Kathy Romano Lands Her Own Morning Show on B101 After Preston and Steve Ouster
She's filling the same time slot as her former colleagues at WMMR.
Kathy Romano, who just landed her own morning show on B101 after being ousted from WMMR’s Preston and Steve Show (Photo by Rachel Gordon)
Kathy Romano seems to be giving a big old middle finger to Beasley Media Group, the Florida-based corporate overlords who ousted her in May from her longtime job as a cast member on WMMR’s Preston & Steve Show. Later this month, Romano will launch her own radio show — in the exact same time slot as the Preston & Steve Show.
The title of Romano’s program is, fittingly enough, The Kathy Romano Show. It will air Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. starting on Tuesday, September 23rd. The show will include pre-existing B101 talents Laura Boss and Bobby Smith.
The Preston & Steve Show is, of course, talk-heavy, with some music thrown in here and there. B101 has traditionally been almost exclusively music, with a little chatter thrown in here and there. So what will The Kathy Romano Show be?
“Somewhere in between,” Romano tells me. “They are bringing me in to evolve things and develop a morning show. Let’s call it ‘talk-medium.’ It’s going to be a new, vibrant, fun type of show. B101’s slogan is ‘relax and unwind,’ and The Kathy Romano Show will very much be that vibe.”
Anyone who has been a regular listener to the Preston & Steve Show, which Romano joined 22 years ago, knows that she positively loves Christmas, so it’s fitting that she’s joining B101, which broadcasts Christmas music and only Christmas music from around Thanksgiving until Christmas.
“We’re actually starting the holiday music even earlier than B101 has done in the past,” says Romano. “And I couldn’t be happier. I’ll be dancing around in the studio to holiday music. I am a complete Christmas freak.”
Kathy Romano and her former Preston & Steve Show colleagues (photo by Kyle Kielinski)
I asked Romano if it’s weird that The Kathy Romano Show airs the same hours as the Preston & Steve Show.
“I wouldn’t call it weird,” she replied. “It’s just ironic. All my friends from the Preston & Steve cast were very encouraging to me throughout this whole process. They thought that B101 was a great move for me. They are excited for me, but there’s still some sadness there, which speaks to what a family we became over the years.”
“Kathy is awesome and I love her to death,” says Preston Elliot, the Preston in Preston & Steve. “I’m ecstatic that she gets to keep on doing what she loves. This is a perfect fit and they’re very lucky to have her! “
