People in the News

Scripps' 94.5 KTI-FM   has hired Milwaukee radio icon and Country Music Hall of Famer Karen Dalessandro to host PM Drive and serve as music director. Dalessandro is a two-time CMA Personality of the Year and the former morning show host of crosstown iHeart Media Country station FM106. After 19 years on-air in Milwaukee, Dalessandro “retired” from FM106 in March.

Former RAB CEO Gary Fries had been battling cancer since his retirement. He died Friday morning at the age of 76. Here's what radio executives are saying about the man who did so much for the radio industry.

The Dayton area Broadcasters Hall of Fame induction ceremony was recently held. Pictured here with Radio Ink Publisher Deborah Parenti are the 2017 inductees Christopher Geisen, WTUE-FM, Jeff Stevens, SVP/Programming for iHeartMedia and John King, the recently retired SVP/Market Manager for Alpha Media.

Drew Steele is returning to Fort Myers, and to his seat as morning show host on WFSX. Steele hosted mornings from 2012 to 2016 before taking a job at KSL in Salt Lake City. Tray Radal (pictured) will move to afternoons (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)

John Linder, who grew up with and led the Radio Mankato group in Minnesota, as well as other broadcasting stations, died Friday morning after a nine-month battle with cancer, reports the Mankato Free Press.

It was another sold out Smart Money event for nationally syndicated radio talk show host and best-selling author, Dave Ramsey. This time he was represented by one of his team, Chris Hogan, in Indianapolis on Thursday, September 21, at the Old National Centre.

Cheryl Salomone is the new VP/Market Manager for Cumulus' four stations in Fayetteville, NC. Salomone joins Cumulus from Pamal Broadcasting in White Plains, NY, where she was Director of Non-Traditional Revenue and LSM for WXPK. Before that she was Market Manager for Adams Radio Group in Salisbury/Ocean City, MD.

New Country 92.3 WIL has promoted Josh “JT” Holleman to middays. Holleman joined the station last year from AMP/CBS Detroit, to host nights on WIL. With this move, Assistant Program Director and Music Director Danny Montana moves to the evening time slot.

Michael La Crosse has been named Program Director for Portland’s KKCW and KLTH. The appointment, announced by Tim Herbster, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s Pacific Northwest Region, is effective October 9, 2017.

620 WTMJ and 94.5 KTI COUNTRY has hired Frank Monroe as Production Director of the commercial production department. Monroe joins Scripps from Crystal Lake, Illinois where he served as the Production Director for Matrix Broadcasting and midday host for WZSR.