Kenzie K exits B96; Kyle Santillian joins syndicated “Morning Hustle”

Radio news you can use  

Kenzie Kramer, who goes by the on-air name of Kenzie K, has departed Audacy’s B96, or WBBM-FM after four years as midday personality. In addition, she is no longer providing voice services for Audacy’s other Top 40 stations. 

“Kenzie K is no longer with Audacy,” said Audacy regional president Rachael Williamson in an internal memo. “We thank her for the time she spent on our B96 team, and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors and upcoming nuptials.”

Kramer is engaged to Justin Roman of Roman & Stylz fame, who formerly worked for B96 and sister station US 99 (WUSN-FM.) Both host The MVP Game on Marquee Sports, the regional sports network owned jointly by the Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcasting. 

In addition to B96, Kramer hosted shows in other Audacy Top 40 markets including Philadelphia, Sacramento, and weekend shifts in Miami. Kramer arrived in Chicago in February 2019 from Tampa-St. Petersburg.

Her exit is the latest change at the beleaguered heritage Top 40 station, who recently got pummeled by iHeartMedia rival Kiss FM (WKSC) in the ratings. No replacement was immediately named, so the future of B96 is obviously in question after 41 years in the same format [change] – the longest for any Chicago station in history. WLS-AM was known as a Top 40 station from May 1960 to August 1987, transitioning to adult contemporary and middle-of-the-road before giving up on music all together two years later. 

Meanwhile, former WGCI morning co-host Kyle Santillian is joining the nationally syndicated The Morning Hustle, distributed by Reach Media who is best known for syndicating Tom Joyner’s former morning show. He replaces Headkrack, who abruptly left after three years as his departure was mutual but not exactly on friendly terms: “Had to do what I had to do. Wasn’t fired, didn’t quit. It was a Mexican standoff where both corners backed away with guns drawn”, Headkrack recently posted on Instagram. (whether he knew it or not, his comments partly referenced real-life incidents at a Mexican border blaster station Wolfman Jack worked at in the mid-1960s, where two separate gun battles took place between Mexican authorities and bandits who wanted to seize the station.)

Even though he’s no longer heard of Morning Hustle, Headkrack continues in his role as a contributor to Fox’s syndicated TV show Dish Nation. Santillian left WGCI at the end of January from the station’s Chicago Morning Takeover. 

The Morning Hustle is heard in thirty markets, but is not carried in Chicago so if you were a fan of Santillian you can tune in here.