McKinnon’s earliest radio memory was of her changing her parent’s favorite radio station in their car. “I grew up listening to Z-100,” The River’s newest on-air personality remembers. “Stevie Nicks came later.” McKinnon credits her father, an amateur radio operator, with introducing her to broadcasting. “I got comfortable talking to strangers at an early age,” she remarks, adding that the Morse code she learned allowed her to communicate with people all over the world regardless of what language they spoke. “You never know when that is going to come in handy again,” says McKinnon, referring to recent world problems.

As a communications major at Bloomsburg University, she began working part-time in radio, first at a local country station, and then moving on to two years of full-time at Williamsport’s Top Forty stations WWPA and adult contemporary Variety 97.7. “I was doing a news story one morning and I pronounced the word ‘creek’ two different ways,” explains McKinnon. “Listeners called or faxed in their preferences saying it was pronounced ‘creek’ or ‘crick.’” McKinnon moved to Harrisburg in November 1998 to begin her midnight to 5:30am shift on WRVV, The River. “I’ve had more fun doing the overnight shift here than in the mornings … and the boss is not around. It’s just a more relaxed time,” says the energetic late-nighter. “The station isn’t automated like some others, so I actually have to pull the CDs to play. It helps make the overnight shift more interesting.”
She adds that the listeners in the Harrisburg area are very friendly. Some may be friendlier than others, reveals McKinnon, speaking of male listeners who ask her out or ask questions that only a sex therapist could handle.

When she gets the time, McKinnon likes to draw, paint, or pick at her blue “Washburn Mercury series” guitar. “It’s a hobby I’ve had since high school,” she says. “I’m hoping to bribe Glenn (fellow River announcer Glenn Hamilton) to give me free lessons.”

McKinnon likes to get her aggression out on the ice. “I’m playing left wing on a lub hockey team and we have a game tonight which I totally forgot about,” she remarks.

Working at The River has allowed Karen to stay close to the music she loves: Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Pink Floyd, and of course, Led Zeppelin. The last concert she attended was the Bauhaus show at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory. “I also enjoy going out to see local artists like Ray Solinski, Playn Jayn, and I’m a big Glenn Hamilton groupie.” The local summer concert schedule interests the pre-dawn announcer. “If I get the time, I’d like to see Goo Goo Dolls and Fastball in Hershey.”

Independent movies, such as Trainspotting and Welcome to the Dollhouse are also loves of McKinnon’s. The latter reminds her of how horrible people in high school can be. “Quentin Tarantino is my dream man. If he comes to Harrisburg, it could be like that Kathy Bates movie. Not Fatal Attraction … Misery,” laughs McKinnon, referring to the Stephen King film about a fanatical book lover and the injured romance author she “nurses” back to recovery. She is also a big science fiction fan, with one of her favorite authors being horror master Robert McCammon who wrote Swan Song. “I’m already picking out who is going to see Star Wars with me,” she tells us.

With what little time she has left for leisure activities, she has also joined in with fellow station-mates for the recent Office Olympics for Easter Seals and The River birthday party at Gullifty’s in Camp Hill. “This area has so much to do … more than other places I’ve lived.”

But now it’s 1am, and before those movie excursions and dreams of Quentin can be realized, Karen McKinnon has to offer comfort to her sleepless listeners by giving the previous day’s sports scores. “Our hockey team tied tonight,” she reports.