Former “99.5 The River” WRVE Albany NY morning co-host Tracy Villaume is joining Loud Media Classic Hits “93.3/96.1 Star Radio” 1160 WSSV Mechanicville/93.3 W227DW and 96.1 W241DM Saratoga Springs as afternoon host.
Villaume joined iHeart Albany in 2015 as a news anchor and reporter for News/Talk 810 WGY/103.1 WGY-FM before moving to mornings in February 2018. Following the exit of her co-host Kevin Rush in May, she briefly moved to afternoons before being let go the following month as part of iHeart’s national cuts. She also joined WTEN-TV as Executive Producer of WTEN-TV’s “Upstate Living” earlier this year.
She commented, “Star Saratoga has always felt like home to me because it’s the music I grew up with and the kind of station I’ve always loved listening to. I’m excited to be part of a team that feels so connected to the community, and I can’t wait to spend my afternoons on the air talking with listeners about the songs, the memories, and the everyday life we all share.”
Loud Media owner Aaron Ishmael said, “Tracy is somebody Capital Region listeners already know, and we’re incredibly excited to welcome her to the Loud Media family. She brings personality, experience, and a genuine connection to this community. Star Radio has been building something special, and adding Tracy to afternoon drive makes an already strong station even stronger.”
Star Radio Brand Manager Eric Woodhouse followed, “Tracy understands that great radio is about more than what comes out of the speakers. It’s about being part of the listener’s day and part of the community. She’s smart, funny, relatable, and already has a connection with people throughout the Capital Region. Putting her behind the microphone every afternoon gives us another personality who can make Star Radio feel local, live, and alive. I’m thrilled to have her aboard.”
With Villaume’s addition to WSSV, Dylan Ayer moves to middays at Rock “93.9 WABY” 900 WABY Watervliet/W230DK Albany.
Ayer has spent most of her career in Rock spending time at KEDJ, KMLE, KZON, and KUPD Phoenix, KQXR and KJOT Boise, KMHK Billings, along with remote tracking roles across the country. She said, “It’s small talk for grown-ups who like to rock. I’ve spent a lot of my career around rock radio, so getting to hang out every day with people who love this music as much as I do feels pretty natural. We’ll talk about the music, life, whatever weirdness happens that day, and probably some things we shouldn’t. Also, I apologize in advance for the fart machine.”
Woodhouse followed, “This is one of those rare situations where everything just fits. Tracy is exactly the kind of personality we want driving people home on Star, while Dylan has rock radio baked into her DNA. Moving her to WABY lets her turn that part of herself all the way up. We’re not losing a personality from one station to another. We’re putting two talented broadcasters in the places where they can shine brightest.”
