After 9 Years of Morning Radio in New Hampshire – I Am Saying Goodbye

I've known this was the plan for a while now, but typing the words is somehow making it feel more real than ever.

After 9 years of setting my alarm at 4:30 am (or what I like to call the crack of stupid), my time as your morning show host on 97.5 WOKQ is coming to an end.

We will get to the why of it all in a little bit, but first, I'd like to acknowledge how much this job has meant to me.

Calling it a job doesn't really feel right, since it has been so much more than that. For the past 9 years, I have lived my life out loud into a microphone for thousands of people to hear. And we have been through a lot together.

Some events that you may have heard throughout the years include (but are not limited to):

Steven proposed to me live on the air!

After realizing it was for real and I wasn't the butt of some sick and twisted prank, I said "YES!!!"

I asked listeners for their opinions/advice when planning my wedding

(Should I perform a choreographed dance with my dad or not? Spoiler alert: I did!)

I looked to our listeners for emotional support when my husband was struck by a car while crossing the street 6 months after our wedding.

Our listeners helped me navigate my mother's cancer diagnosis.

And celebrated with me when she was in remission.

Our listeners grieved with me when I experienced pregnancy loss twice.

And shared my joy when we welcomed our beautiful Gwen Harper into the world.

I've lived through many life stages on these airwaves, but maybe you are wondering who trusted me enough to give me a microphone to yap into in the first place?

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to entertain people; to tell stories and remind people of the lightness of life. Life can feel heavy and unmanageable at times, but if you think about it, there is always something to smile about. I believe my purpose is to remind people of that reason.

When I graduated college from UMASS Amherst, I had a bit of a "what now?" moment. I had no direction when it came to a career path. But in the back of my mind, I always thought about radio.

Growing up in the Boston area, I always felt connected to the morning show personalities that kept me company on my drive to school in the morning. I wanted to help people kick off each and every day in a positive way, just like they did. I always felt like there were true friends on the other side of those speakers. I wanted to be that companion for people.

Radio is one of those "it's all in who you know" kind of businesses, and it turns out I didn't know anyone. A friend of my dad's went to college with WBZ-AM host Jordan Rich. It was a bit of a distant connection, but beggars can't be choosers.

I became a prominent fixture in Mr. Rich's email inbox until he finally allowed me to come into the studio and watch him work his magic. He hosted the night show, which was from 11 pm to 5 am. I chugged a bunch of coffee and was tickled to be invited!

The magic of live radio was just as cool as I envisioned it. It was spontaneous and exciting. That feeling of "anything could happen" was in the air. He even let me interact with his listeners on the phone.

From that night on, I was hooked. I made it my mission to get a job working at a radio station.

I was able to land a part-time gig on the "road crew" for WZLX, Boston's Classic Rock. I handed out t-shirts, encouraged listeners to enter to win concert tickets, and got to support on-air legends at their appearances, like Chuck Nowlin!

It was a blast, but I wanted more. I wanted to be at a radio station 40 hours a week, learning everything there was to know.

That is when I heard that CBS radio in Boston was looking for a new receptionist or "Director of First Impressions."

It was going to be a massive pay cut from the sales job I was working 9-5, but I knew (i.e, hoped, prayed) it would be worth it in the long run. I applied for the job and got it. No one has ever been more excited to answer phones and organize the mail room than this girl:

From there, I befriended (stalked) the morning shows in the building and asked them a million questions about how they got to where they were. I observed them, learned from them, and did cameos on their shows when invited.

From there, I got enough experience to put together an "on-air demo". I sent it to a few successful radio personalities in the building for critiques, and once I had their blessing, I sent it everywhere on God's green earth.

I finally got an email back from a man named Herb Ivy. He got a real kick out of my demo, especially the part where I dropped an original Hanukkah rap on air under the name “Dr. Dreidel.”

He invited me in for an interview for an on-air position in Portland, Maine. I had never been to Portland, but at that point, I would have moved to Antarctica if they told me they would pay me to talk on the radio. Portland turned out to be charming!

After many months of hounding Herb and reminding him of my existence, I was offered a full-time on-air position with Townsquare Media on 94.9 WHOM! This station has one of the largest signals in North America. It can be heard in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and even parts of Canada. I was nervous but thrilled to be given the chance to hop on the mic.

After only four months on the air, I was offered a new opportunity with Townsquare Media to head to their Portsmouth, New Hampshire, station and take over mornings on the legendary 97.5 WOKQ. I hated waking up early, and I didn't know much about country music at the time, but I strapped on my cowgirl boots and said YEE HAW! (In this instance, "Yee Haw" meant put me in, coach!)

For many, this is where our friendship began.

Since I was new to the country music scene, I decided to dive in headfirst. I went to all the concerts and met some pretty cool people.

I was staying up too late and waking up too early, all for the love of the game!

But the moments that have meant the most are connecting with our listeners. No matter how many times you hear the words, "I listen to you every morning," it never gets old.

Radio has given me countless amazing opportunities and experiences.

I lived like a NASCAR driver for a day:

I starred in a TV commercial for my favorite Mexican restaurant:

I had 3D models made of me.

(No one bought them, so I gave them to my parents, who still display them proudly above their fireplace.)

I hosted a boat full of country music lovers, and we cruised the Piscataqua and danced the night away.

Six years into my tenure at WOKQ, my beloved co-host Chio left, and I decided I was ready to move into the lead chair. It meant so much to me that this change was embraced with open arms by our staff, clients, and most importantly, our listeners. "Kira and Logan in the Morning" was born!

My time on the air with Logan has been some of the most fun radio I have ever been a part of.

To plug my headphones in next to someone I truly consider a friend (and the little brother I never wanted lol) has been such a gift.

Then why the heck are you leaving?

It's definitely a valid question!

I don't want to sound too woo-woo, but I do believe that the universe gives us signs. I am about to hit you with a few big pieces of news that will hopefully fill in the blanks.

We are expecting baby #2 this December. We are over the moon to become a family of four!

At the same time we found out this exciting news, my husband, Steven, was presented with an amazing career opportunity. The role requires him to be in office in Boston five days a week.

This is not only an amazing opportunity for Steven professionally and personally, but it is also a chance for us to live closer to our family/support system as we prepare to welcome a new member to our squad.

So, due to those factors/big life changes, I have decided to end my time with WOKQ and move to Boston for this next chapter.

This decision was by no means an easy one. I am sad not to do radio with my pal Logan every day and to have to say goodbye to our listeners. You are what has gotten me out of bed (at the crack of stupid) every day for 9 years, and I can never thank you enough for that. I got to have a job where I was not only accepted for being 100% myself, but I was celebrated for it. How lucky am I?

Whether you have been listening since the very beginning or you just found us recently, I thank you for welcoming us into your homes, car speakers, and hearts.

What are you going to do next?

The truth is, I have no idea. But I know my creative soul won't be able to rest for too long.

For the immediate future, I am going to spend some quality time with my little pumpkin, Gwen, before her sibling steps on the scene. Since she was born, my schedule has not allowed me to take her to any library story times, music classes, stuff like that. I hear she really thrives in that environment, so I am excited to see my girl in action.

I know I will find a way to express myself creatively again and tell my stories to the masses. I have always been fascinated (and terrified) of stand-up comedy. Maybe I'll start hitting up open mic nights again! I've also been quietly writing a children's book that is going to honor my time in New Hampshire, so keep an eye out for that.

Even though you won't be hearing my voice every morning, I hope we can still be friends and keep in touch. After all, I am not going too far.

Thanks for the memories, 97.5 WOKQ! I will never forget you.

From WOKQ: We will miss you, Kira! So now, the historic WOKQ is looking for a morning show content superstar—a storyteller, a connector, a person who knows how to wake up a region with personality, purpose, and a little bit of sparkle.

Get More Info On the WOKQ Morning Show Opportunity