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It's that time of year again. The temperatures outside are beginning to rise, and West Michigan country-music fans are coming down with what has become known as "Bash Fever." Of course, we're talking about the B-93 Birthday Bash, the annual free concert put on by local country radio station WBCT-FM (93.7) to celebrate its existence and to thank its loyal listening audience. B-93 threw the first Birthday Bash on July 24, 1993 (exactly a year after the country station took to the air), which featured Sawyer Brown, Joe Diffie and Robert Ellis Orrall. It drew an estimated 30,000 fans, and the event has grown enormously, in crowd size and the number of acts on the bill... Count on changes as Birthday Bash turns 15 (Sun, 6/17)
To mark the 15th anniversary of Birthday Bash, B-93 staffers share their favorite memories... The best Bash? B-93 staff reminisces (Sun, 6/17)
Nick Alan remembers the night he and his younger brother, Chris, stayed overnight in the studios of Grand Rapids radio station WCUZ-FM, where their father, Brent, was on the air. Brent Alan was hosting the 7 p.m.-midnight shift on WCUZ (now WBFX-FM), which had a country music format at the time. At midnight, the announcer that was scheduled to come in failed to show up, so Brent had to stay on the air until 5 a.m. the next day. Brent planned on calling the boys' mother, Christine, to pick them up. But 8-year-old Nick and 5-year-old Chris begged their father to let them stay so they could sleep on the blue leather couch in the station's lobby... Thunder 94.5 host, 19, picked up tips from dad (Sun, 6/17)
Longtime morning radio personality Geri Jarvis has been off the air at WHTS-FM (105.3) for at least two weeks now, dealing with some health issues. Out of respect for her privacy, station management is not giving more detail... Geri Jarvis off the air (Sun, 6/17)
What do an "Australian Outback Survivor" cast member," a host who worked the red carpet for the TV Guide Channel and the new morning and noon weekday anchor at WWMT-TV (Channel 3) have in common? They are the same person. In addition to his lengthy and impressive resume, Jeff Varner has a "great personality" and is a "terrific anchor," said James Lutton, Channel 3's general manager. Varner will begin in late June and will replace Mike Bridges, who will remain as a weekend anchor and reporter as well as doing fill-in work for News 3... Ex-'Survivor' contestant daytime anchor at WWMT (Sun, 6/17)
Former Fox 17 investigative reporter David Bailey will return to West Michigan later this month as the new shoreline/Grand Rapids reporter for WWMT. He replaces Natalie Shepherd... Reporter David Bailey back at WWMT (Sun, 6/17)
In other WWMT news, Kate Tillotson has been named the new morning reporter. She comes to Kalamazoo via CBS-affiliate WRDW-TV (Channel 12) in Augusta, Ga., where she served as an anchor/reporter... Channel 3 names reporter (Sun, 6/17)
