Photo courtesy of WHTI
Shelly Perkins and Bill Bevins
After all the speculation about a possible broadcasting encore, the decision turned out to be Easy for Richmond radio’s most popular duo — Easy 100.9 FM, that is. Since their departure from 98.1 WTVR-FM last December, Bill Bevins and Shelly Perkins realized a comeback was the only logical thing to do. “We missed it more than we could have imagined,” Bevins says.
The duo reappeared on our airwaves as the hosts of WHTI-FM’s morning show Aug. 7 — but not before pulling one more move that left everyone guessing. Station owner SummitMedia declined to announce a date for Bevins and Perkins’ return, instead launching a contest in which the first listener to call in after hearing them live on the air would win $5,000. “Listeners will need to tune in every day and listen for clues,” program director Buddy Van Arsdale said at the time.
Summit approached Bevins and Perkins about coming to WHTI, which became a soft adult contemporary station in May, with no intention of messing with the pair’s hugely successful formula. “I think that’s the reason they hired us, was to be us,” Bevins says, “and that’s what we’ll do.” Summit VP/general manager Bob Willoughby cites “their love for Richmond and their listeners” as a major draw for his company, adding, “They have a passion for local broadcasting and making a difference in the community.”
Speaking in July ahead of their comeback, Perkins paid tribute to their loyal
audience who, it seems, the pair have missed as much as listeners have missed them. “They’re the stars of the show,” she says. “Not being a part of their daily lives was a little harder than I expected. So, really being connected with the folks locally every day is what the show will continue to be.”
Easy 100.9 can also be heard at easy1009.com, on the iHeart Radio and TuneInRadio apps, and on Summit’s My Radio Preset app.
