ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) — Chris Allinger of Q-Country 103.7 is a seasoned veteran in radio and a well-known media personality in the community, but how much do you know about him?

Growing up in Utica, Chris came from a radio family. His father was a morning show host, and his mother was a program director. Although his parents were in the field, he didn’t start out wanting to go into radio. Attending the Boston Conservatory for about two years and New York University for about two and a half years, he studied theater.

“I dabbled in music and theater, but mostly gravitated towards music. Acting was lonely to me, it was harder to see a career for myself there,” says Chris of his trajectory in school. After school, he was in a rock band that completed a circuit of shows in New York City.

After the band broke up- they had offers for management but decided they didn’t want to deal with the legalities of being managed- Chris got married and had a daughter, living on the Lower East Side in NYC. Eventually, the hustle and bustle of the city didn’t feel conducive to raising a family, so they moved to upstate New York.

From there, Chris worked multiple jobs as a painter, worked for Turbacks, and also did part-time radio work at Gilmore Communications. By 1990, he was working in radio full-time as a morning show host. It wasn’t long until he became the program director for his station, which started as a rock station and is now Q-Country 103.7.

“I set myself up as the ‘stunt guy’ and just did things that were outrageous, but ultimately benefitted good causes,” he says of his stuntman days. From being trapped in a block of ice for two days to walking one hundred miles in five days to raise money for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Chris has done his fair share of giving back to the community.

“To me, we have a responsibility to community. We have a platform, so why wouldn’t you use it to give back? The relationship between the public and radio is based on trust and reliability, so it matters to do those things,” Chris remarks about the importance of helping the community.

“Radio is constantly reinventing itself and its usefulness is being able to serve the public. When we’re needed we have to be there, and it’s free, which can’t be underestimated. The audience relies on you, which means you have to create a real sense of trust with the listeners. Technically, listeners own the airways and we manage them, so it’s up to us to find the best ways to serve them,” he states.

The biggest surprise on Chris’ career was the chance to meet his wife, Brigid Allinger, in radio. Much like his father and mother two generations ago, radio brought the two of them together. The joy of their life is the family and home they created, further adding to Chris’ perspective that radio cultivates meaningful relationships between people.

As for the future of radio, Chris maintains the idea that the relationship with the public should be at the forefront. “In the digital age, radio is still prominent, but it is a constant fight. We have to make sure we give people what they want and emphasize that personal relationship with listeners. I’ve had my mom and my daughter on my show, so listeners have been able to get to know me and see a bit into my life. That kind of relationship matters and is definitely one of radio’s biggest strengths,” he says.

Make sure you tune into Q-Country 103.7 to get more of Chris Allinger with his morning show Wake Up Q.