Real News and Smart Conversations
Chris DeBello
In the words of professional wrestling legend Rowdy Rowdy Roddy Piper, "if it wasn't for people in radio like Chris DeBello, we'd be nothing."
Piper is far from the only one to say the same thing. Everyone, from political experts and policymakers to government representatives and novelists, has labelled Chris DeBello a man of brutal honesty and objective reasoning.
Chris DeBello's force and very presence on radio cement him as a necessary force in today's polarized landscape, making us at WRSK happy to have his show, 'Issues and Ideas,' air every Sunday morning.
Moving Through the Ranks
Chris DeBello is a lifelong resident of New Jersey and a 20+ year veteran of the radio industry. He got his start in 1988 when he became the overnight Disc Jockey at WFMV-FM in Blairstown, New Jersey, with the additional duty of vacuuming the building's lobby and sales office (seriously!).
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In 1998, Chris was shifted over to WNNJ-AM to...well...do something as the Morning Host. WNNJ-AM had been on the air since 1953 but had fallen on some lean times with listener numbers and revenue. Since there was nowhere to go but up, Chris started to incorporate talking about what was in the news that day along with the music he was playing. After six months, when it became clear that more people were listening, the music in the mornings went away and Chris focused more on talking about the news with his observations as well as with guests.
His show became a stop for politicians to talk issues, people with causes, authors with books, entertainers with upcoming performances and many others.
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Issues & Ideas with Chris DeBello
In 2002, Chris would launch the show that he would best become known for: Issues and Ideas.
Just as he did with his morning show, Issues and Ideas quickly gained listeners and recognition for the topics discussed and the guests the show brought to listeners. The format Chris created for Issues And Ideas provided for several different guests who joined Chris in talking about and addressing different topics in each segment. Chris also made it a point never to rely on a small group of experts or pundits like many other shows do.
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Now, Chris has launched Issues and Ideas on a national platform. The goal and the methods are still the same. Bring a variety of views on a variety of topics to the listener with the hope that they'll become better informed, aware and feel the need to take action in matters that have put out the call.
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Today, Issues and Ideas could be heard on WRSK Cruzin' Oldies 97.5 from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. each Sunday morning.