iHeartMedia’s Country 93.1 WPOC in Baltimore has announced that ‘Michael J,’ currently the afternoon host, will step into the morning slot alongside co-host Bethany Linderman.
This change comes following the departure of Laurie DeYoung (BMM 12/17), who has been a fixture in morning radio for 39 years. The new lineup will begin on Monday, January 6.
Michael J has been the afternoon host at WPOC since January 2000. In addition to his role at WPOC, he also handles middays for the sister station, Country 98.7 WMZQ in Washington, D.C., and contributes tracks for various other iHeartMedia Country stations.
Michael J. said, “I finally found a job that lets me wear my pajamas to work. As a Baltimore Boy, to quarterback mornings on THE station I grew up listening to as a kid with my granddad, who was a Country superfan; I’m truly living the dream!”
iHeartMedia Washington/Baltimore Region SVP Programming and WPOC Program Director Jeff Kapugi commented, “Michael was born and raised in Baltimore and has been hosting afternoons on WPOC for 25 years. I am excited to pair him with Bethany in the morning and watch them go. I feel like this new lineup on WPOC has all the right talent in all the right places.”
Jeff St. Pierre, the current morning co-host, will transition to the afternoon slot. St. Pierre has been with the station since 2008, initially starting as a morning show producer before becoming the co-host.
Linderman joined WPOC’s morning show in November 2023. Before this role, she co-hosted mornings at Audacy Hot AC “Mix 106.5” WWMX in Baltimore from 2018 to 2020.
Other stops include morning co-hosting at Townsquare Media Country 107.7 WGNA Albany, NY, and hosting at “95.7 The Big Pig” WPIG-FM in Olean, NY. Additionally, she worked as a morning producer at 99.5 WQYK in Tampa.
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