Cat Lynch: “I feel like I’m being pushed, challenged, but also supported. That’s a wonderful place to be”

It’s the most fun that Cat Lynch has ever had in her radio career.

Anchoring Mick and MG in the Morning on Triple M Sydney, Cat is well used to the fast-paced, often unpredictable nature of Breakfast radio.

Sharing space with Mick Molloy, Mark Geyer and newsreader Natarsha Belling each morning is the icing on the cake.

Cat tells Radio Today “I love the team. I feel like I’m being pushed, challenged, but also supported, and that’s a wonderful place to be.”

A radio career hadn’t originally been on the cards for Cat.

Growing up at Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches, Cat says “My whole childhood was focused on sport, so after high school I took off to America and played college basketball.”

When Cat realised how tough it would be to earn a living playing women’s basketball, she started to consider a Plan B.

Her first taste of radio came during her third year of college.

“I was doing a media class and we had the assignment of doing a radio interview with someone well known on campus,” she says.

“Out of pure laziness, I interviewed my teammates. It must have gone OK because the lecturer then paid me $50 a week to interview a different sports team at the campus radio station.”

Upon graduating, Cat embarked on a backpacking tour of Europe.

She ended up taking a job as a bus tour guide, which she says proved a very handy lesson in microphone engagement.

“I had 52 deeply hungover people trapped on a bus for 7 hours while I barked facts ranging from Dutch clogs to Roman orgies.”

“The truth of the facts sometimes wavered, but I did get a taste for entertaining a group,” she says.

Then it came time to head home.

“After two years of direct liver damage, I returned to Australia and did the cliché entry into radio by joining the street team at ARN Sydney.”

Announcing gigs in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide would follow, before Cat landed at Triple M Sydney in 2019.

Returning to her hometown held great importance for Cat, both professionally and personally.

“I always had the goal of working in Sydney full time eventually, especially as my parents get older.”

As so many of us can vouch, radio can be a volatile industry.

“The reality is, one minute your face can be advertised on a tram, and the next you’re out of a gig,” says Cat.

Cat found herself out of work just as Covid hit, which proved a huge challenge.

“I was at Triple M Sydney doing casual on air shifts in the lead up, which then severely dried up with all of the cutbacks.”

“So, during that time I literally said yes to everything. I panelled whatever footy game they asked me to, for a few weeks I had a headset on in the middle of the night producing Luke Bona’s show, I panelled podcasts, weekend sports shows … you name it, I said yes to it … and I was incredibly grateful for all of it.”

“As tough as that time was, it was also a great lesson in dropping the ego and doing what you need to do to be visible for the next opportunity.”

While the hours and the frenetic pace of cap city FM Breakfast radio can take their toll, Cat knows it comes with the territory.

“I think you have to love it, otherwise you just wouldn’t do it,” she says.

“I love the pace of it. I think you do have to have a certain level of resilience and patience with the fact that things are not always going to go as planned, and occasionally technology is going to let you down.”

“You’re occasionally going to stuff up, so shake it off and do better next break.”

Cat says it also makes a massive difference when you enjoy being around your team.

“We are in a very fortunate spot where we all get a lot of joy being in a studio together. Breakfast is a great environment when everyone wants everyone else to succeed.”

Cat describes Mick Molloy as incredibly smart and seasoned.

“I’m in awe of his ability to turn something seemingly thin into hilarious content.”

“MG is one of the most loveable and randomly funny guys I’ve ever met, and Tarsh is not only razor sharp, but incredibly warm and funny.”

True to her Avalon origins, Cat hits the beach for a surf whenever she gets the chance. It’s her way of unwinding.

The people who’ve been instrumental in Cat’s radio journey are those who’ve freely given both their time and their honesty.

“You always remember the people that were kind and patient with you when you were starting out and incredibly green,” she says.

“I remember Ron E Sparks gave me my first aircheck when I was learning on mid dawns at The Edge. From memory, he wrote his notes on the back of a biscuit packet.”

“Listening to his music shifts when I was driving around the promo cars was a great early lesson in music knowledge, and I was really lucky he took the time to be so encouraging.”

“Kate Mac was also very warm and welcoming when I had a brief fill in spot with 2Day that was way out of my depth.”

“Dean Buchanan heard some sort of potential in my demo and gave me my first job at Nova Perth – I’ll always appreciate that because recently I found that demo and personally, I think it was pretty awful.”

“Jamie Rowe is one of my all-time favourite music jocks. During my Nova days he was the master of an entertaining music shift.”

“I’m constantly inspired by my dear friend Michelle Anderson who is now at Triple M Perth – incredible natural wit.”

“And I’ll always be grateful for Rex Morris for drumming it into my skull that I was the right fit and ready for my current role.”

As radio continues to evolve, Cat notes the importance of embracing new technology, and adapting to the changing needs of the audience.

“But I do feel like people still love that live human connection that radio provides.”