Michael J Wakes Up On WPOC/Baltimore
• The end of the 36-year Laurie DeYoung era in morning drive on iHeartMedia Country WPOC/Baltimore is fast approaching, as DeYoung announced she will host her final morning broadcast on Dec. 21. DeYoung, a 2010 inductee into the Country Radio Hall of Fame, said she will still be involved with the station on a limited basis, including a weekend show beginning in February.
On Wednesday, Dec. 18, iHeartMedia Baltimore announced DeYoung’s successor — Michael J, current WPOC afternoon driver personality, has been elevated to the wake-up slot as host of The Michael J Morning Show alongside current morning co-host Bethany Linderman, while Jeff St. Pierre, Linderman’s current morning show co-host, will move to afternoon drive, replacing Michael J.
In making the announcement, Jeff Kapugi, Region SVP of Programming, said, “Michael was born and raised in Baltimore and has been hosting afternoons on WPOC for 25 years. I’m excited to pair him with Bethany in the morning and watch them go.” He added, “I feel like this new line up on WPOC has all the right talent in all the right places.”
“I finally found a job that lets me wear my pajamas to work!” Michael J exclaimed. “As a Baltimore Boy, to quarterback mornings on THE station I grew up listening to as a kid with my granddad who was a Country superfan, I’m truly living the dream!”
Michael J will continue to anchor the midday show on Country sister 98.7 WMZQ/Washington, DC, and he can also be heard on iHeartMedia stations across America.
