Posted by chicagomedia.org on November 11, 2008 at 10:24:03:
In Reply to: WLIT removes Melissa Forman, voicetracks from Phoenix posted by chicagomedia.org on November 10, 2008 at 15:19:20:
WLIT-FM makes switch ... to Gossett in afternoons
It wasn't the big switch WLIT-FM 93.9 listeners were waiting for Monday, but without any fanfare Kevin Gossett was installed as the Clear Channel station's new weekday afternoon drive host.
Gossett, who's originally from Anderson, Ind., and was morning man on the old WNND-FM from 1998 to 2002, will provide voice tracks mostly from Phoenix, where he is program director and afternoon personality of Clear Channel's KEZ-FM, for Lite FM's 2-7 p.m. slot Monday through Friday.
Melissa Forman, who has been pulling double duty on the 5:30-8:30 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. shift since Oct. '07, now will be able to focus primarily handle just the 5:30-9 a.m. chores.
Forman's litefm.com blog said she was out Monday with a virus but expected to be back on the air Tuesday, and she teased that she'll be "practicing throwing the holiday switch" on her return. A WLIT spokeswoman said the key word there was "practicing."
The station's Web site continues to have a countdown clock indicating a Nov. 21 launch of its traditional Christmas music blitz, but history indicates that's no guarantee of when the phenomenally popular annual stunt actually will occur.
Gossett, in June 2002, told WNND listeners he was being treated for multiple sclerosis during an interview with former "Laverne & Shirley" co-star David L. Lander, who also has the condition affecting the central nervous system.
With the addition of Gossett, Robin Rock, who had been the chief bridge between Forman's shifts, cuts back to 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Coincidentally, Rock's program is voice-tracked on Gossett's KEZ-FM, which already made this year's switch to holiday tunes.)
Delilah, whose full name is Delilah Rene Luke, had her nationally syndicated program returned to the 7 p.m.-to-midnight WLIT slot on Oct. 27. She replaced John Symons' "Love Notes," which had bumped her a year earlier.
Forman held down the morning slot on WLIT for five years but was bounced in favor Whoopi Goldberg's nationally syndicated program in Aug. 2006. The station re-hired Forman in Feb. '07 for afternoons, then had her replace Goldberg in Oct. '07, doing the show live in the morning and voice-tracked in the afternoon.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)