Pillar Media has launched “The Star Morning Show with Skip and Kristen” across its three Christian AC stations.
Hosted by Skip Mahaffey and Kristen James, the new show launched on August 26 on “Star 93.3” WAKW Cincinnati, “Star 99.1” WAWZ Zarepath NJ, and “Star 101.5” KSRC Watkins/Denver CO.
Mahaffey joined the organization last October as Director of Programming Operations from Educational Media Foundation’s “K-Love” where he hosted mornings from 2016 until August 2023. He previously spent most of his career in Country radio hosting mornings at KPLX Dallas, WFUS and WQYK Tampa, and WCOL Columbus. He has also worked at stations Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, Tulsa, and Tucson.
James has been with Pillar Media for her entire career starting as an intern at WAWZ before rising through the ranks to promotions and weekend host before moving to afternoon co-host in 2018 and morning co-host in April 2020. She moved to middays at WAKW and WAWZ in early 2023 and added the role as Music Director upon Mahaffey’s arrival.
Hope Media Group’s syndicated Brant Hanson Show, which had been heard in mornings on both stations will move to middays on WAKW and WAWZ and nights on KSRC. Senen ‘Slim’ Rodriguez continues to host middays in Denver.
Pillar Media Brand Director Matt Stockman said, “Skip Mahaffey and Kristen James are very talented communicators, and both have been invaluable in growing our STAR brand. Bringing them together to do a morning show? Yes, please! I am really excited to hear them bringing meaningful, relevant, and local content to each of our STAR markets!”
James commented, “I’m so thrilled to be returning to mornings in NY/NJ and cannot wait to be able to connect with our Cincy audience in this new time slot! Working with Skip is the MOST fun and we’ve been having a blast doing mornings together in Denver. I cannot wait to see how God uses us to be a blessing on all of our STAR stations! God is good and we’re so privileged to be able to share that message with so many people!” Mahaffey added, “What she said. I haven’t had this much fun on the radio in years.”