NEW YORK CITY -- When Kelly Ripa takes vacation in mid-August, there will be an empty seat on the long-running morning TV gabfest Live! With Regis and Kelly. To find substitutes, the show launched a "Women of Radio Co-Host for a Day" promotion. Listeners submitted their nominations, and today, syndicated AC night host Delilah, heard throughout Central New York, is among the top 100 finalists.
For the past few weeks, the show asked viewers to submit their nominees on a rather detailed web-based form that asked for everything including the nominee's call letters, station web site address, a photo (or URL to an online photo) and the option of including an MP3 aircheck (as if average non-radio people have the gear and know-how to make that happen?), among other details.
Today, the show named its top 100 finalists. As we scanned the list for finalists from CNYRadio.com territory, we were disappointed that the show didn't choose anyone from our region, but we found the next closest thing -- a syndicated hostess whose show is carried by local stations. Delilah hosts a nighttime show known for love songs and dedications. She's carried locally by Y94FM (WYYY) in Syracuse; Lite 98.7 (WLZW) in Utica; and on WTOJ and WVLF in the Watertown market.
Now that the finalists have been named, Live! With Regis and Kelly is asking listeners to "vote" for their favorites by posting comments on the show's Facebook page. The winners will appear alongside Regis Philbin, one per day, starting on August 17. Live! With Regis and Kelly is carried locally on WSYR-TV 9 in Syracuse; WUTR-TV 20 in Utica; and WWNY-7 in Watertown.