Audacy has announced a number of changes at Hot AC “Y98” KYKY and AC 102.5 KEZK St. Louis.
JR Ammons, who has served as Operations Manager of their Kansas City cluster and Brand Manager of Hot AC “99.7 The Point” KZPT and Country “106.5 The Wolf” since January 2022, has added those duties for the St. Louis cluster and Program Director duties for KEZK and KYKY.
A number of on-air changes will take place as well as KYKY morning co-host Julie Tristan will move to mornings at KEZK as host of “Julie and Friends”. Tristan had been hosting mornings with Bret Mega since April 2021 after previously hosting middays and weekends at the station. Tristan co-hosted mornings at iHeartMedia Classic Hits 103.3 KLOU from 2015 until 2019, was part of the Steve & DC Show at 101.1 WVRV in the mid 2000s and was a host and anchor at KSDK-TV from 2007-2015. A search for a new co-host for Mega will soon commence.
KYKY will also add KZPT morning hosts “Ponch & Nikki” for afternoons. The duo will remain based in Kansas City and will produce a customized version of their show for afternoons. Brian ‘Ponch’ Hudgens and Nikki Vivas have been paired in mornings at KZPT since September 2018. Hudgens previously spent 17 years at CHR “Mix 93.3” KMXV, while Vivas has previously worked at KMXV and “95.7 The Vibe” KCHZ Kansas City.
With the change, Dustin ‘Haze’ Monroe departs afternoons at KYKY. Haze joined KYKY in 2020 after previously spending five years at CHR “Now 96.3” KNOU St. Louis under Emmis and Audacy ownership. He has previously worked at WDZH Detroit, WXSS Milwaukee, WZNR Norfolk and had a previous stint in St. Louis at “Z107.7” KSLZ. Haze was also previously heard on the company’s “105.1 The Buzz” KRSK Portland in middays and “106.5 The End” KUDL Sacramento at night.
Audacy publicly shared this memo from Ammons announcing the on-air moves.
I wanted to let everyone know about some changes we’ve made to KYKY and KEZK.
Beginning later this month, Julie Tristan will leave The Wake Up with Bret and Julie on Y98 and will create her own, brand new live show on 102.5 KEZK – “Julie and Friends”.
This new show will be a positive, motivating way to start the day and will not only focus on water cooler headlines, but will allow Julie to talk about the things she’s most passionate about: female empowerment – including the amazing professional females here in St Louis, and, of course, local animal rescue efforts.
Julie will remain on Y98 in a yet to be determined capacity and we will immediately begin the search for a new co-host for the Y98 morning show.
We are also announcing the addition of the Ponch & Nikki Show to afternoon drive on Y98. Ponch & NIkki are based at Audacy Kansas City and host mornings on KZPT. This new show will be customized for afternoon drive and feature the same humor and relationship based content that has made them a top performing show in Kansas City.
Due to these changes, Haze is no longer with Audacy St Louis.
