it was social media, then it was Spotify, podcasting, Sirius satellite radio, I’ve seen all of it and radio continues to thrive,” said Summers.“But I hope to still be in this chair in 10 years.”