| Mike McElwrath(worked at CIL from 1990-1993) left CIL for KSHE-95 in St. Louis and left there in 1996. He has been doing Christian radio consulting and voice over work since then. He also works at GMAC Insurance. Mike says he enjoyed his time at WCIL and it was a major step in his radio career. (click on Mike's picture to the right to access his website) |
| Ever wonder what became of your favorite CIL FM DJ? Well, wonder no more........ |
| John Riley, who did the morning show at CIL FM for many years(as well as a cool gig introducing movies on KBSI) is now spinning oldies on the "Big Morning Show" at Oldies 93.3 WPBG-FM in Peoria, Il. |
 |
| Tony Waitekus started in 1975 before CIL-FM Rockinradio hit the air, playing easy listening music on WCIL AM/FM. Then Tony was Program/Music Director of CIL-FM from 1978-1994. Tony was also on WSIU-TV from the mid 80's till 1996 and worked at WTAO as Program Director. In 1996 he moved to All Hit 98-9 WHTS/Quad Cities Davenport, IA as Program Director . As of Feb. 1, 2006 Tony maked the move to WERO 93.3 Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville North Carolina where he serves as program director as well. |
 |
 |
 |
| Kelly Carls hosted 9PM-12AM on Rockinradio CIL in 1977, and then moved to 9AM-12pm from 1978 through 1981. Today he serves as Regional Vice-President of Programming for Clear Channel Radio based in Louisville, overseeing 25 stations in Kentucky. |
| Questions or INFO? You can email me at: |
| Rick Zurick, one of the ORIGINAL dj's from the old days at "rockin' radio CIL FM" where he was on the afternoon and evenings from the spring of 1976 to the summer of 1978)left CIL and has worked at stations with various formats in New Orleans(album rock, soft rock and news/talk for 10 years), Ft. Walton Beach, Florida(oldies), Tucson, AZ(oldies morning show), Oklahoma City(soft rock morning show) and now is on Clear Channel's WLIT in Chicago where he's the morning news guy! |
| Lori Jo Thompson, who was on CIL in the early 1980's, left CIL and has worked at KMOX in St. Louis and LIVE 105 in San Francisco and STAR 101.3 in San Francisco. She is now the afternoon DJ at Magic 100.7 in Bloomington, Il. |
 |
 |
| To find out what happened to some of your favorite television personalities from the Southern Illinois viewing area from the past click on map below...... |
 |
| Matt McCann,who served as program director at WCIL AM and dj on the FM side from 1979-1986 , is now on Saturday Afternoon at 95.9 THE RIVER in Chicago as well as one of the leading Long Term Insurance Consultants in Illinois. He also does some voice-over work. In addition to CIL, he's worked at radio stations in San Antonio and Chicago, where he co-hosted a show with LEGENDARY Chicago radio personality Larry Lujack. Mr. McCann is the winner of the Golden Harvest Award and is a speaker on long term care issues. He is also a member of the Presidents Council. |
 |
| Click on Matt's picture to visit his website. |
 |
| The Dj formerly known as Stevie J, is now Steve Fisher on the air on 9 FM in Chicago! Click on his current pic for his bio. |
 |
| Jerome Ritchey was at KDAF WB33 where he was a weatherman.......he recently recieved the 2001 Silverdome Award from the Illinois Broadcasting Association for "Best Weather Segment". Jerome has recently relocated to Tampa, Fla. He has 2 children. |
| Special thanks to Mike Chylewski for the inspiration for this idea and Jon E. Quest, who's a cool guy......and especially to Tony Waitekus for all the help(and the pictures of the djs!! Shout out to "Skipper T Thomas"(thank you !) Also thanks to all the dj's who freely gave me their info and pictures! |
| For CIL's OFFICIAL website click here! |
 |
| "Skipper T. Thomas"(at CIL from 1979-1982) a.ka. "Skip" Spence now has transfered into a higher position with Cinergy Communications as Product Specialist in the Commercial Business Unit of that company On the radio front he is doing promo-voiceover for the new "Y- 102.7" (Christian Hit Radio) in Evansville...Serving as Engineer of 1180/WGAB-1380/WMTA in that market (Southern Gospel)...And General Manager & Chief Engineer (Pro-Bono, or volunteer)of the new 96.9/ WYIR-FM (low power Alternative/Progressive) here in that market... He is currently waiting on a construction permit for a new non-commercial fm in Kentucky...Heading up a group of current and former radio guys looking at commercial radio properties and refreeing basketball for the first time in 17 years (in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois)..on the personal front, he's married to an AMAZING lady and has two cats..... |
| For some snapshots and some "Rockin' Radio CIL FM" memories Click here! |
 |
 |
| John Snell, who did the news and was on WPSD TV as well is now an anchorman at WVUE in New Orleans. |
| A Little CIL FM History Lesson... |
| WCIL AM signed on the air in about 1946 as a daytime only station with personalities such as Jim Bowen, Bluegrass Roy and others in a second floor studio at about 215 W. Main St. in Carbondale. At that time, to get the AM license, they were pressured by the FCC to also sign on an FM station. They kept the FM on the air for about a year and then signed it off the air since, at the time, nobody listened to FM. Latter WCIL-AM moved the studios to a house at a location that is now the parking lot for the First United Methodist Church in Carbondale. In 1964 WCIL-AM moved again, this time to new studios at 211 W. Main in Carbondale, right across the street from the church. Paul F. McRoy, the station's owner forsaw the potential of FM and applied for an FM license. The license was approved and WCIL-FM signed on in 1968 and allowed broadcasting after local sunset when WCIL-AM was required to sign off. WCIL AM/FM simalcast the same thing on both stations. The format was easy listening music and news. A year or so before CIL-FM was born, Top-40 music was played at night after 10pm. The FCC required AM/FM simalcasts to split programming. So plans were made to split WCIL AM and FM. The AM and FM split programming and became separate stations on August (it was 16th or 18th...I think it was a Thursday) 1976. Before this split of the stations, they would sign off the air at 2am and sign back on at 6am. Once the stations split, CIL-FM Rockinradio was born and was on the air 24 hours a day and hasn't signed off since except for technical problems. The first song played on CIL-FM that morning at 6am was "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles played by then morning man Dennis Lyle. |
| by Tony Waitekus |
 |
 |
 |
| Joey Helleny, former news director at CIL is now teaching Radio-Television classes at SIU. He is also active in a number of community activities, including his role as treasurer of HerrinFesta Italiana. Visit Joey's website by clicking on his picture! |
 |
 |
| Al Lentine, Did stand-up comedy as AJ Lentini for many years. . . ended up in
Los Angeles as a comedy writer. |
| Joe Crain now lives in Springfield, Il where he's the weekend weathercaster for WICS "News Channel 20", the NBC-TV affiliate in Springfield. Click on his current picture for his official bio.. |
| Joey Helleny interviews former Gov. Jim Thompson. |
 |
| Rich Bird now lives in the Washington, DC area... |
 |
 |
| Then |
| Now |
 |
 |
 |
| Jason Addams after a run as the morning show host at WHZZ-FM Z101.7 Lansing, Michigan, Jason is now at WSTO in Evansville, IN where he is the Program Director and afternoon DJ. Jason was at CILFM - August 1991- August 1994 - Weekends, Late Nights and Nights. He was hired to run the Casey Casem "records" on Sunday Mornings. Strangely, he runs Ryan Seacrest "records" on weekends now, so not much has changed. He was given his radio name by Tony Waitekus. He picked it blindly out of the phone book. He's been Jason Addams ever since. The CILFM Lineup when he was hired: John Riley, Mike Reis, Mary Jane Dwyer - Mornings Tony Waitekus - Middays Stevie J - Afternoons Shawna Matthews - Nights Jim Fishback - Late Nights Mike McElwrath - Overnights |
 |
| Jason then |
| Jason Now |
| Mike then.... |
 |
| Chuck Gaidica |
| Formerly of the news departement at CIL FM radio(and weather at KFVS TV), Gaidica is now doing weather at WDIV TV in Detroit, Michigan, where he's the Emmy Award winning Director of Meteorology. Mr. Gaidica also has had some national exposure doing weather on The Today Show! He's been voted the top weathercaster in Detroit year after year in the "Metro Times - Best of Detroit" edition. |
| Jay Pearce, formerly of the news department at CIL FM is now at WILL(the radio station at the University of Illinois where he's the station manager of both the AM and Fm stations.... Mr. Pearce also worked at WJPF, KGMO, WDDD before CIL and WSIU, and the put WEBX-FM on the air before landing at WILL. |
 |
| The late Simon Martinez with Jay Pearce |
 |
 |
 |
| Bruce Kopp, formerly of CIL -FM News is now at WTHR in Indianapolis, IN as the co-anchor of the Sunrise program. |
| David Beedy, formerly of CIL News specializes in writing and producing community policing videos, public safety, law enforcement, and other governmental and corporate videos and documentaries. Prior to forming Karl Productions with partner Peter Karl, Beedy was an award-winning special projects and political producer for WMAQ-TV, Chicago. |
| Bill Nevin worked in the CIL newsroom from 1984-87 with Jay Pearce, Joey Heleny among others. He currently is the External Communications Manager for West Virginia University. |
 |
 |
| Kelly NOW |
| Kelly THEN |
| Skip NOW |
 |
| vintage Skip |
| Dave Stricklin, who spent time at CIL FM news is now on his way to being a lobbyist for SIU. Strickland also spent time at WPSD TV, as Glenn Poshard's Chief of Staff in Washington, DC and also as Rob Blagojevich's campaign manager in 2002. |
| William J. (Bill) Andrle worked weekends at CIL-FM in the early 80's. He is now Senior Director, Market Development, for BellSouth, where he leads the Company's efforts to strategically develop targeted markets, manages business relationships including those with licensees, ITFS, and adjacent market system operators, and helps shape the company's positions on communications public policy issues. Previously, he practiced law at the law firm of Rini, Coran & Lancellotta, where he represented BellSouth and other clients on communications regulatory and legislative matters. Prior to that an attorney at Tribune Company in Chicago and also practice law at Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University of America as a member of the Institute for Communications Law Studies (while in school in DC he worked at WAVA), and earned his B.S. in Radio and Television from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale |
 |
| CIL FM REUNION 2004 |
 |
 |
| A bunch of old CIL-FMers had a reunion in Carbondale at Tres Hombres on March 27, 2004. Here is a photo. The ladies in front are "Christie the Coke Girl" and Shawna Matthews. The guys in back are: Don Buttitta, John Riley, Tony Waitekus, Jay Pearce, Joey Helleny and Skipper T. Thomas. |
| Tony Waitekus, Gary Jones and Don Buttitta. Don Buttitta did a "return engagement on CIL on that Saturday afternoon from 2 to 6 pm. |
 |
| Andy Burcham worked at CIL from 1984-88 as Assistant Sports Director for legendary Mike Reis. He handled afternoon sports and play by play for Carbondale High School. He also did color commentary for SIU football. Moved to Auburn, AL in 1988 where he was Sports Director for Tiger Communications. He did play by play for Auburn University Women’s Basketball, color commentary for baseball and TV work for football. He Also co-anchored a daily talk show. He is now the station manager of WANI radio in Auburn where he hosts a morning show that was named Alabama Broadcaster Association Talk Show of the Year. |
 |
| Mike Reis has been the voice of the Salukis for almost 3 decades! He is to be inducted in the S. I. U Athletic Dept. Hall of Fame in 2005. |
 |
| Dan Manella is now the Sales Manager at NINE FM in Chicago, |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| CIL-FM's Greg Sterick, Mike Reis & Mike Trude doing play by play at a SIU basketball game. |
 |
| Marty Mckee started on WCIL-AM in early 1999 working weekends and evenings. He eventually moved to a parttime position on CIL-FM, and became the fulltime overnight guy. After he left CIL in late 1990 he stayed in radio off and on at Mix 104 FM in Bloomington, Illinois, then WHMS in Champaign, Illinois, then almost seven years at WKIO in Champaign, starting there doing overnights and eventually moving up to afternoon drive. In 1991-92, he and John Riley hosted "The Only Thing On" on KBSI-TV, the Fox affiliate in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. "TOTO" was an all-night movie program in which they aired schlock like "Blood Diner", "My Bloody Valentine" and "Ghoulies", while introducing the films and appearing during commercial breaks to do comic bits, give away prizes and generally goof off. Many CIL staff members also appeared occasionally, including Tony Waitekus as our accordian-playing neighbor Mr. Papalaskus, Don Buttitta as Trojan Man, Jerome Ritchey as Waring Trowell and Jay Pearce as lovable Don Price. Marty has been out of radio for more than three years now. Besides working as a copywriter at Horizon Hobby and running his own movie review Web site, he has been a professional film critic for various newspapers and written a few freelance articles and reviews.(click on Marty's pic above to go to Marty's Marquee, his movie review website.) |
 |
| Jim Fishback was known as "Fish" on WKFS/Cincinnati, but has returned to the area airwaves on WDDD in Marion, Il where he is the afternoon DJ "Jimmy Fish". He also does the 6pm to 11 pm shift on 92.7 Kiss Fm in Southern Illinois where you can witness the "Freak Show". Jim has ventured out into voiceovers and has done spots for Showtime, Spike TV, The Sci-Fi Channel and most impressively, is one of the DJ voices on the "Grand Theft Auto" PSP video game. Jim has a studio in his home in Marion where he does his voiceovers. |
 |
 |
| CIL-FM newsperson Amy Witte. Amy also worked at WSIL-TV. |
 |
| CIL-FM newsperson Sharron Dennis, who has worked in both Orlando, FL and Washington state television. |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
| Dave Crome, formerly of CIL Sports(and WSIL TV) is alive and doing well as a sports anchor at KDGF tv 33 in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Crome is married to his high school sweetheart Janet and they have 3 children(Nick, Christy and Conner.) |
 |
| Mike Trude formerly of CIL Sports and KFVS TV is now the Director of Marketing for SIU Athletics in Carbondale. |
 |
| Rick "then" |
 |
 |
| Greg Springer worked in the news deptartment at CIL in 1980 and 81 after serving as sports director at WSIU radio and television. He graduated SIU in 1981. After CIL he moved on to WSDR in Sterling, Il. as sports director, where he stayed for 8 years. From there it was on to WFXW in Geneva, Il. for 11 years. Springer is now heard on the Sporting News Radio Network(based in Northbrook, Il.), where he is a sports anchor. He is heard on 400 stations across the country. |
 |
| Doug Dillard, CIL-FM sports. Doug now runs a bar in Olney, IL with his wife former CIL-FM weekender Jennifer Modesette. |
 |
| Rob Steele, , formerly of CIL FM, has operated an online public relations firm since 1983, owned and operated an Internet access business which he sold in 2000 to the largest Internet service provider in the state of Illinois, and currently operates a web publishing and marketing communications company. Today, he also operates an Internet service and web hosting businesses located in Clarksville, TN in addition to his teaching at Austin Peay State University. |
 |
| Tommy Thaviu , a.k.a. "Dr. Tommy Fever" runs a video production company in Chicago. |
 |
 |
 |
| Keith Darnay, former CIL FM newsman and "Swami Pastrami" on Mike Chylewski's show is alive and well and living in Bismarck, North Dakota. |
 |
| Joe then(above) and Now(below) |
| Jim Now |
| Jim then |
 |
| Avril Lavigne was lucky enough to meet "Fish"! |
| Mike "The Polack" Chylewski now runs a company called Care Track International in Carbondale, Il. The company manufactures a small transmitter for Alzheimer patients that tracks them if they wander off. He's been there since 1995. |
| Terry Duckworth runs the audio for televangelist Robert Schuller and the Crystal Cathedral in California. |
| Mike now.... |
 |
 |
| Todd Manly now works for the production department at WGN radio in Chicago where he is the Production Director/Assistant Program Director. |
| Shawna Matthews, who was on the air from 1988-1995 worked for the Zimmer Radio Group in Southern Illinois until 2000. She is currently in Graduate School at SIUC, working on a Masters degree in Couples and Family Counseling. |
| Don Buttita works for the State Police Department in DuQuoin, Il. |
| Dennis Lyle is the CEO of the Illinois Broadcast Association. |
| Mary Jane Dwyer, former CIL News Anchor sadly passed away at her home in New Lenox of natural causes on July 15, 2005. For more click on this link |
 |
| Todd(today) with daughter, Shea |
 |
 |
| Reunion 2005 |
| These guys had a little reunion on Sept. 10, 2005 Pictured are(from left to right)Don Buttitta, Rich Bird (who made it in from Virginia), Tony Waitekus and Mike Reis. |
 |
| Photo from reunion 2005: Back Row: Joey Helleny, Diane Drake, Jay Pearce, John Riley, Shawna Matthews, Leslie & Rich Bird, Kato, Lori Black (former receptionist). Front Row: Tony Waitekus, Don Buttitta & Skip Thomas. |
 |
| Jo Jo Collins is now on the air at 96.3 FM in Witchita, KS. Click on his pic for his current bio. |