The Tribune

By LESH

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

RADIO listeners’ mornings are about to be transformed with a show that is ushering in a new era for Cool 96.

This coming Monday, the station will be launching a “new sound, a new voice and a new crew” with its morning show “Breakfast For Your Brain”.

From 6am to 10am daily, listeners will now be hearing the voices of Radio House’s Director of Promotions and Online Marketing JJ McKenzie and Atlantis’ Local Brand Creator and Developer Eric Hall. 100 Jamz’ Kirk Smith will also be a part of the show as well

“Breakfast For Your Brain” replaces Cool 96’s popular “Eric and Ed Show” following the retirement of Ed Fields from the airwaves.

“The Eric and Ed Show”, which was hosted by Mr Fields, Eric “D” Ward and Kirk Smith, first aired on 100 Jamz 20 years ago – a time when there was little variety in the world of local radio.

The show then moved to another Tribune Radio station, Cool 96, when it was first launched 15 years ago.

With that successful chapter closed, the radio station is now ready to give their listeners something new.

JJ told In Ya Ear that they are going to be bringing some fresh ideas to Cool 96 with “Breakfast For Your Brain”.

“We are sort of coming outside of the box. We have a special surprise that you will be able to tune in on Monday to find out about,” she said.

JJ’s Radio House history stretches back 13 years. She was a host for 100 Jamz’ midday show before leaving in 2006 to move to Toronto, Canada to work as the afternoon drive announcer on Flow 93.5. She was the first woman to do the afternoon drive show in Toronto.

“That was pretty exciting; this little girl from the Bahamas to be able to go over there and break into the biggest market in Canada and get a position like that. I decided that I wanted to come back home in 2013 and Eric Ward resigned from the morning show and I filled in for him with Ed Fields, and Ed resigned in May. We have just been hanging in there, myself and Kirk, and we decided to relaunch it with a new crew, voice and sound,” said JJ.

JJ said the new morning crew has the greatest respect for Eric and Ed, as well as Kirk Smith, for what they have achieved. She said they all positively changed the industry.

With the new addition of Eric Hall, JJ said they gel well together on air. They are both tapped into what is going on; hot topics on social media and entertainment.

“We are going to try to stay focus on that, as well as of course bring all of the issues that are hitting us everyday in the Bahamas,” said JJ.

Eric has worked as public relations manager from 2001 to the present. He is responsible for organising and executing foreign media visits to the Atlantis and The Cove properties.

His career has also allowed him to experience gigs on radio and television.

“Ed Fields is a mentor and someone I look up to mentally in a lot  of ways. This show is going to be intelligent humour. I have always been a funny person. I don’t think everyone has a sense of humour, although they think they do because they can laugh at a joke, but a true sense of humour is a little more complex. I made a deal to myself 15 years ago that I would never tell obvious jokes. I want to seek deeper humour in things that I experience in my life,” said Eric.

While he works well alone, Eric said being a part of a team like the new morning show crew has its rewards.

“To work along with someone that has a radio acumen like JJ is a great opportunity for me, because I have a lot of respect for her, for what she has done in the past and continues to do with radio. I think we complement each other well and we bring out the best in each other when we are behind the microphone,” he said.

In regards to the show’s topics, Eric said there is not going many limits to what they will touch on.

“It is not going to be that one-track mind radio show. It is going to be a blend and a great mixture of topics. They are going to be easy to digest first thing in the morning, keeping along that breakfast train of thought. We will give you a perspective without it negatively impacting your mood for the whole day,” said Eric.

JJ said they are going to be taking part in a few fun activities next week, including a little twist on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. They will do their own version of the challenge on Thursday out front at Radio House on Shirley Street.

“We are going to try to raise some money for breast cancer awareness as a way to sort of kick off the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is leading into that,” said JJ.

On Friday, they will be broadcasting live from downtown, directly across from the Pirates of Nassau Museum. Persons will have the chance to meet the new crew and engage in the BTC giveaways.