Alabama-based SummitMedia LLC has uprooted a second radio morning show team since November.
Lina Girl Langi and "Primetime" Pipi Rezentes, who hosted the morning show at KCCN-FM 100.3, were told Friday that "the morning show is going to be going in a different direction," Rezentes told TheBuzz.
The two had been doing mornings together with Bill "Billy V" Van Osdol off and on for "probably more" than 10 years, he said.
Van Osdol and his morning show co-host, Mele Apana, left KCCN sister-station KINE-FM 105.1 in November, each under different circumstances. They were succeeded in December by Dave Lancaster and "Sista" Sherry Clifton.
Rezentes hosted the KCCN afternoon shift for a couple of years some four years ago, but for the past two years, he has been Langi’s co-host.
In addition to mornings on KCCN, Langi also hosted, via prerecorded voice-tracking, the noon-to-7 p.m. time slot on KINE.
She could not be reached for comment.
Likewise, station management expressed a preference to talk Monday, when plans for the future were "firmed up," said SummitMedia Hawaii President TJ Malievsky via email.
Rezentes wondered if the station would continue the popular "7 a.m. Couples Court" feature he and Langi hosted. Listeners were invited to call in "with problems with their family, or what happened at work, inappropriate messages, scandals," he said. He typically would take the guy’s side "unless he was an idiot … and Lina would usually take the woman’s side." Listeners also would phone in their own input. "We had everything from grandmas to young kids," he said.
The show’s ratings had fluctuated within the bottom half of the top 10 stations among listeners 12 and older in the past year, and was tied for 10th place in the fall 2014 Nielsen Audio ratings.
Fans and industry colleagues posted sadness, encouragement and well-wishes for the departed morning show hosts via social media.
"I was surprised that I wasn’t part of any new plan" or even retained part time, Rezentes said.
He noted a handful of involuntary and voluntary departures, and schedule reductions at the station of late, including the dismissal of KINE afternoon drive personality Bruddah Wade more than a week ago.
As of Friday afternoon, Langi’s and Rezentes’ profiles were still posted on the radio station website.
Rezentes was not under contract and was working at-will so has no noncompete clause against taking another job in radio, which he hopes to do soon.
In the meantime he has his own business, Pipi’s Sound & Lighting, serving as a DJ or master of ceremonies for private parties, offering event and wedding planning and other services.
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On the Net:
» djpipi.com
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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
