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    Former ‘Preston & Steve’ co-host Kathy Romano to launch competing morning show on B101

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    By Michael Tanenbaum

    Copyright phillyvoice

    Former 'Preston & Steve' co-host Kathy Romano to launch competing morning show on B101

    Five months after being laid off from her longtime role as a co-host of the “Preston & Steve” show, Kathy Romano will debut her own competing morning show on Philly’s B101.

    “The Kathy Romano Show” premieres Tuesday, Sept. 23, taking over the 6-10 a.m. weekday slot on the Audacy-owned station. Romano spent 22 years on 93.3 WMMR’s “Preston & Steve” show, a ratings powerhouse for rival Beasley Media Group.

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    “Kathy Romano is smart, fun, relatable and deeply connected to our community which makes her the perfect voice for B101,” said David Yadgaroff, Audacy’s senior vice president and market manager in Philadelphia. “Her energy and personality align perfectly with what B101 listeners love.”

    During the first two hours of each show, Romano will be joined by co-host Bobby Smith. She’ll have a solo block that runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

    Romano’s show will focus on lifestyle and family-friendly features, Audacy officials said. B101 has been an adult contemporary station since 1993, long regaling listeners with Christmas music from mid-November through the holidays. It went through a rebrand in the years before Audacy (then Entercom) purchased the station for $57.5 million in 2018 and reverted back to the B101 brand.

    “I know how precious that daily connection with listeners really is — being part of their morning routines, their family moments, their everyday lives,” Romano said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to be spending my mornings with both the loyal B101 family and all the listeners who are following me on this new journey.”

    Smith is a radio industry veteran who has worked at several Audacy-owned stations in Philadelphia since joining the company in 2015. He had hosted afternoons on B101 since November 2021 before moving to mornings in April when longtime host Jenn Ryan retired. Romano’s show will be executive produced by Laura Boss, who has been co-hosting early mornings with Smith for the past several months.

    Romano left Beasley Media Group because her contract was not renewed. She’s among a number of radio personalities let go from Beasley-owned stations in Philadelphia and elsewhere over the past few years amid the industry’s struggles with declining advertising revenue. At 102.9 WMGK, longtime host Andre Gardner was laid off last October after a 22-year run. Sports talk host Mike Missanelli was laid off from 97.5 The Fanatic in August, a move he said prevented him from retiring at the end of his contract.

    Moving forward at B101, Bill Tafrow will host afternoons from noon to 7 p.m.

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