Rashan Ali hired as new morning host for Streetz 94.5 Nov. 1
Rashan Ali has a new radio gig at Streetz 94.5 hosting mornings. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
Loading ...Streetz 94.5, a new hip-hop station that debuted in June, has hired its first morning host: former Hot 107.9 personality Rashan Ali.
She starts Thursday, Nov. 1 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. with expected guests such as B.o.B, Bobby Valentino and Yung Joc.
[UPDATE 11/1/12: Jay Tek has been added as an afternoon personality, who starts today from 2 to 6 p.m.]
Ali’s last radio gig was with V-103, where she spent a year as co-host with Ryan Cameron in the afternoons until March, 2011.
She began her career under the tutelage of Cameron at Hot 107.9, then stayed on after he left in 2004 for V-103. She remained as part of Hot’s “The A Team” for about four years until 2008. She left Hot in 2009.
Her former Hot producer Akini will join her. Upfront, she’ll run a solo show but said in an interview today that she hopes to add a “funny guy” and other support staff as time goes forward.
Streetz is majority owned by Steve Hegwood, a former executive at Radio One. “He was my last program director before the A Team was displaced by Rickey Smiley,” Ali said. “He had us on a really great path. I just respected his love for radio first and just the way he was helping us improve the show.”
Hegwood’s station manager and general sales manager, Wayne Brown (who had similar jobs at Radio One Atlanta for many years and always treated me with respect) died last month from cancer. “Before he passed,” Ali said, “we talked about this. He was a mentor to me. My move, he said, would give the station instant credibility. It would be a good move. He passed knowing I was going to be here. I wanted to make sure I stayed true to that promise. I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Given that Streetz is significantly smaller than either Hot or V-103, Ali certainly took a pay cut but a job is a job in the rough-and-tumble world of radio.
Since Streetz is a “translator” signal, it’s not very strong but at least it covers an area where a lot of hip-hop listeners preside.
Streetz, in fact, made its first appearance on the Arbitron ratings this past month with a 1.1 rating overall and an impressive opening rating of 2.6 among 18 to 34 year olds, a tie for 16th.
The only other on-air staff so far is DJ Holiday. who is live from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Ali also works at NBA TV as social media correspondent on Fantasy Insider, which airs live on NBA.com on Mondays from noon – 1 pm and then again on NBA TV at 5 pm.
I’m awaiting a call back from Hegwood and will update with his thoughts.
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45 comments Add your comment
Radio Alex
October 31st, 2012
12:04 pm
Love it… and Love Rashan. I know what I’m listening to in the morning. Congrats Rashan!!
sana
October 31st, 2012
12:17 pm
They spelled “Streets” wrong in the title.
MelDee
October 31st, 2012
12:38 pm
Sana – It’s a Radio station…not the National Spelling Bee.
TG
October 31st, 2012
12:46 pm
Good for her.
Anita
October 31st, 2012
12:47 pm
Sana….They spelled it like that on purpose. Don’t bring your criticism into this.
Anthony
October 31st, 2012
1:11 pm
yay! I am still so excited that we have yet another station that plays music that promotes crime, murder and rape
Milah
October 31st, 2012
1:12 pm
Rashan is good choice for this job, she’s very professional and a class act
FAMUAKA
October 31st, 2012
1:17 pm
Congrats, Soror Ali! I’m so proud of you. Whenever I’m in the Atlanta area, I’ll be tuning in on 94.5 to listen!
tweetiepie
October 31st, 2012
1:45 pm
@Sana, it’s spelled that way on purpose. That’s urban language. Go the urban dictionary and you’ll find it. It is a station that’s marketing towards that population as well as the younger population who use “z’s” in place of “s’s”. It’s the culture in hip-hop, texting, etc. these days. Catchup with masses or you’ll be left behind….lol
TG
October 31st, 2012
1:52 pm
Oh, I just noticed this is a hip-hop station. For some reason, I thought it would be a folk/pop channel along the lines of 98.5 or 94.9. I thought she was expanding her skills/ audience. Still glad she got a job, but on first glance, I thought she was branching out. Would have been nice for the Bert show to have some competition. Oh wel…
That Dude Says...
October 31st, 2012
1:59 pm
I just saw her on NBA TV yesterday and was thinking that’s the chick from radio. Good for her.
Kstrong1
October 31st, 2012
2:05 pm
I’m happy she’s found a job, but I can do without all the talking in the morning. That’s one of the reasons I tune in. I only want to hear MUSIC. Can someone just play music and not do so much talking…other than satellite?
Da Dec!
October 31st, 2012
2:08 pm
Congrats Rashun! keep repping the Eastside well. SWD/ c/o 93.. Def tuning in..
IONE
October 31st, 2012
2:33 pm
her voice and her opinions always got on my nerves
05girl
October 31st, 2012
2:39 pm
1) I thought she quit radio to get into TV?
2) Isn’t DJ Holiday from 6pm – 10pm their first on-air personality?
gregsean
October 31st, 2012
2:46 pm
Where is Griffey 2K???
TheDuchess
October 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
I’m cracking up at Sana and the replies!!! Oh lawd. And as for Griffey 2K…I hope he far, far away!!!
J
October 31st, 2012
2:55 pm
Might as well rename the station WSWD, Rashaun c/o 93 and Holiday c/o 2000…I love it!! I’ll be listening
Rod
October 31st, 2012
3:11 pm
Anthony find you something to do why don’t you quit your job and open your own station until you do that you are just hot air all talk no action
mugglemikki
October 31st, 2012
3:21 pm
LOL, I think Sana was being sarcastic…
anonymous
October 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
griffey 2k is on the bert show sometimes!
ShawtyBlackATL
October 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
Griffey2K has his own radio show with his wife on 1100 AM http://www.toniandgriff.com So far, STREETZ 94.5 consist of Rashan Ali mornings, DJ Holiday and Stix Malone nights, along with Jazzy McBee and Mr.Valentine on weekends. Middays and afternoons are still all music. Jerry Smokin B is also there behind the scenes. It would be great to hear him in afternoon drive again. Jerry Smokin B’s “Hot Carphone Check In” Traffic Jam on the old HOT 97.5 was lengendary!
shamiqua
October 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
blah..blah …blah..I want a good country staton not this crap
GaPeachy
October 31st, 2012
4:18 pm
YAAAAAAY! So excited to have her back again, I won’t be forced to listen to horrible frank ski and that bafoon rickey smiley
Former Good Day Fan!!!!!
October 31st, 2012
4:31 pm
@ShawtyBlack, thanks for the update. I remember the “Hot Carphone Check In” lol.
MG
October 31st, 2012
4:36 pm
She is such a cutie.
Taki
October 31st, 2012
4:56 pm
I’m so excited for you Rashan!!! You deserve it. I hope you rating tear V-103 morning show out the box. Ryan taught you well.
LG
October 31st, 2012
5:47 pm
Who is Rashawn Ali? never heard of her.
Lil Birdie
October 31st, 2012
5:52 pm
“She began her career under the tutelage of Cameron at Hot 107.9″ She got her first gig with Ryan by winning a contest.
Lauren
October 31st, 2012
6:13 pm
I once sat next to her while we were both getting our nails done. She was very rude and had such an attitude like she was better than everyone else. That was a few years back, but it turned me off from ever supporting her. Though she is not a celebrity, if you are in the public eye, it may be helpful to not be so rude when you are out and about; people remember that kind of thing. Then again, maybe she didn’t care…ah well, good luck to her.
Big Birdie
October 31st, 2012
6:14 pm
I really only like Akini and Griff.. I don’t like Rashan’s attitude/personality.. IMO she thinks that she’s better than everybody else… Akini and Griff are funny, down to earth guys with great personalities…. They are really the only reason I use to listen to the morning show…
Big Birdie
October 31st, 2012
6:16 pm
Yes, Lauren, my thoughts exactly.. I think she is very rude!!
J
October 31st, 2012
8:03 pm
Surprising she has an attitude; women like that normally look a lot better than she does.
Snatchandgrab
October 31st, 2012
8:09 pm
Love Rashan, but do we really need another Hip Hop station? They’ll be playing the same music V-103 and 107.9 play over and over and over and over and over and over again.
107.9forever
October 31st, 2012
10:00 pm
STREETZ is a fraud. I won a contest but never heard back from anyone about how or where to claim my prize. I’m sticking to 107.9!!!
107.9forever
October 31st, 2012
10:00 pm
RASHAN u can do better
Tracy Thomas
October 31st, 2012
11:23 pm
Rashan SUCKS!!! All you gonna here is how she went to FAMU and her daddy is a coach. Thank God for satellite I would not be listening to her annoying voice.
Booker
November 1st, 2012
12:53 am
Rashan Ali, Congrat’s on your achievements. I heard your name a few hours ago on the NBA program and started thinking, Rashan from the A? I go to the AJC and their it is. I wish you nothing but great success and a even brighter future.
Booker
November 1st, 2012
12:56 am
No! It’s you that sucks with your NEG thoughts. Don’t listen! it’s to easy.
Donk Mo
November 1st, 2012
5:43 am
Who f–king cares?
Kevin Brown
November 1st, 2012
10:47 am
Streets has all the rejects in the city. I like the underdog but Hot and V has no worries and 1079 respected for breaking music. The streets love this station, I guess that why streets is trying to copy them. I’m staying with Hot . . .
Man of the People
November 1st, 2012
10:56 am
Rashan is a wife and mother of two girls, how can she work at ANOTHER Hip-Hop station and play trash to other people’s children? I thought she left V-103 because “God was leading her into a new direction.”
She’s too old for that mess and keeps getting fired. Rashan just leave it alone boo.
Anthony
November 1st, 2012
1:30 pm
Rod, you obviously do not have a job with your improper English. Must be living off of Obama handouts
TheLazyComic
November 1st, 2012
9:26 pm
Which corporate pig owns 94.5? Doesn’t matter… they are all the same.
NeverLaughedHarder
November 5th, 2012
4:00 pm
tweetiepie,
The masses do not speak that way, only the MINORITY. The only people that speak that way are the UNEDUCATED. Get with it sweetheart.