Cumulus CHR “All The Hits 107.3” WRQX Washington DC completes its on-air revamping under new Program Director Rick Gillette with the addition of a new morning show.
“Sarah, Ty & Mel” featuring Sarah Fraser, Ty Bentli and Melanie Glazener will debut on Wednesday, July 30. Fraser is a former co-host of the Kane Show on Clear Channel’s “Hot 99.5” WIHT. Bentli most recently hosted mornings at CBS’ “92.3 Now” WNOW-FM New York prior to its relaunch as “Amp Radio” in May, while Glazener joins the station from the morning show at CBS Rhythmic “Wild 94.1” WLLD Tampa. She too previously was a member of the Kane Show.
The addition of the morning show comes following the recent hirings of Melony Torres for middays and Ashely Nickels for nights. WRQX held a 2.0 share in the June 2014 Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings, well behind WIHT’s 6.2. Afternoon host Marco Orem has been filling in mornings since the station dropped the syndicated Bert Show in April.
Cumulus announces its new morning show on WRQX’s 107.3 DC, “The Sarah, Ty, and Mel Show”, a fresh take on mornings featuring radio personalities Sarah Fraser, Ty Bentli and Melanie Glazener, set to launch on July 30. The show features the young and lively voices of Fraser, Bentli, and Glazener, who promise an interactive, informative, and inspirational show that will connect with the DMV’s listeners through real stories and phone calls. The show will have a robust presence across social media, and will offer special podcasts to its listeners.
The show marks the return of the popular Fraser to the DMV. The former co-host of WIHT’s “The Kane Show” for six years, Fraser spent the past year in New York City pursuing television opportunities while staying connected to the area as a contributor to Fox 5’s “Good Day DC.” However, the call to return to the DC airwaves was too strong.
“The opportunity to talk with and entertain an audience with real stories and issues that affect their everyday lives while working with such huge talents like Ty and Mel was too good to pass up,” said Fraser. “To do this in DC – my home for nearly eight years – makes it all the more exciting. DMV – your mornings just got real.”
Bentli is also a familiar voice in the DMV, where he was heard on WMZQ in DC and WPOC in Baltimore from 2010 to 2012. His career in radio spans from coast to coast, reaching top-
rated shows in the afternoon on Chicago’s KISS-FM and then Los Angeles’ KBIG-FM. Bentli most recently succeeded Nick Cannon as Morning Drive-time host of “Ty Loves NY” on CBS’ Mainstream flagship 92.3 NOW-FM in New York City.Bentli said: “I’ve known how special DC is since my first visit as a 12-year-old from South Dakota. The patriotic grandeur of Mt. Rushmore was quickly eclipsed by the unique history and vibrancy of the DMV! And I can’t believe that Sarah has agreed to introduce me to Presidents Frank Underwood, Fitzgerald Grant, and the extraordinarily folksy Selena Meyer…Sarah said a Barack Obama introduction was a ‘maybe.’”
The show will also feature another familiar voice: that of Melanie Glazener, another former co-host on “The Kane Show.” Glazener’s radio resume also includes five years on Tampa’s WILD 94.1. Glazener will be moving from Tampa to DC to join the show, as well as finish her college degree.
Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Programming, Cumulus said: “We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to assemble a team like Sarah, Ty and Mel for mornings. There is a high level of competition in DC. I believe in Gillette. He believes in the team. That makes me a big believer in this show.”
Gillette, Program Director of WRQX said: “Sarah, Ty and Mel are all in the demo– and are fully plugged into the lifestyle of fellow Millennials. These are down-to-earth people who will talk about their lives with listeners and share their experiences in a completely authentic way.
The show will be fun and edgy, but totally relatable. No fake prank calls or canned humor here. We’re getting real with our listeners and believe the show will be a breath of fresh Wair and unlike anything that’s on the air.”
“The Sarah, Ty and Mel Show” will debut on WRQX on July 30.
