Cumulus Country “Kicks 101.5” WKHX Atlanta has reset its on-air lineup.
With Dallas McCade announcing her move out of mornings earlier this week to become Music Director, she will also debut today in the midday 10am-3pm timeslot. To replace McCade in mornings, WKHX is revamping its morning show as “Caddy, CJ and Ali”. Incumbent morning host Cadillac Jack will be joined by afternoon host CJ Lusk and midday host Ali Mac. Afternoons will be jockless until a new host is named.
Kicks 101.5 is also debuting a new positioning statement as it takes on the company’s Nash-FM slogan with a local twist as “Georgia’s Country For Life”.
Cumulus Media announces that Country radio station Kicks 101.5 (WKHX-FM) in Atlanta debuted its new morning show today. The new show, “Caddy, CJ and Ali”, hit the airwaves at 6am with co-hosts Cadillac Jack, CJ and Ali Mac. Former morning show co-host Dallas McCade, who was promoted to Kicks 101.5 Music Director earlier this week, also debuts today as host of Middays on Kicks 101.5 from 10am-3pm, her new permanent time slot. New morning co-host Ali Mac formerly hosted Middays on Kicks 101.5, while CJ segues to Mornings from his previous Kicks 101.5 PM Drive show (3pm-7pm).
Caddy, CJ and Ali got the party started immediately this morning with contests for Kicks 101.5 listeners to win VIP experiences with Kicks 101.5 Country Fair 2017 artists Darius Rucker and Randy Houser, and the station’s Crock Fest 2017 headliner, Toby Keith. The “Caddy, CJ & Ali” show will also pay a personal visit next week to one lucky listener who will win a VIP experience with Brantley Gilbert. In addition, music from NASH Next 2017 contestants will air on the new morning show, and NASH Next contestant selfie videos will be featured on Kicks 101.5’s social media platforms to encourage participation before the NASH Next 2017 June 30th deadline.
Concurrent with the line-up changes, Kicks 101.5 adopts the new slogan, “Georgia’s Country For Life”. Program Director Scott Lindy describes the slogan as: “A phrase that embodies what Kicks 101.5 has meant to Atlanta and North Georgia for years. Millions of country fans heard Georgia-born country stars like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown, Thomas Rhett and Billy Currington for the very first time in their lives while listening to Kicks 101.5 and that tradition continues today. The future of country music is what our history is all about.”
Original Report 6/20: Cumulus Country “Kicks 101.5” WKHX Atlanta is planning a lineup revamp later this week as Dallas McCade will segue from morning co-host to another daypart, while being promoted to Music Director.
McCade has co-hosted mornings with Cadillac Jack on WKHX since 2008, after previously serving as morning co-host at now defunct sister Country “Eagle 106.7” WYAY from 1999-2008. Her new time slot will be announced on Thursday, when Cadillac Jack will return with a new morning team.
Cumulus Media announces that it has promoted Dallas McCade to Music Director for Kicks 101.5 FM, Atlanta’s #1 for Country (WKHX-FM). McCade, who is currently Co-Host of Kicks 101.5 morning show, “Cadillac Jack and Dallas Mornings”, announced on-air today that she will be leaving the show to take on the Music Director role for the station and will also be on-air on Kicks 101.5 weekdays in a timeslot to be determined. Morning Show Co-Host Cadillac Jack added that the morning show will be evolving and that he will be gone and off the air until Thursday morning, when the station reveals its new morning show line-up.
Sean Shannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Atlanta, said: “Radio is really at its best when we find places for our most talented people to pursue their passion and purpose. Dallas was made for country music and her understanding of the artists, the music and the unique connection this format makes with its listeners made this move a no-brainer.”
Scott Lindy, Kicks 101.5 Program Director, said: “Dallas knows country music like few I have ever met. Her knowledge, her relationships and her love for the format are just the fuel we need to launch Kicks into another orbit.”
McCade said: “This is a huge honor for me to be able to apply my passion for Country music in a capacity that helps Kicks 101.5 serve the Country audience in Atlanta and all of North Georgia. I will dearly miss Cadillac Jack and the fun we have had for many years in the morning. A position like this doesn’t come along every day and it was an opportunity I could not turn down.”
The morning show could get replaced by the syndicated Blair Garner show, perhaps with “Nash FM Atlanta” branding.