Two morning show hosts for WURD-Radio, the African American talk radio station in Philadelphia, announced their departure on Saturday.
Mark “The AME” Kelly Tyler and Denise “The Writer” Clay issued statements stating they will miss their role as hosts of “Wake Up with WURD,” which aired Monday through Friday from 7 to 10 a.m. The two expect to be “back on the air in a new venue in the very near future,” their statements indicated.
Efforts to reach the station for comment were not immediately successful.
“It is with mixed emotions that I have decided to leave WURD Radio as host of “Wake Up with WURD,” stated Tyler. “I started at WURD almost three years ago as a volunteer host of a new show, Urban Insight. What began as a one-hour program, quickly grew to a two-hour show and attracted a dedicated following each Friday evening.”
Popular WURD Radio Hosts Leave The Station: Official Statements From Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler and Denise Clay via @TylerMadePR https://t.co/rupRtnpycA
— Leonard Y. (@BigL1976) December 31, 2017
Both Tyler and Clay thanked the Lomax family, owners of the station.
“Being on “Wake Up” gave me the chance to interact with listeners (and Facebook live viewers) around the world as well as the city’s activist community,” wrote Clay. “Radio is my first love, and I’ve always believed that it’s the best place to tell the stories of people of color and other marginalized communities.”
In October, popular host Solomon Jones left the station after three years. Jones, an ordained minister, moved to Praise 107.9, according to the Philadelphia Tribune.
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