Six Questions With Katie Daryl

Katie Daryl, host of HDNet's True Music and Deadline, answers some questions from the readers of TVPredictions.com:

Have you always been interested in music, particularly lesser known bands like those on True Music? -- Paul M.
To be honest -- No! I grew up around music. I loved listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and later things like Tracy Chapman, Paul Simon and Morphine. It wasn't until I moved to Dallas and started working on an FM talk radio program called 'The Ron and Don Show" that I got into the music scene and up and coming acts. On our radio show we would invite local bands from the Dallas area to come in one day a week and we would play a song on the air and have listeners vote on whether it was good or not. We also would invite a music industry insider onto the show to give feedback and advice to the bands. After doing this for several months I found I had a rolodex of bands and something cool to go out and do every weekend thanks to meeting all these neat musicians. When I was no longer working with the radio show I found myself still enjoying the local scene and indie music. It was then that I happened to meet Mark Cuban and was able to pitch him my idea for True Music!

The people on Deadline seem like a bunch of nut jobs. How do you find them all? -- Cathy K.
I know!!! We have so many interesting and...um...unique characters on Deadline. We have HD cameras all over the globe and the camera people, or as we call them, 'Stringers,' pitch us the different stories they find in their local town. So most often we are enlightened by the Stringers, but sometimes we (at HDNet) read a story online or hear about it on the news and then send our stringers out to cover it in a near by city. Deadline is so lucky that people have a sense of humor and will let us participate in their festivals, parties, jobs and other crazy scenarios!

Are you married? -- Tom B.
Nope, not married. But I did get a psychic reading on Deadline a week ago and the lady said I would get a proposal in the next 3 years and then have 2 kids. GASP!!&^%

What's it like to be on a HDTV channel? -- Jason P.
You know what's funny: HD is all I really know! My career started in radio and then I did a year with MTV, but for the last ( almost ) 6 years I've been all HD baby! I love it. It is so crystal clear it's like looking in the mirror. I'm a confident chick and not self conscious about my looks so the HD quality is not stressful. However, the days ( like today) when I wake up with a crazy zit I do get a bit pissed. Luckily I have a GREAT make up artist who can fix anything.

What do want to do with your career? Is HDNet a stepping stone to MTV? -- Sharlene E.
Well, well, well. Someone needs to read my bio! I actually did a year with MTV covering the 2000 presidential election! So been there, done that!

I get asked this question all the time ( especially from family). I'm honestly really happy. It's hard to find a job that you actually enjoy. I live out in LA and I look around at all the struggling actresses who are waiting tables and would probably love to have my job. I don't take it for granted- I'm a lucky girl.

Seriously, I go to concerts and interview rock bands for a living on True Music and then get to go out on wacky adventures and meet some totally interesting people on Deadline. I'm not censored, I say what comes to my mind, I get to be funny and sometimes rude and I get a paycheck. I hope HDNet and I can have a long relationship together. Look at Mary Hart on Entertainment Tonight- she started on that show back in 1982 and is still going strong. I think when a company/show starts out and has a personality to grow with it, a great lasting relationship and partnership can only flourish.

Do you play music yourself? If so, where can I see you perform? -- Ian R.
I wish! I bought a guitar almost 8 years ago and it still sits in the corner giving me the evil eye. I do dust it about twice a week though! Oooh, I play Guitar Hero with my next door neighbor, does that count?

We'll have more Q&A with Katie tomorrow!

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