Off the air: 9FM's Melissa in the Morning tries baking after radio gig silenced
For 18 months, Melissa Campion got paid to talk. She was the morning personality for Southland radio station 9FM, which did a trimal-cast over 92.5, 92.7 and 99.9 FM.
While on the air, Campion spoke about local happenings as well as her goofy fun fact for the day that added humor to her show.
She also reported the news, but said she would try to stay away from anything too violent.
"Well, I would do news, but it would never be anything gory," the 26-year-old said. "I would try to stay away from any death or destruction because our demographic was mostly moms and the last thing a mother wants to hear is, 'over the weekend a whole bunch of kids were killed.' "
Campion, who grew up in Chicago's Beverly community, said the radio station's goal was to inform its core listeners, mothers.
"We were always trying to get (mothers) out of the house with the kids," she said. "They're not going to worry about what's going on three states away. It's what's going to affect their community and their children."
The station, which played hits from the 1950s to today, stopped playing its own music late last month when it switched gears and became a progressive talk station.
Newsweb Radio operations manager Joe McArdle said progressive talk had been on WCPT, the company's AM station, for a couple of years. He said the station's owner wanted to expand its talk coverage. Under the new format, the station will be talk from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Overnight, a company that leases airtime will continue to broadcast dance music. Campion was let go when the switch was made from music to progressive talk.
"They abandoned me, but I wouldn't abandon them," she said. "They provided me with so many opportunities in the last two-and-a half to three years. If there was a place for me, I would've stayed until something better came along."
Her dismissal also resonated with listeners.
"I'm getting flooded with e-mails," she said. "My Myspace page and my Facebook page, people are devastated. They don't know what to listen to in the morning."
During her down time, Campion is "hunting and searching for a job," but also catching up on her favorite flick.
"I'm watching 'Sex and The City: The Movie' over and over until I find myself a job," she said, laughing. "It's never a good time to lose your job, but now is not a good time. Not now, not in radio, it's pretty scary."
Campion has been using her pastry school skills making wedding cakes since ending her days at the radio station.
"I'm baking all day," she said. "It keeps me busy, I'm at the age where all my friends are getting married."

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Hirsute.

I feel for them. I can't wait until companies perfect the necessary technology for CD players an iPods. In the meantime, maybe the FCC will finally allow more radio stations in Chicago.

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Never heard of her

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I though you meant she was having relations with Terry Bevington.

There's a name I haven't heard since he tried to go to the bullpen, only to find no one there...

Rack 'im!

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who the heck u talking about? In my opinion we need a new Julie Swiecka

new julie? according to north - it's jen-jen!

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fan of Latinspice. fan of DJ Julie. fan of L.E.A.N.

what ever happened to Julie Swieca?

She runs the websites of Les Grobstein, Pat Benkowski, Cy Strezo, Mike North.

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sugatsune. boricuabutch.

Read first post, last sentence.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

And stop being a moron

Swieca left broadcasting to get in the baking business?