By Chuck Darrow
For some folks, decades can pass before they find their calling in life. Steve Trevelise is definitely not one of them
Trevelise is the longtime weeknight host on Trenton-based WKXW-FM (branded as New Jersey 101.5), the radio powerhouse whose signal covers a large swath of the Garden State (as well as most of Philadelphia and chunks of Montgomery and Bucks counties) – and which often sets its political agenda. But he’s no Stevie-Come-Lately to the airwaves: He’s been speaking into a microphone since 1980 – and knew he was destined to do so well before that.
“I grew up [in Union City, New Jersey] listening to [Don] ‘Imus in the Morning,’ “ he said during a recent interview, referring to the long-running program hosted by the incendiary “shock jock” on New York’s WNBC-AM. “And I loved the idea that I could play music and tell jokes and get paid for it. That’s the career I wanted.”
His journey toward that goal began at broadcasting school, which led him to a spot as the overnight host on Trenton top 40 station WPST-FM. He had climbed the ladder to the coveted morning drive-time shift there when, one day in 1982, he received a phone call at the station that sent his career into overdrive.
“I got a call from Steve Feinstein, the music director of [highly rated FM rock station] WYSP, who invited me to come to Philadelphia and be part of the station,” he said.
Trevelise would stay at ’YSP until 1996; during his time there he became a not insignificant part of radio history.
In 1986, the station became the first outlet (outside of New York’s WXRK-FM) to carry Howard Stern’s culture-changing morning program.
“I went from being a rock jock to being the station’s news director and doing morning show updates for the ‘Howard Stern Show,’ ” he recalled.
Despite the job, he was seldom part of Stern’s actual program as he was almost exclusively heard in the Philadelphia market and generally played it straight.
A somewhat unusual career path
After changes were made at WYSP in ’96, Trevelise, who, with wife Deneen, has two sons, Albert and Lennon (a testament to his abiding love of the Beatles), followed a typical career route, finding work at various on-air outposts. But what was somewhat unusual was that all of his positions were either in the Philly market or nearby New Jersey (including a rock-DJ stint at WCHR-FM – “The Hawk” – in Toms River). He wasn’t required – as is often the case – to traverse the country in order to make a living in his chosen field (for instance, former Philadelphia talk-show host Rollye James used to brag about having worked for 32 stations from coast to coast).
His first stop was Shadow Traffic, where he served as both on-air reporter on various morning shows and program director. That was followed, in 2000, by a job that had him working at the Philly stations owned by the Clear Channel (now IHeartMedia) broadcasting conglomerate. In that capacity he was part of the morning team on WRFF-FM (aka Alice 104.5) as well as the traffic monitor on WDAS-AM and FM.
A long wait for a job
While Trevelise didn’t join New Jersey 101.5 until 2011, he had his sights set on a job at the station a lot earlier.
“I applied at New Jersey 101.5 in 2000,” he explained, “and I was told that I was ‘too friendly’ and not ready for talk radio,” he remembered. “I needed to go rough myself up, so I went to Philadelphia. I’m the only guy,” he added with a chuckle, “to go to Philadelphia with the goal of working in New Jersey.”
In 2003, he received a huge career boost from Tom Bigby, the legendary programmer who molded WIP into the Philly talk-radio institution it is today. Trevelise explained that he wanted to learn talk radio while Bigby needed an “update guy,” so each party had something to offer the other. Bigby taught him well, as he soon enough assumed a Saturday morning “overnight” shift that continues to this day (he can be heard from 2 to 5 a.m.).
In 2010, Trevelise – who for many years has had a parallel career as a standup comedian and comedy club owner-operator – finally got the call from NJ 101.5 to do part-time work. A year later, he was made a full-time staffer.
A lighter touch
While most of the station’s hosts tend to drill down on (mostly conservative-leaning) politics, Trevelise likes to lean into pop culture; he often welcomes comedy and musical acts to the studio for live performances. When political topics are raised, he offered, he prefers to inject some elements of levity whenever appropriate.
Trevelise credits Sam Gagliardi, who oversees the on-air content for station owner Townsquare Media, for allowing him the freedom to conduct his show as he sees fit, rather than hew to a specific set of guidelines.
And it’s clear that after all this time, he remains thrilled he set his sights on working at the station so many years ago.
“What makes New Jersey 101.5 unique is that we are totally Jersey, and Jersey’s all about attitude. Jersey oozes from the speakers.
“And radio’s all about relationships. And the relationship that [the station] has with its listeners is unlike any other. And that’s what makes it work.
“I love this place.” ••
