Otis Day, Katie Schurk, and Nick Vitrano joined Tom Zalaski on Newsmaker Sunday to chat about their new show, “KISS FM Mornings with Otis, Katie and Nick”, and the journey that brought them together.
Zalaski emphasized the roller coaster that has been radio over the last few weeks, and touched on some of the burning questions that radio listeners have regarding their show and when they’ll be able to all be on-air together. Nick clarified that there is a non-compete contract in effect, and that the three of them will be on-air together whenever that is resolved or expires.
The discussion then shifted to the show’s format, emphasizing its community-based nature. Otis expressed the team’s eagerness to have the community actively involved, sharing their stories, fears, hopes, and jokes. He emphasized, “We’re really excited to bring them along with the ride, and they get to be part of it.”
When asked about their individual contributions to the show, Otis explained that he brings energy and an opinionated perspective. He said, ”I’ve got energy and I’ve got something to say, I’ve got an opinion on just about everything, sometimes that’s gonna clash I think with them and that could be entertaining.”
Katie emphasized her ability to bring an unfiltered opinion to the table, saying, “I bring an opinion. I bring a very strong opinion. Even if people don’t want to hear it, I say it. And I bring some conflict.”
Lastly, Nick identified himself as the middle-man, aiming to understand all sides. He said, “I’d say I’m inquisitive. I wanna hear Otis’ side, I wanna hear Katie’s side, I wanna hear the side of the listener, and then I wanna hash through it and weed through and come to a conclusion. It’s almost the middle-man effect of, ‘Well, hold on a second…wait a minute.’ I bring a lot of ‘wait a minute’.”
Nick continued, “I think the greatest things that happen in life just happen because of life. You can’t script it, you can’t write it. It just happens. The things that happen in the daily lives of families in Northeast Wisconsin are better than anything you could have possibly ever written or conceived in your brain. So I love to just – I love to watch, I love to listen, I love to learn, and I love to just bring that to the airwaves and share the stories that are impacting people’s lives. We’re kind of all in this together, there’s really nothing unique in the sense that we all go through these same things everyday. And so it’s fun to just ride along together – in the car, at work or whatever it is, and just talk about your lives.”
The trio concluded their time on Newsmaker Sunday by discussing their show prep process. Otis explained that show prep is ongoing, happening through texts and keeping track of daily experiences. Nick and Katie echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that prepping occurs throughout the day, with Katie noting, “Show prep is life. Just living your life is a big part of show prep, and if you’re willing to share your life on-air then you got it made.“
Zalaski summed up the interview saying what I’m sure many people would agree with: “We look so forward to the three of you finally getting on the air again.”
