Let’s Talk About Mark Kaye
• Big news from our friend Mark Kaye, who announced he’s unplugging as co-host of The Big Ape Morning Mess on Cox Media Group’s heritage Top 40 WAPE/Jacksonville after 15 years and will transition over to News-Talk sister WOKV-FM to focus exclusively on his talk show, The Mark Kaye Show, beginning Monday, February 22. His final day on WAPE will be Friday, February 19. “I’m so grateful to have had so many incredible opportunities at one amazing company,” said Kaye. “Now, as I say goodbye to mornings on WAPE to concentrate full-time on WOKV, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every single minute of the last 15 years.”
Kaye joined WAPE for mornings in 2007, coming from iHeartMedia Top 40 WIHT (Hot 99.5)/Washington. His current co-host Meghan Lane partnered with Kaye in 2014. The following year Kaye launched the charitable initiative “Kaye’s Kids,” which provided technology and dream gifts for local kids battling life-threatening illnesses. Kaye made the leap to talk radio on a part-time basis in December of 2017, creating The Mark Kaye Show on WOKV-FM while still doing mornings on WAPE. The talk show was such a hit, Kaye expanded it to two hours weekdays in January 2019.
“Mark’s impactful presence was truly felt during his time on WAPE,” said Katie Reid, VP/GM of CMG Jacksonville. “We are so looking forward to his continuing success on WOKV and bringing the same energy that the Jacksonville community got to know and love into this next chapter of his career.” Tim Clarke, CMG VP, Audience & Content, commented, “Mark is one of the most creative and ambitious people I know and his continuous evolution as a media personality is truly impressive. I truly believe that The Mark Kaye Show represents the future of the spoken word format — entertaining and informative with an aesthetic that resonates and appeals to all generations. This represents CMG’s continued investment in creating new and innovative content to serve our audiences and communities.”
Meghan Lane will continue hosting the Big Ape Morning Mess, while the search for a new co-host gets underway soon.
