What did you want to be when you were five?
An astronaut? A rockstar? An explorer? A radio host?

Well, Whitney Allen actually did it.

When she was five, her parents gave her a red transistor radio. She tucked it under her pillow every night. Right beside her? Thomasina, her first cat. That’s when it hit her: it was going to be radio…or animals. And since she was better at talking than dissecting frogs, radio won.

From that moment on, she was determined to make it BIG.

Her first taste of radio came when she heard a DJ who sounded like a woman trying to steal your boyfriend. Whitney vowed that wouldn’t be her vibe. She got her start at KATA in Eureka, California—ironically, replacing a DJ who fit that exact description. Two years and too much rain later, she headed south to San Diego, heating things up on CHR’s hottest stations and getting her first taste of country radio.

Then came the call: Pirate Radio in Los Angeles.
Whitney had landed in her hometown and at a revolutionary new station led by radio legend Scott Shannon.

Soon after, she joined KIIS-FM, hosting nights, middays, filling in, and even co-hosting mornings with the iconic Rick Dees. But Whitney wasn’t done dreaming.

Blair Garner—her friend and colleague from KIIS—left to start a syndicated show, After Midnite. He asked Whitney to join him, and for eight years, she hosted After Midnite Weekends with Whitney Allen, heard on over 200 country stations nationwide.

Still based in L.A., Whitney became the afternoon drive host on Country 93.9 KZLA. But she couldn’t shake the syndication bug. Using her weekends, she created The Big Time Saturday Night. And when KZLA flipped formats three years later, her weekdays opened up too, just in time to launch The Big Time, Monday through Friday. It was a show that stations had already been begging for.

Seventeen years later, The Big Time and The Big Time Saturday Night continue to reach millions of listeners on over 200 stations across the country.

Six nights a week, Whitney’s on the air—chatting with fans, goofing off with artists, and occasionally harassing her team (with love). She credits her chaotic, dedicated crew for making the magic happen. Because a show this BIG isn’t a one-person job. It takes passion, people, artists, and country music to pull it off—and that’s what brings Whitney’s dream to life night after night.

Over the years, she’s earned national accolades:

• “National Personality of the Year” at the Radio Music Awards

• Multiple ACM and CMA nominations

• A Gracie Award for crisis coverage of the Route 91 tragedy

• And in 2022, induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame

When she’s not on the mic or backstage at the biggest country shows, Whitney’s recharging—hiking, redecorating, napping, or escaping to Mexico. Her heart belongs to her furry family, including Leela, Ramon, Bixby “The Bird” (who’s actually a dog), Renault-International Cat of Mystery, and many more who live forever in her heart.

Whitney is also a passionate advocate for rescue animals. She volunteers with Leave No Paws Behind, a nonprofit that fosters senior and medically challenged dogs and helps pet owners in financial crisis. She’s welcomed foster pups like Angelica and Pudgie La Roo into her home, as well as four tiny kittens she bottle-fed at three weeks old—now emotional support cats for older adults.

Even without a veterinary degree, Whitney’s making a difference for animals—thanks to the power of radio and a big heart.

And in case you were wondering—no, she never did become the girl who sounds like she’s trying to steal your boyfriend. She’s got a man of her own.