Educational Media Foundation is adding additional talents to the weekday lineups on both their “K-Love” and “Air 1” networks starting Monday, August 15.
Carlos Aguiar will join “K-Love” to host 10am-1pm Eastern/7-10am Pacific as morning hosts Skip and Amy cut two hours off their 6am-12pm morning show. Aguiar joins EMF from Hope Media Group’s 89.3 KSBJ Houston where he was hosting afternoons. He has also previously served as PD of their Christian CHR “NGen Radio” and worked at Way-FM.
Mary O’Brien, who departed mornings at “104.9 The River” WCVO Columbus OH last fall after 15 years, will join “Air 1” to host 8pm-2am Eastern/5pm-11pm Pacific.
EMF APD Troy West explained the additions and lineup changes by stating, ““Because of our nationwide reach and the challenge of time zones, our talent’s shifts have historically been stretched. While that’s an understandable strategy, we have wanted to test shortening the shifts to more industry-standard lengths to allow our incredible talent to have a more reasonable workload that positions them to deliver just the very, very best content.”
Educational Media Foundation (EMF), the parent ministry and programmer of the world’s two largest Christian music radio networks, is expanding its on-air lineup with the addition of Carlos Aguiar on K-LOVE and Mary O’Brien on Air1, beginning August 15.
“Often, when a station adds new air talent, it’s to fill a vacancy after a departure,” explains Mandy Young, EMF radio group program director. “We’re in a fortunate position right now with both K-LOVE and Air1 to be bringing on new talent without having to cut ties with any of our existing jocks – which is great from both a staff and audience perspective.”
“Because of our nationwide reach and the challenge of time zones, our talent’s shifts have historically been stretched,” said Troy West, EMF radio group assistant program director. “While that’s an understandable strategy, we have wanted to test shortening the shifts to more industry-standard lengths to allow our incredible talent to have a more reasonable workload that positions them to deliver just the very, very best content.”
K-LOVE broadcasts on more than 650 signals across all 50 states, connecting with 14 million radio listeners weekly and reaching around the world via streaming on klove.com, smart devices, and the K-LOVE app. Aguiar will be on air weekdays from 7-10 a.m., Pacific, and on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. He will be a part of the network’s digital initiatives on social media channels and on its own streaming video outlet, K-LOVE On Demand.
“Carlos has a real passion for connecting with people,” Young said. “But more than that, he has a passion for connecting people to Jesus. And that’s what we’re all about at K-LOVE. I am so excited to have him join our team. I think our audience is going to relate to him instantly.”
Aguiar comes to K-LOVE with 22 years of experience in Christian radio, having served at KSBJ and NGEN Radio in Houston, and WAY-FM in Nashville.
Simultaneously, Mary O’Brien joins EMF’s Air1 network after some time off air to focus on family, following more than 15 years on air at WCVO The River in Columbus, Ohio, where she co-hosted the number one morning show.
“Mary has an authenticity about her that draws you in,” Young shared. “She is like that friend you’ve known forever who you trust implicitly. She lets you see her true self, and we have seen in our research that’s what audiences want from a worship station. Authenticity.”
Air1 broadcasts on more than 330 signals in 45 states reaching more than four million listeners weekly and helping people “worship through it” around the world via streaming on Air1.com, smart devices, and the Air1 app. O’Brien will be on air weekdays from 5-11 p.m., Pacific, and on Saturdays from 6-11 p.m. and Sundays from 8-11 p.m. She will also be a part of the network’s digital initiatives on social media channels.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com