"I will always "die on the hill" of we can be local. Whether it's a local concert, event, pop culture moment, charity, whatever. We live here! We experience what the listener experiences, on a daily basis."
- Rik from WWCT
RIK
AND ROXY
Rik and Roxy in the Morning, WWCT
Rik and Roxy are the dynamic duo behind 99.9 WWCT’s morning show, helping the people of central IL wake up every weekday. You’ll never meet anyone as full-of-energy at 5am as these two! They’re also pillars of the Peoria music scene and, even as morning drive radio hosts, regularly stay up way past 8pm to see shows. Plus, Roxy has great taste in beer.
Tell us a bit about your careers. How did you get started in radio?
Roxy: Ho boy…that’s a fun question and the answer is like a movie…In my freshman year of college I got in a bad car accident, moved home car-less, Mom was opening a beauty salon in Peoria & needed a pedicurist. Nail technician licenses didn’t exist at the time and this girl needed money to move out again! It was supposed to be a temporary job til I finished college…In 2016, nearly 30 years later and no degree, I was offered a job as morning show co host on our local AAA station, which happened to be my FAVORITE station, 99.9 WWCT. The nail business expanded horizons for me and allowed me the flexibility to get involved with local charities…promoting those organizations on local radio was the best and introduced me to the radio world…I have LOVED music of all kinds since I can remember, and I pinch myself often to see if my life now is all just a really fantastic dream!
Rik: I actually started at a Classic Rock station in 1988 (ugh!) I was a 19 year old college kid, going to school for Sports Journalism, was introduced to Mass Communications which included radio. I LOVED music, and concerts, so I naturally gravitated to this business. Been doing it ever since and haven't had to find a real job yet! I have worked at music formats for my entire career, all kinds... Classic Rock, Modern rock, Pop, Hard Rock and now AAA. Been doing Mornings since 1995 and I had the chance to come home to Peoria and WWCT and work with Roxy, who is super involved with the community... it was a no-brainer
What brought you to Rik and Roxy in the Morning? What’s your favorite thing about being on-air?
Roxy: Rik is my 3rd co-host in 6 years! We are coming up on our 3rd anniversary and like any good “marriage,” we get along most of the time, but our differences are what really make for good radio!
Rik: Spreading love, kindness and sharing great music! Meeting & getting to know the artists is on the top of that list of favorites…I am so moved by the risks they take to do what they love for a living, it inspires me in my own job on air…doing what I love every single day. ♥
I love being able to interact with listeners. It's almost an instant gratification type of thing. Having a finger on the pulse of the community is exciting to me.
In a world inundated with digital platforms, what makes radio competitive?
Roxy: Personality of the local variety…digital and streaming doesn’t come from your community. Radio, especially those stations with local jocks that are involved in your community just feel like friends and neighbors because they ARE!
Rik: I will always "die on the hill" of we can be local. Whether it's a local concert, event, pop culture moment, charity, whatever. We live here! We experience what the listener experiences, on a daily basis. We CAN forge relationships with the listener that a "jukebox" can't.
More specifically, what’s your favorite thing about being on-air in AAA?
Roxy: I absolutely loathe labels…not the ones in your shirt that are itchy, but those kind of suck too…rather, in this case, saying “I only like xyz music” for example…I LOVE all kinds of music, especially new music and that is what AAA does…it gives the station and its listeners a wider berth. Thinking outside the box, pushing boundaries, inclusion…all the buzz words and phrases!
Rik: As far as with the AAA format... the listeners and fans of the radio station are just as passionate about music as we are. They are very knowledgeable about the music and the culture that we represent and that make the relationship easier and stronger.