Chris Booker
Encyclopedia
Chris Booker is an American
radio
and TV
personality.
covering red carpet events such as "Live at the Grammys with Joan and Melissa Rivers," and "Live at the Kids Choice Awards." He also served as host of such shows as "TV Talk," "Sushi TV," and "What's ON DVD." From 2000 to 2003, Booker was a full time VJ for MTV
and MTV2
, hosting such shows as "The Return of the Rock," "First Listen with Britney Spears," and was the final host for the now defunct series "120 Minutes." From 2003 to 2004, Booker served as the New York correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight
." Chris was also a steady on WPIX 11 N.Y. as their entertainment reporter. Booker's other TV credits include hosting for "Howard TV" and "Survivor Live" for CBS. He currently makes appearances on VH1
shows such as "The Great Debate," "I Love the 80's," "I Love the 90's," "I Love the New Millennium," "My First Time," "I Love Toys," "One Hit Wonders of the 80's," "Top 40 Songs of 2007, and 2008" and "Top 100 Best Hard Rock Songs."
Born and raised in West Virginia
, Booker graduated from Magnolia High School in New Martinsville, WV in 1989.
Booker got his big start in radio in 1989 while attending West Liberty University in Wheeling
, West Virginia
. In 1992, he began his self-described "gypsy years radio tour," where he held the positions of on air personality and music director at a number of different stations as both Chris Booker and Booker Madison in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
, Florence
, Kansas City
, and Pittsburgh
.
In 1996, he landed the evening slot at 92.3 K-Rock in New York
, where he met the nation's top radio talk show host, Howard Stern
, who made the young DJ a regular on his program. He made numerous appearances on Howard Stern
's show under the name "Booger." Booker left K-Rock in 2003 for the morning drive show on the "Blink" version of WNEW. When that format failed and the show was taken off the air, Booker then worked at Sirius Satellite Radio
as morning host for "Octane Radio." Booker was then hired at New York Top forty (WHTZ) "Z100" as a fill-in host. Booker eventually found his way back to K-Rock in 2005, where his show aired in the afternoon until the format was changed to "Free FM
" talk. His producer and on-air collaborator at the time was Al Dukes.
On January 3, 2006, Booker's "new" radio show (carrying over many of the same elements and players as his afternoon drive rock show) titled "The Booker Show" debuted from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The show aired on Monday-Thursday, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays at WFNY-FM
(92.3 Free-FM).
On April 24, 2006, "The Booker Show" aired for the last time on WFNY. Top 40 station WIOQ
"Q102" in Philly had called numerous times offering Booker the morning slot and a raise which Booker finally accepted..
On May 23, 2008, Booker was fired as the morning show host on "Q102" in Philly (but was still considered an employee of "Q102", due to contractual reasons).
On January 6, 2009, Howard Stern mentioned on his Sirius-XM show that Booker had been hired by back at K-Rock to do afternoons. Opie and Anthony had also announced the return of Booker at the end of their January 7, 2009 terrestrial broadcast.
Official statement from K-Rock:
Chris Booker returned to K-Rock 92.3 FM in NY for the afternoon drive (2pm-7pm) on Jan. 7th 2009. However, he was again removed from K-Rock 92.3 FM when it flipped to 92.3 NOW on March 11, 2009 at 5pm. Booker is said to be under contract with CBS until sometime in 2010.
Booker is currently the afternoon personality on KAMP "97.1 AMP Radio" in Los Angeles from 3pm to 7pm. He's been working in the station since June 1, 2009.
Over his multi-year radio career, Booker has won widespread industry acclaim, including several Billboard Magazine and Radio and Records' awards for "Best Air Personality."
Philly aired on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 6:00 am. On his first show, Booker had a conversation/interview with Howard Stern
(who was also live on the air on Sirius
at the time).
In July 2007, Booker officially announced that Angi Taylor, who had been a co-host for previous Q102 morning shows, would return to Q102
and become a new co-host on The Booker Show.
On May 23, 2008, Booker was fired as the morning show host on Q102
in Philadelphia. Booker responded that he was "surprised. Very, very surprised. It's a very successful show. I've been fired before for low ratings, but never while being No. 1." The station decided to move to a show that's more music-intensive. However, on July 23, 2008, Q102 began to broadcast "The Elvis Duran Morning Show." His co-host, Angi Taylor was also fired and so was his producer Blaire. His sidekick Diego Ramos, was later released.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
and TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality.
Career
Chris Booker is a TV/radio personality. He has worked as a correspondent for TV Guide ChannelTV Guide Channel
TV Guide Network is an American cable network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation....
covering red carpet events such as "Live at the Grammys with Joan and Melissa Rivers," and "Live at the Kids Choice Awards." He also served as host of such shows as "TV Talk," "Sushi TV," and "What's ON DVD." From 2000 to 2003, Booker was a full time VJ for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, hosting such shows as "The Return of the Rock," "First Listen with Britney Spears," and was the final host for the now defunct series "120 Minutes." From 2003 to 2004, Booker served as the New York correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
." Chris was also a steady on WPIX 11 N.Y. as their entertainment reporter. Booker's other TV credits include hosting for "Howard TV" and "Survivor Live" for CBS. He currently makes appearances on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
shows such as "The Great Debate," "I Love the 80's," "I Love the 90's," "I Love the New Millennium," "My First Time," "I Love Toys," "One Hit Wonders of the 80's," "Top 40 Songs of 2007, and 2008" and "Top 100 Best Hard Rock Songs."
Born and raised in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Booker graduated from Magnolia High School in New Martinsville, WV in 1989.
Booker got his big start in radio in 1989 while attending West Liberty University in Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. In 1992, he began his self-described "gypsy years radio tour," where he held the positions of on air personality and music director at a number of different stations as both Chris Booker and Booker Madison in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
, Florence
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
, Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
In 1996, he landed the evening slot at 92.3 K-Rock in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he met the nation's top radio talk show host, Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, who made the young DJ a regular on his program. He made numerous appearances on Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's show under the name "Booger." Booker left K-Rock in 2003 for the morning drive show on the "Blink" version of WNEW. When that format failed and the show was taken off the air, Booker then worked at Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
as morning host for "Octane Radio." Booker was then hired at New York Top forty (WHTZ) "Z100" as a fill-in host. Booker eventually found his way back to K-Rock in 2005, where his show aired in the afternoon until the format was changed to "Free FM
Free FM
Free FM was a short-lived, mostly-talk-radio format and brand name for eleven FM CBS Radio stations in the United States, and was created because of Howard Stern's departure to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006. Free FM was given its name to highlight that its stations broadcast free-to-air,...
" talk. His producer and on-air collaborator at the time was Al Dukes.
On January 3, 2006, Booker's "new" radio show (carrying over many of the same elements and players as his afternoon drive rock show) titled "The Booker Show" debuted from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The show aired on Monday-Thursday, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays at WFNY-FM
WFNY-FM
WXRK , known on-air as "92.3 Now", is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, WXRK broadcasts a Contemporary Hit Radio format with a rhythmic lean...
(92.3 Free-FM).
On April 24, 2006, "The Booker Show" aired for the last time on WFNY. Top 40 station WIOQ
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
"Q102" in Philly had called numerous times offering Booker the morning slot and a raise which Booker finally accepted..
On May 23, 2008, Booker was fired as the morning show host on "Q102" in Philly (but was still considered an employee of "Q102", due to contractual reasons).
On January 6, 2009, Howard Stern mentioned on his Sirius-XM show that Booker had been hired by back at K-Rock to do afternoons. Opie and Anthony had also announced the return of Booker at the end of their January 7, 2009 terrestrial broadcast.
Official statement from K-Rock:
Chris Booker is back on 92.3 K-ROCK and will take over afternoon drive (2pm-7pm) starting Wednesday, January 7, it was announced today by 92.3 K-ROCK's PD, Mark Chernoff.
"We wanted BOOKER back where he belongs…on New York Radio...and what better place to live than his previous home...92.3 K-ROCK. Our listeners and our advertisers are going to love having him back. We look forward to a great run with BOOKER".
Booker was most recently the morning show host on WIOQ "Q102" Philadelphia. He has also been seen on the TV Guide Channel, MTV, VH1, Entertainment Tonight, and WPIX. In 1996 Booker landed the evening slot at K-ROCK until he left in 2003 for morning drive on WNEW. Booker found his way back to K-ROCK in 2005, where his show aired in afternoons until the format went to "FREE FM" talk.
He was back on 92.3 K-ROCK handling the afternoon show.
Chris Booker returned to K-Rock 92.3 FM in NY for the afternoon drive (2pm-7pm) on Jan. 7th 2009. However, he was again removed from K-Rock 92.3 FM when it flipped to 92.3 NOW on March 11, 2009 at 5pm. Booker is said to be under contract with CBS until sometime in 2010.
Booker is currently the afternoon personality on KAMP "97.1 AMP Radio" in Los Angeles from 3pm to 7pm. He's been working in the station since June 1, 2009.
Over his multi-year radio career, Booker has won widespread industry acclaim, including several Billboard Magazine and Radio and Records' awards for "Best Air Personality."
The Q102 Booker Show
Booker's first show on Q102WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
Philly aired on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 6:00 am. On his first show, Booker had a conversation/interview with Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
(who was also live on the air on Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
at the time).
In July 2007, Booker officially announced that Angi Taylor, who had been a co-host for previous Q102 morning shows, would return to Q102
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
and become a new co-host on The Booker Show.
On May 23, 2008, Booker was fired as the morning show host on Q102
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
in Philadelphia. Booker responded that he was "surprised. Very, very surprised. It's a very successful show. I've been fired before for low ratings, but never while being No. 1." The station decided to move to a show that's more music-intensive. However, on July 23, 2008, Q102 began to broadcast "The Elvis Duran Morning Show." His co-host, Angi Taylor was also fired and so was his producer Blaire. His sidekick Diego Ramos, was later released.