MONTREAL – Today, Montreal radio listeners had a new morning show to get to know on Bell Media’s 95.9 Virgin Radio as Vinny Barrucco and Shannon King comprise the new morning team (pictured).
“Shannon and ‘Cousin Vinny’ – who’s making his triumphant return to Virgin,” says the press release, sees Barrucco rejoin the station after eight years with Cogeco’s The Beat 92.5. Those two stations compete for listeners and The Beat has been beating Virgin of late.
Barucco and King replace longtime Virgin morning duo Frank Depalo and Natasha Gargiulo, who were let go last week.
“The chemistry between Vinny and Shannon was electric from the moment they met. Montreal is in for a treat,” says Blair Bartrem, program director, 95.9 Virgin Radio, in the press release.
Virgin has also added a mid-day show to its lineup featuring Charli Paige; and Lee Haberkorn, who had been a part of the former morning show, takes over the 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. slot which had been hosted by Mark Bergman, who was let go earlier this year.
Bartem, who was let go in a round of Corus layoffs in 2018 (he was Q107’s PD), has been Virgin Montreal’s PD since the spring.
