After being hosted by Craig Allen since its launch in April 2019, Craig Allen has exited Townsquare Media and Compass Media Network’s nightly Classic Hits program “The Night Shift” and is being supplanted by James Rabe.
Rabe will continue to serve as Brand Manager and Morning Host at Townsquare Hot AC “Y105” KYBA Rochester MN. Rabe previously spent sixteen years at CHR 106.9 KROC-FM Rochester from 1991 to 2007 and later hosted mornings in Fargo and Twin Falls ID before joining KYBA in 2015.
Townsquare Media Inc. announced today the next chapter in the exciting journey of our nationally-syndicated Classic Hits show, The Night Shift.
The Night Shift was conceived of by host Craig Allen, WKXW Brand Manager Anne Gress and Townsquare Media SVP/Programming Kurt Johnson, who called the show when it first launched, “Great music, great content all with a nighttime attitude.” For the last three years, Craig has been the man behind the microphone, guiding listeners through his nightly party packed breaks alongside the greatest hits of all time. As Craig moves forward on his own journey, his legacy will forever be wrapped up in the life of The Night Shift.
Carrying that legacy further is James Rabe, the new host of The Night Shift. James is a longtime radio personality and music fan who first hit the airwaves when he was just 16 years old. Since then, James has held down a few heavily-listened-to morning shows and has become a nationally recognized on-air talent heard on stations from Maine to Washington and nearly every state in-between
“Craig is a giant in our industry,” James says of his friend and predecessor. “It is an enormous honor to be asked to host The Night Shift. There are some pretty big shoes to fill here in the studio. For now, I’ll stuff the toes with extra socks.”
After that first broadcast at age 16, James has gone on to interview everyone from Eddie Money and The Beach Boys to Kenan Thompson, Caitlyn Jenner and even Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses.
“The ‘70s, ’80’s and ‘90s are my jam,” James says with his trademark smile. “A big thank you to Townsquare Media for giving me the chance to fulfill a longtime dream.”
When he’s not hosting The Night Shift or his local morning show on Y105 in Rochester, Minnesota, James is an avid supporter of community—whether it’s his or his listeners’.
James Rabe proudly states “The thing I like most about my job is being able to reach into the community and remind people they’re not alone,”. Believing in the actual work of volunteering, James has served on many non-profit boards, from food bank boards to family organizations. On top of that, he’s an organ recipient and is a strong advocate for organ donation.
The Night Shift airs Monday-Friday 7p-Midnight on Townsquare Media Classic Hits radio stations across the U.S., and is available to affiliates and national sponsors through Compass Media Networks. For more information, reach out to Doug Ingold at dingold@compassmedianetworks.com.
