LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
99.9 Gator Country morning show host Amadeus shares stories that did not make it on the air, and he takes a deeper dive into those that did make the cut. Fans of Your Hometown Morning Show will enjoy a more behind the scenes look at what goes into the making of a country radio morning show. Listen daily for this PG-13 version of the top stories making pop culture headlines, artist interviews, and much , much more.
LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
HATERS GONNA HATE...AND METEOROLOGIST KATIE GARNER IS HERE FOR IT!
Katie Garner is a local TV weather reporter taking Jacksonville, Florida by storm (pun intended.) Fighting against the harsh winds (oh, look...another one!) of social media trolling, Katie's resilient spirit shines like the sun (we are the literal worst!) Not only does she give us an inside look into her experiences in the public eye, but she also waxes lyrical about her affection for the city of Jacksonville, even sharing some local gems with us.
the show. Welcome to Eden and Amadeus.
Speaker 2:The show. After the show I am Amadeus, I'm Eden and the show that is after the show the show itself is a morning show on 99.9 Gator country in Jacksonville, Florida. That's where we are and we understand that some of you guys are not here and you're not even in the United States and we love, we love that about you, we love that about you. Some people are talking about the show. We love that. I'm going to be talking about the show I'm going to be talking about.
Speaker 2:my alarm is going off to tell me that we are going to be talking to a special guest soon. Fun, so our guest is somebody that is on local TV here, but man, she is so much fun we wanted to share her with the world and you guys that are in. I think it's South Carolina, where she moved here from. I know how much everybody misses her there because I see it all over her Instagram account.
Speaker 1:Everyone's like.
Speaker 2:Come back, we're like, oh, I'm going to be back, I'm going to be back, I'm going to be back. I'm going to be back with a new partner, and she actually was. She calls herself this a D list actress at one time because she was in a lot of these movies, like a piranha three. I want to say she was in with David Hasselhoff and she has this great resume of work. But what she has done that got our attention this morning, as is that she has been on TV doing the weather, and when I tell you that she gets trolled daily, it's unbelievable. It is unbelievable and we can say it because this part of it is our podcast that people have the balls to say to this lovely woman right.
Speaker 2:And she actually has put them in a book. I think she created the book a few years back, but there's an actual book called mostly laughing life in the DM.
Speaker 1:I feel like almost everyone on TV could put together this book, because we've heard so many stories of so many anchors weather people, sports people, whatever. It is just getting all this negative feedback. I'm so thankful that I'm on the radio.
Speaker 2:I had it all the time when I was doing a midday TV show at the same station, actually where Katie is, and I once went around and I'll tell her this and asked all of the anchors, reporters on air, personalities. I knew if they would be able to get to the show and I'm so grateful for them. I'm so grateful for the no-transcript, the anonymity of a keyboard.
Speaker 1:You don't always got. You're not as fat as you look on TV.
Speaker 2:So now Katie joins us. Good morning, Good morning. So, girl, first of all, from I want to say week number one when you came to town, amadeus and I both said this this lady is different. She looks into the camera and doesn't just give a weather report, she talks to us and tells us listen you, this is what you need to know.
Speaker 3:Yes, I feel like I'm a very unconventional meteorologist, like I. You know, I went to Penn State, got the degree, but I like to talk to everybody like they are my best friends, and just because I think that that resonates so well with viewers, because I care about our viewers so much. But I like to keep it very real.
Speaker 1:That's what makes you different. Anyone can just be a meteorologist, but the personality that you have, just it's. It's like it's breakthrough.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I could be a meteorologist. That is a lot of studying science, but that's true, but but I get what you're saying because it's hard to deliver science-type information in a way that everybody can consume.
Speaker 1:And you're constantly thinking on your feet as you're, as you're changing. You know what you know what we're looking at and what you're saying and where you're going. It's. It's amazing how you do it. You're like flawless.
Speaker 3:I mean, you really are. You're very, very sweet and like I just. This is why I love Jacksonville, though, because I feel like everybody in this city, like many places I've worked, are very genuine people and they recognize okay, this girl is a little different than some of this market, but it works, and they let it work and they accept this genuineny of like. This is how I'm going to present you the forecast and this is how I think you should dress today, or this isn't a bit happening, but I'm going to give it to you like I'm talking to my grandmother or my best friend or something, and it just it works, I think, because this city is so genuine and you can tell everybody really takes it in instead of just go, go, go, go, go, go. Like what is this? They really want to get to know you, and I want to get to know them too, and I think it's a really nice playoff.
Speaker 2:So one would think, with all of these great things going for you, you would get nothing but praise in your DMs, only emails telling you how wonderful you are, only compliments. But that's just not the case, is it?
Speaker 3:It's not, but that's what I kind of love. I mean, I wrote a book, right. So it's like I wrote this book three markets ago, because ever since I was 24, you know, you get these comments and they're kind of funny, like gosh, like I've been compared to Shrek, to a cow, so like being asked if I'm pregnant, like I just got compared to Lord Farquad because I got hair, cut the other week I was like I thought I was looking pretty cute.
Speaker 3:But yeah, and it works for me because I think in this business, my favorite part of it is the thick skin that you have to have and because you're going to get all the good emails, right Like you're going to get those, and they're lovely. I shared two this morning on my Instagram, as I do, and I really appreciate them. But the bad ones they nothing offends me, first of all, nothing. They make me laugh so hard and I'm like I think some people probably write them now because they want to make the gram, but it kills me. Like Lord Farquad, someone could be compared to a Quokka the other week. That's a road, it's like that's a road.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what that was, but you share. So she'll post the email or the message and then she'll put the picture at, like the side by side. Lord Farquad picture Killed me. Killed me because you got that cute little Bob and then the next day someone wanted to tell you that you look like you're straight out of Shrek.
Speaker 3:I don't like about that I was like out of Shrek, good Lord. And then, you know, I got the one comparing me to ET. But actually, you know I do see that, so I pinned that to the top of my Instagram. I actually saw the resemblance, like these big baby blue eyes. I'm like well, it does look kind of like ET.
Speaker 1:It's funny when someone compares you to something you never saw and then you look at it and go, yeah, I can see that.
Speaker 3:So wait, what's that? Yeah, you wish it was crispy brinkly, but if it's ET, you all take it.
Speaker 2:But ET is equally as lovable. And so tell us about that one rodent, because it wasn't anything I knew about the book. No, the rodent.
Speaker 3:Oh the rodent, oh my gosh. Well, the Quokka is apparently. This is so cute. To me it's like the happiest animal on the planet, has no enemies, it always smiles, and so getting compared to that rodent I was cool with, but then when I got compared to Chuck E Cheese- I was like you know we need to rethink that one now.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, hey, how different a rodent can be. Oh my gosh, how different.
Speaker 2:A rodent can be.
Speaker 3:It's exactly right.
Speaker 2:A couple of years ago, katie and you know I was at Channel 4 for seven years. So a couple of years ago I also received regular correspondence, Usually my hair, because I have I've kind of tough hair, you know. So I'd go pixie. Then I try to grow it out. And if I tried to grow it out, everybody would get after me and tell me, like, brush your hair, it's terrible.
Speaker 3:Oh Lord, I mean, it was bad. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:So I took a poll and I invited all of my friends that are on TV in any way, shape or form in the market into this little Facebook form and I was trying to pull it up. I couldn't find it again, but I asked everybody to share their best troll emails and Stacey Spanos, I think, won the prize because she got something that said that her, her chest wasn't even like. One side was like she was lopsided and needed a new broth.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. And.
Speaker 2:Mary Bear, who is iconic here in this market, said that somebody called before emails, somebody called the newsroom is like can someone get that girl a brush? I mean every, every woman on TV, and now it's become common for us to share it, and it's I love sharing it Because I think it some.
Speaker 3:you know, I know there's times out there when people are like oh you know, don't share it, it's going to put somebody. You know, I think it's. I think you have to share it because A it really is very funny to me and if you're in this business and you don't think it's funny, you got to get thicker skin because people are going to say things right. But if you share it you can relate on some level, especially like I post all my funny comments. That's what I read the book on the funny ones, the bad ones, not the praise, because you don't need praise. I mean, you know you get enough of that from people, which is very lovely, this is a lovely market. But when you get the rough comments, I think it humbles you a little bit. B I think it's hilarious. And. C I'm like who's looking this close?
Speaker 2:Like who. So so what? What advice do you have then for, let's say, a young lady who is feeling all the feels? Obviously, with social media, everybody, whether they're on TV or not, is wide open to get this kind of trolling. So what do you say to somebody who isn't like? You can't say, oh she, you put yourself on TV, you're asking for it. You know what do you say to these folks?
Speaker 3:Well, I'd say this to young girls that are on TV, but I'd also say this to like preteens, teenagers.
Speaker 3:All this because I think social media is so dominant in the way of bullying these days, but like true bullying, you know, for middle school, high school, whatever you know, what I would say is this You're wonderful and you have to know that you're wonderful, so you have to know yourself. When you look in the mirror and say you know what, if this person is saying this about me, they're either A a little bit delusional, which that's fine, or B probably unhappy with themselves, feeling insecure, writing in behind a computer or Snapchat or Instagram or whatever. The minute that you realize and Joan Rivers said it best, and I cannot remember her exact wording, but it was like laugh at yourself, because this life is all funny, nothing is that serious, nothing is make or break, and if you're getting bullied on social media, find some way to laugh at it. Any press is good press. That's a big one for me. Any press is good press, and if people are talking about you good or bad, well, your name's in their mouth for some reason.
Speaker 3:So you're doing something right.
Speaker 1:That's. I think that's a really great thing to take away from. That is like you said any press is good press, but they're remembering your name and there's that whole thing about so and so said this about you like oh, they know my name.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like they know my name and that's the important thing. Yeah, I wish it was Oprah. I wish it was Oprah that was saying it. I'm not like stop the Mandarin, but you know whatever.
Speaker 1:So, Katie, where's your book available?
Speaker 3:My book is available. Oh man, I love you guys. Thank you so much for helping me with this book. It's amazing when you have to be beyond your show and talk about it. So the book again got published a couple of years ago. It's available online. All major retailers Amazon, walmart, target, any major retailer and then every many, many, many I should say small bookstores across America on their websites. They carry the book as well and I actually you know, I thought was available Never expected this to happen. Hope it doesn't happen again. Ebay, somebody's eBay in my book for a third of the time.
Speaker 1:Hey you know what? They read it, they enjoyed it. They want to pass it on to someone else.
Speaker 3:Well, did they?
Speaker 2:I wonder if it's still there, I'm going to go in and bid on it. How much can I get?
Speaker 3:it for I wonder, you know you, didn't you go bid that 50 cents, all right.
Speaker 2:And then will you sign it. I would love to. I would love to.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's talk about something else. How much are you in love with Jacksonville?
Speaker 3:Oh okay. So you know I was at Fox News on Fox Weather and I was based in Orlando but traveling back and forth to New York quite a bit. And I love New York. I've lived there many periods of my life and I'm from Charlotte and to me, the reason I adore Jacksonville see, I picked Jacksonville just because I sent Katherine Bonfield. She's my amazing news director. I love her.
Speaker 3:I sent an email randomly one day because I was looking for my next gig and this was closer to home you know what I mean than Orlando. And being very close with my family, I thought Jacksonville will be good. I've got cousins here. You know it'd be fun. So when I really got to look around Jacksonville when John Gawne took me on my interview this is an underrated city Like this is an underrated place to live.
Speaker 3:I live in Five Points. I'm crazy about it. I can have my golf cart, I can have, you know, my dog. We just hang out. We've got good friends here. I've been here maybe five months and I feel like I've got a very solid group of friends and that really it's a test to who and what. Jacksonville is the thing that I love most. I think it's one of the most genuine cities I've ever lived in. But I also think the food scene is incredible. I'm a big man of, or say of like prospect of, mesa. I just love. You know I don't cook. I have decorative pillows in my stove Like I'm not putting it on.
Speaker 3:So I literally eat out every meal. Now I'll tell you like, even places like Lola's I love. So I just I enjoy it because I find when I go to these places, like in a big city, you know, like New York, you're not genuinely going to meet the owner of a restaurant, but in Jacksonville they're going to come out, they're going to speak, they're going to say you know what do you like best? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's an amazing city that I really think gets underrated and frankly, I hope it stays that way because I do not want it to grow into like in Atlanta or in Orlando. I do like the pleasantries and the family feel and the small town feel of this big city I would consider, you know, it's like a medium sized city and I just adore it.
Speaker 1:I was just telling Eden today about this taco place and five points that I found a year ago and I haven't been back yet. But it was so good. It's a hole in the wall. You wouldn't even know it was there unless you were looking for it. It's just one of those little hidden treasures.
Speaker 3:Oh, and there's the best. Like this hole in the wall, like I love it. And I'll tell you this cute one thing that I treasure more than anything Like before I ever went to Fox News. You know, if you get a national opportunity, you got to take it. Well, I was at a station called Fox eight in the triad in North Carolina. That team was like my family and then, when I got to news for Jack, they have embraced me like their family. Every day I come to work, I look forward to getting up at 3am for our viewers, for my team members, and I'm genuinely saying that it's not even just like a press release, I'm saying that I love it here. Everybody is kind and it's. You do not get that everywhere, you just don't.
Speaker 2:One of the things that's really fun for me. Who has been in Jacksonville? Amadeus and I've been here forever. I mean, katie, I don't know if you know this, but we have been on the radio together since 1995.
Speaker 1:No, well, full time Right Before that. We've been together since 1991, I believe, as part timers and radio together.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, we've been, we've been on the morning together, so that that long. But what's really fun is you and our good buddy, jana Angel, who took over when I left River City, live to see Jacksonville through the eyes of two young ladies who are newer to town and can show us our city in a new light. It's, it's, it's fantastic to see. We love it. We love it.
Speaker 3:You guys are. I mean, jana has become one of my very just closest friends and we get to do a lot together. But I will say this she has really, really, really given me some really great girlfriends. I've been able to meet a lot of people through her and but they're all because she's so genuine and lovely. They're all genuine and lovely. Like we went on a party bus this past weekend just to kind of celebrate Christmas and you know, with all these girls there were 11 of us, not one diva all lovely women, all really, really, really sweet people. And that's a test to her, I think to Jana, and it's a test to the kind of people that exist in Jacksonville and I think that I will make this my home for as long as they'll have me.
Speaker 1:That's what I wanted to hear. That's what I wanted to, because I moved here in fourth grade and I've been saying since I graduated high school this is the best kept secret in America. I really really believe that.
Speaker 3:There is, and there's all these different boroughs, right, like that's what I call them anyway, but like Riverside, five Points, avondale, the beaches, I mean it's just, it's a treasure of a place. My favorite place, by the way just because I adore it is downtown Fernandina Beach. I go there all the time. It's a hidden gem, I'm obsessed with it, it's just. But there's those little pockets of places that you would never know exist, and they do. And you think, man. And then I did the St Augustine City of Lights the other night, and that was what we took the party bus to and it was so incredibly beautiful. I looked around and I thought how does this exist?
Speaker 1:How do we?
Speaker 3:get to live here.
Speaker 1:I love it I love it, I love it I love it, I love it.
Speaker 2:The only reason I'm going to end this conversation where we are right now is because I feel like there's a part two. There has to be a part two.
Speaker 3:There has to be a part two. There could be a part, you know, there could be a part 30.
Speaker 2:So why don't we end things here and let you go and do your day because you're not done yet and plan on a part two? Okay, I'm a little exhausted.
Speaker 1:The energy is so high and it just it feels good. So it's exhausting, but it's also. It's also like energizing.
Speaker 2:So let me pull up her Instagram real quick so we can give everybody her Instagram. It's KGE on TV. So KGE on TV is her Instagram and that's where she posts like a lot of these really fun side by sides and some of these messages and that's where you can learn a little bit more about Katie Garner. And, of course, she's on news for Jax here in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1:Which you can stream on your Roku.
Speaker 2:Of course on your Roku. Is that something people say?
Speaker 1:That's what they say in their promos.
Speaker 2:I guess I never made attention to that. Okay, I'll go get a Roku and stream it. I can't just watch it on my TV like I normally do.
Speaker 1:Well, not if you're in Tokyo.
Speaker 2:You're right about that. Okay, everybody, thanks. So much for joining us. Leave the stars. Tell a friend do all the things. Stream us at 999gatercountrycom Music playing.