Posted by chicagomedia.org on August 26, 2009 at 19:34:50:
Valentine show headed to WLIT-FM
By Lewis Lazare | Chicago Sun-Times
on August 26, 2009 3:14 PM
Chicago radio listeners are getting a Valentine early. Starting Sept. 2, radio personality Sean Valentine, 40, returns to Chicago radio via Clear Channel Radio's adult contemporary WLIT-FM (93.9) as the star of a newly-formatted morning drive show called "Valentine in the Morning" from 5 a.m to 9 a.m. weekdays. He replaces Melissa Forman, whose contract with the station was not renewed earlier this month.
Thanks to the marvels of modern radio technology, Valentine will originate his WLIT morning drive show from Los Angeles, though he will need to be in the studio there and ready to go at the early hour of 3 a.m. west coast time. Clear Channel Radio Chicago Operations Manager Tony Coles doesn't doubt Valentine is up to the challenge. "The man has a great work ethic," said Coles.
Joining Valentine on his new morning drive show will be Chicago-based Karen Williams. For more than 12 years Williams was Ramsey Lewis's co-host on "The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show" on the former WNUA-FM (95.5), which in the spring switched to a hot Spanish hits format and became Mega 95.5. Williams now will handle news, traffic and weather reports on Valentine's morning show. Valentine's sidekick will be Los Angeles-based Irma Blanco, who from 1994 to 1998 worked with Mancow Muller on "Mancow's Morning Madhouse" on the former WRCX-FM (103.5).
Coles said WLIT's new morning drive format is squarely aimed at females, especially working women and mothers aged 25 to 54. "I listened to a lot of tapes, and Sean was one of those dark horse candidates we stumbled upon," explained Coles, who likes that Valentine frequently refers to his wife and child while doing his show and does a lot of topical material.
Though now based in Los Angeles at KBIG-FM (104.3), Valentine is no stranger to Chicago. From 2001 to 2003, he was the morning drive host at Clear Channel Radio Chicago's top 40 WKSC-FM (103.5). Valentine has been doing morning drive at KBIG since 2007.