Columbus OH Radio: New Morning Shows Launch on WSNY, WVMX

Randi and Rice

After personnel changes at Columbus Radio Group took longtime hosts off the morning shows at WSNY Sunny 95 and WVMX Mix 107.9, new on-air talent is taking over today.

Randi and Rice in the Morning relaces Stacy McKay and Dino Tripodis on Sunny 95’s morning show, and “Andre Styles” Friedrich on Mix 107.9’s morning show. 

NBC4i.com reports the stations’ new group of talent is being brought on as Columbus Radio Group heads in a new direction, one that also comes with a new logo and slogan for Sunny 95.

“It’s going to be ‘Sunny 95, the station that plays good music and puts you in a good mood,'” Todd Markiewicz, president and GM of Columbus Radio Group, said. He said the new talent acquisitions were brought in to “rejuvenate and energize” the station. He said listeners should be excited to meet the new hosts joining them in the mornings and expressed his gratitude to the station’s previous hosts.

“I think they’re going to, in time, really enjoy the show,” Markiewicz said. “It always takes time to build a morning show, especially when you change from icons in the industry that were here for a very long time. We really appreciate and value the broadcasting professionals and everything that they did for us throughout the years. But this is giving people time to get familiar.”

Here are the new hosts joining Sunny 95 and Mix 107.9’s morning shows.

Randi and Rice in the Morning: Columbus radio veteran Randi Rasar and Columbus newcomer DJ Rice take over mornings at Sunny 95 with a 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. timeslot. The new morning show  marks no change in Sunny 95’s music, but Markiewicz said their dynamic will make for an exciting show. “Together their chemistry, obviously we put them together and tested things, and it was instantaneous,” Markiewicz said. “There’s going to be a lot of energy, a lot of fun, a lot of humor.” Rasar, known locally as a former radio host on 99.7 The Blitz, expressed her excitement to join Sunny 95 with Rice. Rice, coming from a sister station in Maine, is new to Columbus, but said he looked forward to coming to the city, especially as a huge sports fan. He said he’s already signed up for the Columbus Crew’s season ticket list and wants to catch an Ohio State football game.

Gordo joins Mix 107.9 Taking over Mix 107.9 in the morning is “Gordo,” or Gordon Hultengren, from South Bend, Ind. Like Rice, Gordo said he’s also a big sports fan, which is part of what made Columbus appealing to him. Gordo, or Gordon Hultengren, ia new hosting the new morning host on Mix 107.9. “I’m excited to be in a city with so much going on, with incredibly friendly people, and home to THE Ohio State Buckeyes,” Gordo said in a news release. “This is a great place to do radio, the community is very in with the radio scene.”

WSNY and WVMX Program Director Tony Bristol said local listeners are going to grow to love their new morning hosts.