2006
Oldham Community Showcase
WHAS
Cruise to speak
at awards luncheon
Oldham
Chambers
12th annual expo offers family fun
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
CRESTWOOD, Ky. (March 2006) 84 WHAS Morning
Show radio personality Tony Cruise doesnt mind being challenged.
This highly likeable morning talk show host greets each day at the radio
station with a degree of enthusiasm that is contagious.
Cruise realizes that his voice may be the first thing some listeners
hear before they even get out of bed in the mornings. And for that reason,
he strives to provide something worth hearing.
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84
WHAS Radios
Tony Cruise
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I hope people are comfortable with me, said
Cruise, 45. Im no prima donna. They hear my mistakes.
Cruise has learned to laugh at himself and hopes listeners think of
him as the friendly guy next door.
Admirers will get a chance to listen to Cruise live at the Oldham County
Top Achievers Awards luncheon at noon on March 3. The luncheon
will take place inside the Showcase area with a sneak preview of the
booths open until 3:30 p.m. The public show is set for 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Saturday, March 4. 84 WHAS gardening hostess Cindi Sullivan will
broadcast her live morning radio show that morning at 9 a.m. from the
Showcase.
Cruise said he would be speaking on not giving up on your dreams
and goals. A question-and-answer session will follow.
Born in Evansville, Ind., Cruise has been at WHAS since October 1992.
He moved to Oldham County in 1985 after having lived in Louisville.
He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in mass
communications. Extensive sports reporting led him to produce sports
shows and host Sportstalk 84, a call-in show on WHAS that
lasted nine years.
Tony has a good, solid journalism background, said Kelly
Carls, Clear Channel Communications regional vice president of programming.
As a sports reporter, he was adept at setting up interviews and
getting good information out of guests.
Cruise replaced Bob Sokoler on WHAS Morning Show
in 2004. The company realized I connected with Kentuckiana,
said Cruise. He has family within the state, in Maysville and Somerset,
and possesses a good sociological background of the state. Im
a homeboy, he said.
Carls said many strong candidates applied for Sokolers spot on
morning radio. Cruise expressed an interest in 1999 when Wayne Perky
retired, But he just wasnt quite ready to plunge into that
job, said Carls. Cruise took this advice to heart and stuck with
sports reporting.
Oldham
Community Showcase
Friday, March 3: Oldham County Top Achievers Awards Luncheon,
noon at Crestwood Station Shopping Center. Featuring speaker
Tony Cruise of 84 WHAS. Tickets $10. RSVP.
Saturday, March 4: Business expo from 10 a.m.
- 4 p.m. at Crestwood Station Shopping Center, Hwy. 146, Crestwood,
KY. Free admission. Exhibitor booths, live entertainment, childrens
activities, food court, displays.
Entertainment
Schedule
On Stage:
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Shaun Nalley (soloist)
11:30 a.m.-noon: The Oldham County Singers
Noon-1:30 p.m.: The Generations
1:30-3:30 p.m.: Karaoke
All Day: Inflatable bounce provided by La Grange
Presbyterian Church.
Roaming
11 a.m.-2 p.m: Flakey the Clown, Don Hudson
(magician). Michael Liles, Face Painter
Information: (502) 222-1635
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When it comes to accomplishing his career goals, Cruise
said that his position at WHAS is the pinnacle. His goal
was to replace Wayne Perky or Van Vance when they retired, and he was
able to successfully fulfill both of those dreams.
His success may be due to the fact that he understands the local
culture and history, and how different people fit in, said Carls.
He can convey pertinent information without all the guesswork.
I want to get better, and adapt to the cultural changes,
said Cruise. His aim is to make the Morning Show relevant
to his listeners lives.
He labeled himself an old-school type of radio guy when
it comes to public interest issues. A huge part of his appeal is due
to the fact that people consider him to be likeable, said Carls.
The fact that he can talk about so many different things is a big plus
to Cruises appeal. He can program a show around Baghdad, Iraq,
one day and discuss Bagdad, Ky., the next. He enjoys tackling political
issues that affect us all, he said.
Part of his aim is to let people in on what the government is
doing, he said. The government has to answer to us, said Cruise,
instead of us answering to the government. He believes this is the way
our Founding Fathers instituted the American political system. Each
day, Cruise sets down with his producer, Scott Fitzgerald, to map out
and plan day-by-day programming for the Morning Show. He
knows ahead of time that he have will have certain segments to fill,
and his input is invaluable to the show.
Cruise is well informed on current issues, said Carls. Coming from the
sports realm, some people are surprised that the Sports Guy
can carry off a show on so many different topics, said Carls.
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Photo
by Don Ward
A
clown entertains the croud during
last year's Oldham County Showcase.
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But Cruise has a knack for doing this from 5 a.m. until
9 a.m. weekdays. Referring to himself as the living laugh tract,
this proves his good attitude is the perfect fit for the Morning
Show. Cruise believes in himself and is thrilled to be able to
work for a station he has listened to since he was a kid.
Cruise lives in Buckner with his wife of 25 years, Penny, and two sons.
Clay will graduate from Oldham County High School this year, and Cruise
likes to go dirt bike motorcycle riding with 11-year-old, Samuel.
A member of the La Grange Baptist Church, the Saddleback East Bike Club
of Trimble County, Ky., and a member of the Boys Haven board of trustees,
Cruise said his big emphasis is on family.
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