As expected Entercom CHR “B96” 96.3 WBBM-FM Chicago debuted its new morning show led by Kevin ‘Drex’ Bucher this morning.
Rounding out the new morning team is incumbent producer Gabe Ramirez and new co-host Nina Hajian. Hajian most recently co-hosted mornings at “92.3 Amp Radio” WBMP New York with Edgar ‘Shoboy’ Soltelo until its flip to Alternative last fall. She has also worked at Hot AC “Now 100.5” KZZO Sacramento and in her home market of Seattle.
Entercom, the #1 creator of live, original, local audio content in the United States, today debuted “DreX and Nina,” a new morning show on B96 (WBBM-FM). The new morning show will air weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT. Gabe Ramirez, host of the previous B96 morning show “The J Show,” will continue as morning host along with DreX and Nina.
“Entercom is at it again, playing offense in Chicago radio,” said Jimmy de Castro, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Chicago. “Today we welcome DreX and Nina to the Windy City to partner with Gabe and wake up our fans every morning to laugh, sing and dance with B96, Chicago’s #1 Hit Music destination.”
“I’m honored, privileged and humbled for this opportunity to come home to the Chicago audience,” stated DreX. “I’d like to thank Entercom, Jimmy de Castro, Todd Cavanah, Erik Bradley and the entire B96 crew for welcoming me with open arms. I am very much looking forward to teaming up with my two new partners Nina and Gabe in America’s greatest city.”
“I’m so excited to join this rock star team at the legendary B96,” said Nina. “Todd and Erik bring so much heart and passion to everything they do and it’s contagious. A big thank you to them and Jimmy de Castro for bringing me on board. Alongside DreX and Gabe, I’m confident that we’re going to do some great things. I can’t wait to wake up with the beautiful people of Chicago.”
DreX previously worked in the Chicago market at WKSC-FM from 2002 to 2010. Prior to that, he worked mornings at KTFM in San Antonio and WHYT in Detroit. Nina most recently worked mornings at WBMP-FM in New York City and has also worked at KBKS and KJR-AM in Seattle and KZZO in Sacramento.
Original Report 3/29: The “J Show” is out and Kevin ‘Drex’ Bucher may be incoming at Entercom CHR “B96” 96.3 WBBM-FM Chicago.
Jamar ‘J Niice’ McNeil joined WBBM-FM in 2008 for middays and moved to mornings at the start of 2009 where he was first paired with Julian Nieh. Following Nieh’s departure in 2012 the show was rebranded as “The J Show” with J Niice paired with ‘Showbiz’ Shelly Menaker and producer Gabe Ramirez. While McNeil and Menaker have already been wiped from the WBBM-FM website Ramirez remains.
Robert Feder reports that former “103.5 Kiss-FM” WKSC morning host ‘Drex’ is incoming to fill the newly created opening. Drex hosted mornings at WKSC from 2003-2010 after a long run in mornings at 102.7 KTFM San Antonio. After departing Kiss-FM he hosted a nighttime talkshow on Cumulus News/Talk 810 KGO San Francisco from February 2015 until August 2016.
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Eric Jon Magnuson 
Mark W.
Both AllAccess and RAMP report that the official announcement about a new show will be made on Monday–with the latter specifying that it will be at 7:30 a.m. CT.
B96 has been an “also-ran” in morning drive for a while now. Cannot fault Entercom at all for wanting to make a change.
That being said – is a guy who’s probably in his late 40’s, and whose prior run in the market was less than remarkable, the answer?