People in the News

mlive.com is reporting that veteran jock Reese Rickards, a constant at B-93 and WOOD Radio for 24 years, has been let go from the Grand Rapids-based iHeartRadio-owned properties. Rickards made the announcement himself on social media, Thursday. Here's what he wrote...

Red Zebra Broadcasting made the announcement late Thursday that Tony Kornheiser would be leaving the Washington, D.C., sports station. Kornheiser says he'll be launching a podcast in September. His final show will be in late June. The station will be announcing plans for his 11-1 shift shortly.

Owen Grover has been promoted to Executive VP & GM of Content Development & Distribution for iHeartMedia. He'll oversee the creation and distribution of content across the iHeartMedia network of station and personality sites, and third-party social platforms.

Two Alpha Media stations in Savannah-Hilton Head, GA, have earned some bragging rights. Two of their personalities brought home honors from the Connect Savannah Readers’ Choice Awards. Tim Leary and the Morning Showgram from New Country BOB 106.9 (WUBB) received “Best Morning Radio Show” and Ryan Koch from Rock 106.1 (WFXH) won “Best Local Radio Personality.”

Frank and funny comedian and nationally syndicated radio host D.L. Hughley is set to be a featured guest co-host on the nationally syndicated morning talk show Live with Kelly alongside Kelly Ripa on Monday, June 6.

The news from ESPN is that popular writer and commentator John Clayton expanding his role with a new local weekday show on 710 ESPN Seattle. Appropriately called John Clayton, the show will air weekdays from 10 a.m. to Noon on 710 ESPN Seattle beginning Monday, June 6.

New York baseball fans are about to get even more spoiled. Balls and Strikes with Matthews and Rubin will provide blanket coverage of the Yankees and Mets every Sunday morning, 7-9 a.m., on 98.7 ESPN. Along with insight and analysis, there’ll be a load of big-name guests.

Beasley Media Group, Inc. has hired Deirdre (“Deedy”) Palmer to serve as General Sales Manager for the company’s Las Vegas cluster. Palmer has two decades of radio industry experience in the Vegas market, along with magazine and custom publishing experience. Most recently, she was Vice President of Sales at a Las Vegas-based media company.

Gary DiGiuseppe was on his way to work Wednesday morning when a woman traveling the wrong direction on Interstate 430 hit him head-on. Video taken by a passerby indicates both vehicles erupted in flames upon impact. Both DiGiuseppe and the woman were pronounced dead at the scene. DiGiuseppe was the morning newscaster for First News with Kevin Miller on KARN, Little Rock, and also provided daily newscasts for the Arkansas Radio Network. More details can be found on the KARN website.

That announcement comes from Alpha Media in the Texas market where Robert Mueller will take over as Market Manager. Mueller is a 25-year vet who worked in Amarillo before moving to Oklahoma City in 2000. Most recently, Mueller served as an Alpha Media Corporate Product Manager. Alpha owns KGNC-FM, KXGL-FM, and KGNC-AM in Amarillo.