Catherine Britt is an Australian Country Musician and fill in host of Saturday Night Country on ABC.
She holds the reigns for the show during this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival, a role for which she is very well qualified.
Catherine has extensive prior radio experience, and both her father and grandfather were prominent Australian announcers.
Catherine explained to radioinfo her family’s role in the Australian radio industry.
“My grandfather, Matt Britt, was a career radio announcer. After working at various radio stations in the 1940s in places as diverse as Dubbo, NSW and Hobart, Tas, he settled in Newcastle in the early 50’s to marry and raise a family.
Through the 50’s and early 60’s, Matt worked on 2KO (now KO-FM) in Newcastle where he became well known as the presenter of a weekly children’s program as well as the midnight to dawn shift. In late 1962, he moved to 2KM (now 2MC) in Kempsey where he became studio manager. Matt continued at 2KM until the early 70’s. His last job in radio was as the local newsreader on the ABC back in Newcastle.
As my father had spent his childhood hanging around radio stations, he had a strong interest as well. He became involved in Newcastle community radio 2NUR-FM in the late 70’s alongside his regular job as a psychologist. Over time he presented a series of programs that reflected his diverse musical tastes. The first presented new wave pop music of the late 70’s, the second a 10 part series on the music of Duke Ellington, and thirdly the long running Looking For The Magic featuring the music of the 60’s.
I first became interested in radio myself when dad presented a series on country music interviewing such artists as Kasey Chambers (just as she went solo), Shanley Dell, Beccy Cole and many others.
After my years living in Nashville, I returned to Newcastle and dad and I presented our first ongoing program together – Alternate Country on 2NUR which led to the current position on Saturday Night Country.”
Catherine Britt’s special Saturday Night Country show from Tamworth happens this Friday, along with a special listeners’ party.
