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In Milwaukee Buzz Briefs
Milwaukee Talks: KISS-FM's Knight in the Morning
 
By Jordan Dechambre
Published Nov. 14, 2002 at 5:44 a.m.
Tags: kiss-fm, knight, radio, dave and carol, mueller, fm

If you've listened to the KISS-FM morning show in the past few months, there's no doubt you've noticed some rather drastic changes. "The Joe Show," which has helped Milwaukeeans wake up since WXSS-FM's inception in 1998, has replaced familiar voice Joe Caruso with Michael Knight, a newcomer to southeast Wisconsin. Knight, who most recently worked at WQSX-FM in Boston, is no stranger to the Midwest: Before moving to Boston, he spent eight years at KDWB-FM in Minneapolis.

The morning show, which now is called "Knight in the Morning," might have gotten a facelift, but veterans Van McNeil and Ginger Jordan are carrying on its rich tradition of crazy stunts and controversial discussions in the 6-10 a.m. hours.

Michael, Van and Ginger took the time to share their thoughts on radio -- and adjusting to a new partner in crime -- in the latest installment of OnMilwaukee.com's Milwaukee Talks.

OMC: The old show was "The Joe Show" and now you're "Knight in the Morning." Van and Ginger have been at KISS much longer than you, Michael, but you arrive and the station names the show after you. Any bitterness there, Van and Ginger?

VM: It would have been nice (to have all three names), but we need three people in there and we need a leader.

MK: It's a team effort, and if you've noticed everyone gets pretty equal time on the air.

VM: As opposed to the old show where it was one person and now it's everybody. I don't really mind "Knight in the Morning."

OMC: Is it difficult to bring someone new into the mix?

VM: Always. You're always going to have a transitional period. There's a honeymoon period. You've got to get to know each other and with Michael, we're still trying to get to know him.

GJ: So far we like him.

MK: We're light years ahead of most people because we're already clowning around. It takes a while. Ginger told me that I know a lot about her and Van but they don't know anything about me. So I try to share a lot of things about my personal life that relates to our listeners on the air. They learn that way as well. It's just going to take time. We're looking forward to the point -- maybe six months down the line -- when we know quite a bit about each other and everything flows smoothly, but it's going great so far. People have told us that we already sound like we've been on the air together for some time. We don't try to take it too seriously -- we just talk.

OMC: Is that really the key to making it work -- not taking it seriously?

MK: It's not fighting over microphone time and knowing what your part is.

GJ: I think that's what people want; they want to feel like they're eavesdropping on friends just talking.

MK: You know how it is when you get together with your friends at a bar and everyone has their place in the conversation? That's when you see people laughing and having a good time, and that's what we shoot for. Ginger has a chance to relate to the women in the audience, and I talk about my family and Van talks about being out at a bar gig or something -- we're all relating to the listeners that are out there.

OMC: Michael, what are your impressions of Milwaukee so far?

MK: There's a lot going on here for the size of the city. I can't believe how many concert venues there are in town. I kept asking Ginger how they keep these places open. Obviously there are that many shows. All the sports and entertainment is great. I don't have to give up a lot of culture by being here. And, my money goes a lot further.

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