US 99 rounds out new on-air lineup

Kimmie Caruba

Kimmie Caruba

With the hiring of a new nighttime personality Monday, CBS Radio finalized the weekday talent lineup on its refreshed and rebranded country WUSN FM 99.5.

Kimmie Caruba, a Chicago native who once worked as a morning show intern for iHeartMedia Top 40 WKSC FM 103.5 and programming intern for Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11, was signed to host from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday on US 99, starting August 29.

“Kimmie is a born and raised Chicagoan that grew up listening to US 99,” program director Jeff Kapugi said in a statement. “She’s a very dynamic personality that brings a hot, fresh and interactive approach to nighttime radio in Chicago.”

Caruba most recently has been working a double shift for CBS Radio Phoenix, where she hosted middays on Top 40 KALV and nights on country KMLE. Before joining the stations in March 2014, she hosted middays and worked as promotion director for WXXX in Burlington, Vermont. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from Syracuse University.

Tim Pohlman headed the CBS Radio stations in Phoenix before he was named senior vice president and market manager of the company’s seven-station group here earlier this year.

“It still doesn’t seem real that I'm coming home to be a part of the legendary WUSN brand,” Caruba said in a statement. “I’m ready to give Chicagoland the nights they’ve been looking for — the best in new country content, the hottest country music and best artist experiences.”

She replaces Joel “Jax” Lisinski, who was forced out earlier this month. Her hiring follows the station’s rebranding as “US 99 Chicago’s Hottest Country” and the promotion of Doug Stylz and Justin Roman, former afternoon duo on CBS Radio Top 40 WBBM FM 96.3, as morning co-hosts.

Stylz and Roman debut September 6, succeeding Lisa Dent and Ramblin’ Ray Stevens from 5:30 to 10 a.m. Stevens now co-hosts mornings with Big John Howell on Cumulus Media news/talk WLS AM 890.

Continuing as midday personality is 12-year veteran Drew Walker, whose contract renewal at US 99 was announced Monday. Afternoons are hosted by Mike Kasper, who joined the station last April.

Deemed incompatible with the station’s new on-air position were the syndicated shows “American Country Countdown” and “Country Countdown USA,” which have been dropped from the weekend lineup.