Posted by KreX oil on December 19, 2010 at 13:10:23:
KISS-FM picks DreX replacements
By Lewis Lazare
Media & Marketing Columnist
Dec 17, 2010 10:51PM
Less than 72 hours after the abrupt exit of DreX as morning drive host, Clear Channel Radio Chicago’s Top 40 WKSC-FM (103.5) said it will launch a new morning drive show Jan. 17 featuring two new hosts — Brotha Fred (given name Christopher Frederick) and comedian David L. (given name David Livingston), along with Angi Taylor, who had been DreX’s sidekick.
For the past five years, Brotha Fred and David L. fronted a morning drive show called “Brotha Fred’s AM Mayhem” at Clear Channel’s WIBT-FM (96.1) in Charlotte, N.C.
“Brotha Fred had been on our radar for a while,” said KISS-FM program director Rick Vaughn. “Brotha Fred has a unique way of using his personal experience to relate to his core listeners.”
WKSC’s core audience is the 18 to 34-year-old demo.
Both Brotha Fred and David L. will relocate to Chicago for the new KISS-FM show, but also will continue to prepare a morning show for WIBT.
“They will not be on air in Charlotte while they are doing their show in Chicago,” added Vaughn, who said he was not aware of the mechanics of how Brotha Fred and David L. would continue to provide content for a morning show in Charlotte while based in Chicago.
In announcing the new morning drive lineup, WKSC executives continued to offer no explanation for their decision to part ways with DreX in the middle of a five-year contract that reportedly paid him between $300,000 and $450,000 a year.
But sources in the local radio industry said Clear Channel may have become increasingly concerned about competitor CBS Radio Chicago’s WBBM-FM (96.3).
WBBM’s morning team — J.Niice and Julian — had been soundly beating DreX in recent months.
In the November Arbitron book DreX’s morning show was ranked ninth in the 18 to 34 demo, while WBBM-FM’s morning show ranked second. DreX was ranked third when he signed his new contract.
“We’ve got our work to do,” said Vaughn.