Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2009 > January > 02
Friday, January 2, 2009
1/2: Tripp West leaving Star 94, replaced by syndicated Ryan Seacrest
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ryan Seacrest will effectively replace Tripp West (above, from July) at Star 94.
If you don’t already get enough of Ryan Seacrest on “American Idol,” the E! cable network and American Top 40 countdown on Star 94, you’ll be hearing more of him from noon to 3 p.m. each weekday on that same top 40 station.
Seacrest is coming full circle. He started his career in the early 1990s in high school as a fill-in DJ at Star 94 before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his Hollywood dreams. Star picked up his weekly weekend countdown show as soon as he took over in 2004 for Casey Kasem.
He has been doing a morning show on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles since 2004 as well. Last year, the show was syndicated and is heard on about 70 radio stations nationwide including the top 40 station in New York City. You won’t get a full-fledged morning show from noon to 3. Rather, you’ll get a “best of” compilation of what Seacrest had done a few hours earlier on his Los Angeles show.
At the same time, Tripp West, who has been at Star for 11 years and seven of them as mid-day host, will be leaving. His contract isn’t up until May but he said Star is being nice enough to allow him the time to job hunt. If he finds a good job before May, they will let him out of his contract. (This is a rare case of true compassion from an employer, relatively speaking.)
West said he is fine with the move, understands why Star is doing it. (Star is getting a bit of star power, literally, and hopefully save a few bucks, too.) “Eleven years was a great run,” he said. “I’m very excited about the challenge moving forward.” He also runs a DJ company (www.liquidmindproduction.com) so if you need a jock for a corporate, club or wedding, he’s available.
I couldn’t get a hold of Rick Mack, the general manager, so I’m not sure what Star will do from 10 a.m. to noon. (Tripp had done 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). West said he’s willing to fill in during that time once Seacrest starts on Star.
West wasn’t sure when Star was starting Seacrest’s show but said it’s probably in mid-January.
