Kiss FM hires Charlotte radio rising star to replace departed DreX by Phil Rosenthal

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: Kiss FM hires Charlotte radio rising star to replace departed DreX : Christopher 'Brotha' Fred' Frederick brought in to bolster flagging numbers among age 18 to 34 listeners : Phil Rosenthal : Media : December 19, 2010 : Is there some sort of rule that says if you're doing the morning show on Clear Channel's WKSC-FM 103.5, you have to have a goofy name? : What would Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, the classic comedy duo known to generations on radio, TV and stage as Bob and Ray, be on today's Kiss FM? Belliot and the G-Man? Baba and RayGunZ? Dingo and the Baby? : Kiss FM, which dropped DreX, has adopted Brotha' Fred and his "A.M. Mayhem," featuring David L and Angi Taylor, beginning Jan. 17. : WKSC, in other words, said Friday that it's replacing Kevin Buchar, whose morning show was pulled this week after nearly eight years, with Christopher Frederick. A multimedia talent in Charlotte, N.C., Frederick is bringing comedian David Livingston with him from Clear Channel corporate cousin WIBT-FM and inheriting Taylor, a former Buchar sidekick. : Maybe now that Arbitron radio ratings are determined by eavesdropping devices known as Personal People Meters rather than listener diaries, it's no longer an advantage for hosts to have names that are easy to write. : "For people who don't know me, Chicago morning radio is a dream of my entire life," Frederick said in announcing his move Thursday night on " Fox News Edge," a weeknight TV show he co-hosted for the past four years on Charlotte's WCCB-TV. "The fact that I'm able to do it means a lot to me." : Although he's giving up his Charlotte TV gig, a customized edition of his Chicago show will be sent, beginning Jan. 3, from Chicago to WIBT, as well as stations in Greensboro, N.C., and Chattanooga, Tenn., that now air his radio program. A version of the program also will continue to be heard on XM Satellite's Kiss-XM 21. : At age 30, Frederick is young enough theoretically to be the son of Buchar, who's closing in on 50. Age and whatever other factors that might have undercut Buchar, who signed a five-year deal early last year, might not have weighed so heavily had DreX's ratings not started to sag. : Among the target audience age 18 to 34, Buchar slipped to ninth place against competition from CBS Radio's WBBM-FM 96.3 morning team of Jamar "J Niice" McNeil and Julian Nieh. : J Niice and Julian were brought in three years ago when B96 decided to replace the older veteran duo of Eddie Volkman and Joe "JoBo" Bohannon. Coincidentally, it was Clear Channel's failure to lure Eddie and JoBo that led to the late 2002/early 2003 transfer of DreX to Chicago from San Antonio in the first place. : Whatever the reason for Brotha' Fred's move to Chicago, he's clearly seen as a rising star. In the space of 4 1/2 years since arriving from KHFI-FM in Austin, Texas, Frederick became what the Charlotte Observer called one of that market's "highest-profile media personalities." : Among the local broadcast standouts to have gone through good Charlotte en route to Chicago, a 20-market jump from No. 23 in the nation to No. 3, have been Robert Murphy, Chuck Goudie and Spike O'Dell. : Obviously, not everyone from there has flourished here, however. For example, a fellow named Robert Maher, who did radio as well as TV for the Fox station in Charlotte under the name Adam Smasher, came to middays on Kiss FM in 2005 after seven years fronting "Adam Smasher's Radio Broadcast Extravaganza" in North Carolina. : In Chicago, Adam split, lasting just one year. : Right, said Fred. : "This is harder than I thought," said Frederick, who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., and attended Southern Methodist University, bidding farewell to his WCCB-TV audience. "This is my last 'Edge' show for the time being, until I get fired (from Chicago), and then I'll be back, I'm sure. Hopefully, they'll have me back." : Oh, Brotha'.

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