Saturday, February 11, 2012

Morgen heads to Charlotte

Morgen Middays to continue at Q-104.5 while the host starts a new gig

Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 6:34 PM

Radio personality Morgen
  • courtesy Q-104.5
  • Radio personality Morgen
Sassy local radio personality Morgen will be heading a new gig in North Carolina this winter. Morgan spent several years at the Bridge 105.5 FM (an LM Communications-owned rock station) before starting a run at Clear Channel’s Q104.5 FM as assistant program director, promotions director and midday host in 2006.

Morgen (a.k.a. Mary Katherine was recently hired by Clear Channels’ Fox 99.7 FM (WRFX), a classic rock station in the Charlotte market. She says she’ll continue doing voice-over work for Q104.5 in addition to her new duties.

Visit facebook.com/morgen1045 and Q1045.com for more. —TBL

Topics: Radio

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Cumulus ditches Da Breakfuss Club and Rocky D

Cumulus Media issued layoffs for two popular local shows

Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Sat, Dec 3, 2011 at 12:39 PM

Da Breakfuss Club team
It looks like Cumulus Media, the second largest owner of radio stations in the country, went on a little firing spree last week.

The Atlanta-based company purchased Citadel Broadcasting in September, and word came in last week that Cumulus started downsizing across the board. Citadel Broadcasting used to boast on the Z93 Jamz webpage that “the station is anchored with the Da Breakfuss Club.” On Nov. 30, news broke that the company had parted ways with Z93 Jamz’s popular morning show Da Breakfuss Club, a top-rated morning radio show that had been running for 12 years straight.

Cumulus Media elbowed veteran talk show host Rocky D off the air at 1250 WTMA last week as well.

An announcement from the hosts Tessa and Baby J and producer Natty Heavy (a.k.a. Nate Lopes) on the show’s Facebook page read, “Family, fans, and friends effective today, Da Breakfuss Club with Tessa and Baby J will no longer be a part of your morning routine due to corporate downsizing. We regret that we were not afforded the opportunity to say our goodbyes as we feel that is what you deserve after supporting us for the past 12 years. With you, we have laughed, cried, joked, and argued. We will never forget you.” Visit z93jamz.com for updates.

WTMA's Radio Free Rocky D, one of station's two locally- produced political talk shows, ran for 10 years in the midday slot. His recent time slot — weekdays from 12-3 p.m. — has been filled with an extra hour of Neal Boortz and two hours of Clark Howard. All references of Rocky and the show have been deleted from the station's website (wtma.com).

Topics: Radio

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Radio personality Tom Bolt dies

The former host of a popular 98X morning show passes away

Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 10:23 AM

Tom Bolt
There’s sad news in the local radio and broadcasting community this week. Veteran radio personality Tom Bolt died on Tues. Aug. 2 at his home at the age of 46. Bolt, a Summerville native, worked for more than 25 years in rock radio, mostly in the Carolinas.

Bolt was best known by local listeners as the host of the Tom Bolt Show, a daily morning show that aired weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on 98X (now 98Rock), part of LM Communications.

“Tom Bolt came back to the business that he cared about just after 9/11, when he told me that he needed to be back on the air,” remembers Mike Allen, operations manager at 98 Rock. “He worked weekends and nights, and worked his way from that to the morning show. He was an entertainer that will be missed in Charleston.”

Most recently, Bolt did production work and voice-overs for Kirkman Broadcasting, home of local AM stations 1340 The Boardwalk and 1450 Fox Sports.

“Tom was a very talented individual,” John Dixon, production director of 1340 The Boardwalk, said this week. “His stroke from a few years back had given him a set of regrets about the way he had lived his life, and it made him a very soulful individual.”

Ted Byrne, the operations manager at Kirkman Broadcasting, added, “Bolt was a talent in many ways. His creative writing ability of imaging and commercials was excellent. He was at home in the production studio as well bringing to life the words he had placed on paper. Even though Thomas had only been with Kirkman Broadcasting a short time, he had become a valuable member of the staff. We all respected his professional ability ,his wit, his charm, and most of all his smile He was grateful to be alive and working. And we were grateful for him. He will be missed.”

A memorial service for Bolt will be held at 6 p.m. on Fri. Aug. 5 at Parks Funeral Home Chapel.

Topics: Radio

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Monday, June 13, 2011

No More Box

Apex flips 92.5 FM from hip-hop top country

Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 4:12 PM

92.5 The Box barely made it past a full year on the air
  • provided
  • 92.5 The Box barely made it past a full year on the air
From guns, bling, and thugs to boots, love, and trucks, some local radio stations have made dramatic changes to their programming.

Due to increased demand from the Lowcountry geographic fringe, country music has replaced former urban station 92.5 The Box (previously known as B-92 WIHB, "Charleston's Hottest Music"). WIHB 92.5 FM is now Kickin’ Country, moved down from its previous 95.9 FM slot. Kickin’ Country’s replacement will be revealed later this month.

Also changing on Apex Broadcasting will be the sports station. WSPO 99.3 and 1390 AM have replaced the Sporting News with Fox Sports as their source of all things athletic.

Visit kickin925.com and apexbroadcasting.com for more. —Lucas Hagerty

Topics: Radio

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

98X becomes 98 Rock

New shows, names, and schedules at 98X and The Bridge at 105.5

Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 12:26 PM

 

Bubba the Love Sponge

This week marks the start of a new era for local rock stations The Bridge at 105.5 and 98X, both of which are part of LM Communications. Several weeks ago, veteran radio personality the Critic (a.k.a. Jim Voigt) replaced former music director Joel Frank (who is pursuing promotional opportunities at the station) in the afternoon slot.

The Bridge kicked off a new daily schedule with operations manager Mike Allen and co-host Laura Lee on the air in the mornings from 6-10 a.m., Kate MacNeil on from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and the Critic on the mic and board from 3-7 p.m. The late-evening slot is still up in the air. The Critic is hosting his Sunday morning specialty shows, Critic’s Choice from 9 a.m. to noon.

Allen announced even bigger station news on Monday as well. 98X changed its name and added a new morning show. The station is now called 98 Rock. “We were constantly saying ‘Charleston’s rock station,’ so why not be what we are — 98 Rock,” Allen says.

98 Rock added the nationally syndicated Bubba the Love Sponge show to the morning slot from 6-10 a.m. Hosted by the Tampa-based radio veteran Bubba the Love Sponge (an avid motorsports and wrestling enthusiast, pictured at the right), the program has been described as the Florida’s shock jock answer to Howard Stern. He legally changed his name and federally trademarked it as Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. (this is the name that appears on his driver’s license and U.S. passport).

According to his official bio, Bubba maintains a longtime team of loyal co-hosts and producers. Executive producer/co-host Brent Hatley, audio production and impersonation wizard Manson, savvy hipster/resident stud Spice, and radio’s "oldest and crankiest pervert," Ned. Listeners are equally familiar with and entertained by Bubba staffers such as 25 Cent, Miller, Hammil, Tom the Treeman, and others.

“With the launch of the Bubba the Love Sponge in Charleston, it was the perfect time to make the change,” says Allen. “The music on the station will remain the same, but with a new morning show and a new name.”

98 Rock’s mix of contemporary and semi-classic heavy rock and alternative will stay the course. The station’s weekday DJ lineup includes Laura Lee from 10a.m.-3 p.m., Potter from 3-7 p.m., and the nationally syndicated show hardDrive XL, hosted by Lou Brutus, from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Keep an eye out for news and info at 98xonline.com (the site hasn't yet been updated, though).

Topics: Radio

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