Karen Dalessandro is PM Drive Host for Hubbard Radio’s Classic Rocker 100.7 KSLX in Phoenix. She started in radio doing Nights in Lansing at WILS-FM in 1981, taking calls from MSU students the same age as her. Two years later, she was “hot rockin’ and flame throwin” at CHR WHYT in Detroit, working for Steve Goldstein and Gary Berkowitz.
“Both amazing programmers!” she says. She followed that up with six years at WDTX/WDFX.
“Later, in 1992, I found myself in Chicago doing AM entertainment news with Mark Goodman of MTV fame at WKQX, along with weekends,” explains Dalessandro. “Then, from 1993-1997, I returned to Detroit to work at Young Country & WWWW before accepting the AM host position in Milwaukee at WMIL-FM. It’s way more common today, but in 1998, it was rare to have a female-led morning show.”
“Almost 20 years later, I crossed town to WKTI Country. The station was sold to ESPN soon afterward, but I was immediately picked up by the classic rock station WKLH. It’s a good bet that was the job that landed me in Phoenix on the Valley’s Classic Rock Station 100.7 KSLX!”
“Hubbard Broadcasting in Phoenix is literally the ‘House of Rock,’” Dalessandro insists. “Owning Classic Rock KSLX, Active Rock 6KUPD, and Alternative Rock KDKB. These three radio stations are all Top 5 in any given ratings period. It’s wall to wall talent, a stellar sales staff, and a joy to work in a building full of energy.”
“For me, community and human connection is my reason for being! That’s where my show focus lies. I was lucky enough to spend years on the air in my hometown of Detroit, but when I arrived in Milwaukee and Phoenix, I hit the ground running. Meeting listeners at every opportunity and reaching out to local businesses and charitable organizations. It’s crucial to your success that you invest yourself in a new market. The result of that hard work was two CMA Personality of the Year awards, a Country Radio Hall of Fame induction, and a spectacular cover feature in So Scottsdale last November. That blew me away since I’d only been in town three years.”
“After countless vacations here, Phoenix was a place I could only dream of living in, let alone immersing myself. And I’m so blessed to work for one of the last radio companies that believes in and supports their talent. For that reason, most of my show prep each day is geared to things that are relevant to Phoenicians.”
In addition to being out and about in the community, Dalessandro has three passion projects:
“Dogs, firefighters and breast cancer awareness,” she says. “For decades, I’ve hosted walks, telethons, and weekly adoptable features for animal rescues. In Phoenix, there is a real homeless dog problem with the warm weather year-round, so my Adopt Don’t Shop campaign makes a real difference. We’re partnered with a sponsor that pays the adoption fee for our featured pet from a local shelter each week. Our success rate is off the charts.”
“Firefighters are close to my heart, not only because my dad was a Detroit firefighter, but in Arizona, these men and women are ROCK STARS! They fight fires in record-breaking temperatures, perform ER AND rescue tourists off mountains. It’s insane! KSLX teams up with a local sub shop to ‘Feed the Firefighters’ where I deliver lunch to the fire station, tour their facility, and spend time thanking them. If you’re wondering… Yes, alarms have gone off at more than one of these lunches, and I waved at them as they pulled out of the station.”
“’Check Up for Chicks’ is a campaign I established in Milwaukee where I teamed with a local women’s center to host a Mammogram Party. Each October, I gathered a group of women in a limo to get their annual screening complete with brunch, gift bags, and pampering to make the experience a fun one. My goal was to raise awareness for preventative care and self-exam, having lost my Mom to the disease.”
An interesting fact about Dalessandro that contributed to her success over the years: she studied improv. “While I sat out my WMIL non-compete (waiting to begin work at WKTI Country), I took classes. It was a creative outlet that allowed me to perform legally, and I highly recommend it for anyone in radio. It not only teaches the skill of spontaneity, but more importantly, you learn how to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Anytime I get a chance, I step into a refresher class.”
With Dalessandro’s considerable experience over the years, I had to ask her about the “business of the business.” Has the new three-minute PPM rule changed the way you prepare and execute your show? “From my perspective, break structure has always been personal and precise, whether it’s selling the benefit of the radio station or sharing a listener phone call,” she explains. “The years spent in CHR taught me the valuable (and difficult!) lesson of condensing my thoughts into short bursts of entertaining energy. That concept has stuck with me throughout my career despite changes in Nielsen methodology. The three-minute rule challenges us to step up the ‘art of the tease’ so that listeners have a specific reason to come back at a given time. Make it a good one!”
As for the use of AI, “It’s a tool in the toolkit much like show prep services,” she says. “I use it for copywriting inspiration. KEY WORD ‘inspiration.’ AI doesn’t write or speak in my voice, but can be useful for concepts. I’ll occasionally look for artist bio info, but use caution since it’s not always accurate. As for any broadcast company embracing AI to replace on-air personalities? May they die a horrible death in the ratings and regret the day they thought that was a good idea.”
What is the business missing right now? “Cultivating young talent,” says Dalessandro. “Radio is not training the next generation, so where do you look for personalities? Podcasters? There are some incredible personalities in the podcasting world, but can they condense their thoughts to a broadcast environment? Internet influencers? Lots of unique individuals out there, but can they adjust their delivery to allow the audience to shine instead of ‘it’s all about me?’
Satellite and Spotify are great for music delivery but take a locally, fully staffed, personality driven radio station and it will kick their ass every time.”
As for what’s next for Dalessandro? “Four years ago, I landed the job of my dreams, in the city of my dreams, working for the company of my dreams,” she says. “Can a girl ask for more? Of course! Hosting and moderating events live or online is intriguing to me, so I’ll continue to work toward that…maybe a TED Talk?! And I’d LOVE to combine my work for Hubbard Radio with Hubbard TV/Digital to design/host a lifestyle show. One thing I know to be true, there’s always space to grow, learn, and create!”
Follow Karen Dalessandro on Facebook, Instagram (@radiogirlkaren), and LinkedIn.
