Kyle Cantrell

Kyle Cantrell can hardly remember a time when he didn't want to be in radio.

As a young boy, he became fascinated with the sound of the voices and music coming out of his grandmother's tube-filled radio. The sounds of Noontime Neighbors and the Grand Ole Opry from WSM in Nashville, and Paul Harvey's distinctive voice over WSIX were some of his earliest radio memories.

Kyle was born in Nashville, Tennessee—or more precisely, the suburb of Madison. The fact that he was born so close to the area where he would live and work all of his life makes him something of a rarity in the broadcasting business, but then you might say that everything about his life makes him a rarity. While most of his friends were pursuing other things, Kyle was focused on his goal of a career as a broadcaster, which ultimately took him places the kids of his generation would have never dreamed of going.

Like the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Already an avid fan of the Opry, Kyle first sat in the audience at the venerable country music show when he was 15. It was a night which changed his life. Watching the announcers that evening, he decided then and there he would do that someday. Already accustomed to public speaking (Kyle's warm voice was earning him accolades in high school public speaking contests), it seemed to him the perfect "fit"—a way to combine his love for the Opry and country music with his natural talents.

Studying broadcasting and the recording industry first at the University of Tennessee and later at Middle Tennessee State, Kyle landed his first radio job in the summer of 1980 at Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s WMTS. Then, in 1982, WSM called him to join the staff, and in 1985, at the age of 23, he took his place on stage as an announcer on the station’s Grand Ole Opry.

In addition to an 18-year run as an Opry announcer, Kyle served as host, producer, and music and production director for the station’s Music Country Radio Network, during which time he developed many shows and features highlighting the heritage of country and bluegrass music. In 1993, he became WSM’s Program Director, and in 1996, was tapped to oversee programming for all three of the company’s stations--WSM, WSM-FM, and WWTN--as Operations Manager. As a part of WSM’s management team, he helped rebuild the station’s historic stature, pioneering its first classic country format, and working to reclaim its heritage as a broadcasting leader. By 2000, WSM had been named “Radio Station of the Century” by Radio & Records.

It was his passion for the traditions of country music itself which kept driving him, and Kyle kept looking for new ways to spread the music he loved, and in 2002, he became the first morning host playing classic country music for Sirius Satellite Radio. In 2003, he left WSM and began a syndication company to syndicate his own classic country music show to more than 160 radio stations across the country. Then, in 2005, he was tapped by Sirius’ satellite rival, XM, to take over the programming of their bluegrass channel.

At XM (which became SiriusXM in 2008), Kyle completely revamped Bluegrass Junction, bringing the music in line with current industry trends while honoring his heritage. Then, using his knowledge and experience as a broadcaster, he began pioneering everything from live performance to interview shows to highlight the artistry of the format. The enthusiasm and interest with which he has approached the music was warmly received by fans and artists alike, and SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction became regarded as a major influence in bluegrass music. In 2013, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) named Bluegrass Junction Radio Station of the Year, and it has repeated that honor in the nine years since. Meanwhile, for his part, Kyle has been named D.J. of the Year by SPBGMA nine times (2013-2020, and in 2023), and was named Broadcaster of the Year by the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2021.

Spreading his love for radio, as well as country and bluegrass music, is a continuing passion for Kyle. Now today, through BanjoRadio, a venture he launched in 2023, he continues to interact with fans all over the world.