After “retiring” from iHeartMedia Country “FM 106.1” WMIL Waukesha/Milwaukee in March, Karen Dalessandro is returning to the market at Scripps’ “94.5 KTI Country” WKTI as afternoon host and Music Director starting Wednesday, September 27.

Dalessandro spent 19 years in mornings at WMIL until hers and Tony ‘Radar’ Hess’ exit in March. She has also worked in the Detroit market at “W4 Country” 106.7 WWWW-FM and 99.5 WYCD. Until her debut on Wednesday, the station is branding itself as “94.5 Karen Country“.

Her arrival means the departure of Jonathan ‘JW’ West after just short of a year in afternoons. He will continue to work weekends at Hubbard Hot AC “101.9 The Mix” WTMX Chicago.

94.5 KTI Country has hired Milwaukee radio icon and Country Music Hall of Famer Karen Dalessandro to host Afternoon Drive and serve as music director beginning Wednesday, September 27. 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.

“I made the switch to 94.5 KTI Country to join a staff that is excited about Country music, committed to winning and actually living in Milwaukee,” said Dalessandro. ” It’s refreshing to see this kind of radio still exists. GM Tom Langmyer and PD Ryan Wild deserve much credit for believing that real people doing real radio is important to the community they serve. I spent 19 years hosting Milwaukee morning radio so to continue my career as music director/afternoons at WKTI is more than I could have imagined!”

“KTI COUNTRY is proud to be the Local Country station – and Country listeners in Wisconsin know and love Karen. She is an incredibly talented broadcaster,” said Tom Langmyer vice president/general manager of 94.5 KTI Country. “Karen is the most credible Country voice in the market, is the best known and lives for doing good in our community. We’re proud she’s on our team.”

To celebrate Karen’s arrival, the station has flipped to “94.5 KAREN Country.” The name will stick as the station counts down to her first show at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27.