Former Clear Channel country WGAR/99.5 morning fixture Jim Mantel is now waking people up in North Carolina.
As of this morning, Mantel took the morning gig for NextMedia country outlet WRNS 96.1/960 Kinston for “Mantel in the Morning” joined by station veteran Heather Davis. (Yes, WRNS AM/FM is owned by the same NextMedia that owns Canton stations talk WHBC/1480 Canton and Hot AC WHBC/94.1.)
Interestingly enough, Mantel himself is also replacing a longtime personality in the market – Wayne Carlyle, who left WRNS in January after a 23 year run. Carlyle now is the morning host for crosstown classic hits WNCT/107.9, so Mantel will be competing with him – if not in format, of course.
Most recently, Mantel made a cameo in the Paul Rado-produced “Star Frame Bowling Challenge,” seen on Raycom CBS affiliate WOIO/19 and My Network TV affiliate WUAB/43 “The Block…”
Jim Mantel is a class act and will be missed by many folks in NE Ohio…including me. Good luck, Jim! I am sure you will do well…
Wow! That is quite a step DOWN to WRNS in a better than 100 market. Who did he piss off? Eastern North Carolina is Redneck/NASCAR hell. They shoot Yankees for the fun of it.