Jerry Kristafer & The Big D Morning Show with Mike Stevens, Tina Gao and Richard Price
Monday - Friday, 5AM-9AM
Big D Morning Show:
Wake up with your favorite people every morning Jerry Kristafer & the Big D Morning Show! Jerry and Mike Stevens give you everything you need to make it through your morning – tons of the Biggest Hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with Richard Price’s morning news headlines twice an hour and Tina Gao giving you the latest on your commute in the car. Grahame Winters stops by before her shift with the latest “Show Biz Buzz” – and on Fridays, it’s what’s happening in Hartford with Hartford Courant JAVA Columnist Mary Ellen Fillo! Listen for celebrity and newsmaker interviews on-the-air. Plus win cool prizes playing on-air games & contests like the Tricky, Quickie Quiz Question, and "Jerryeopardy"!
- Studio Line, 860-242-0103
- E-mail Jerry, jerry@drcfm.com
- E-mail Mike, mike@drcfm.com
If it's happening around Greater Hartford, or anywhere across Connecticut, you'll hear about it on the Big D Morning Show! Click here for the for the As Heard On section.
Jerry Kristafer
jerry@drcfm.com
Monday-Friday, 5AM-9AM, Saturday 6AM-10AM and Sunday 6:30AM-7AM
Jerry Kristafer's broadcasting career began while he was still in high school back home in "Pig's Eye", South Jersey. After college, he hit the road working at radio stations in Atlantic City and Lakewood, NJ. Then he made stops in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh (twice), before moving to Connecticut. Jerry spent 4 years in New Haven. That was followed by over 16 years in Hartford, more than 15 on DRC-FM!
After almost 10 years back in New Haven hosting a news/talk morning radio program, he was offered the opportunity to return to Hartford as host of the Big D Morning Show. He is currently in his 20th year waking up Greater Hartford morning radio listeners and has been honored by dozens of local and statewide charitable agencies & civic organizations for his dedication to community service during his nearly 35 years on the air here in Connecticut. Jerry has two sons. The younger one is in his senior year at CCSU, and owns his own successful mobile dj business. His older son is married with children. "Papa Jerry" has two granddaughters, a grandson, and is a longtime New York Yankees fan!
Mike Stevens
mikestevens@drcfm.com
Monday-Friday 5AM-9AM, and Sunday 1PM-6PM
Weekday mornings on The Big D, Mike mans the controls, pitches in with sports and adds a little spice to morning drive with Jerry Kristafer and the rest of The Big D Morning Show! His unique sense of humour and ability to find laughter in almost any situation helps ease you into your workday with a smile on your face! Sunday afternoons he's by your side playing the greatest hits of the 60's 70's and 80's as you plan your weekend.
Mike's an active supporter of the March of Dimes, Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Red Cross and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. He's an Honorary Captain in the 2nd Company Governor’s Footguard and participant in the fundraising efforts of the Connecticut Street Rodders’s Association. He's also an accomplished Chef specializing in South Western, Tex-Mex, Cajun and Barbecue Cuisine who can talk your ear off if you get him started on the topic of food and spices!
Tina Gao
Tina Gao became a radio girl by a series of serendipitous events. After graduating from UMass Amherst with a BA in Communication, Tina became a Personal Banker, then a Hedge Fund Administrator at top financial companies. She knew this wasn't the path she wanted to stay on, because there was no passion. She then got a job as a Fundraiser in the Alumni Relations Department at Emerson College in Boston. Through this job, Tina was immersed and surrounded by TV and radio and her eyes were opened to a whole new exciting world! A few months into her new job, Tina decided to take a gigantic leap of faith by quitting her Fundraiser job and fully investing in radio…not knowing at all where the road would take her. She began her radio career on the Street Team at a top Boston radio station and as Luck, Timing and Fate would have it, she earned the rare opportunity to get on the air 3 months later! She hasn't looked back since. Tina absolutely loves being part of your morning commute on The Big D Morning Show.
Tina was born in China and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 7, barely speaking a word of English. She won't tell you what year! She also spent a year in Montreal. Tina is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, French and ENGLISH! Tina is an equal opportunity foodie in the exciting world of peskatarianism. She is also an avid animal lover. She has a cat named Simba and a yellow lab named Google!
One of Tina's favorite quotes is by Joseph Campbell: "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."
Richard Price
Richard is proud, and humbled, to be part of the WDRC and Buckley Radio family. He was born in Hartford, raised in West Hartford, and was an avid listener to WDRC in the early days of Rock ‘n Roll when WDRC was the driving force behind music in our region. In addition, Richard always listened to the news and fondly recalls Walt Dibble, Lon Landis and Bryant Thomas on WDRC's Earwitness News. Richard had the privilege of working will all three news veterans when he got into the business in 1986.
Richard attended Catholic schools in West Hartford, St. Thomas the Apostle and Northwest Catholic, before heading to college. He received his associate’s degree from Tunxis Community College and two Bachelors of Arts from Central Connecticut State University, graduating with a dual major in Political Science and History. After a nine-year stint in the insurance industry, Richard decided it was time for a change and enrolled at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting (founded by the legendary DJ Dick Robinson), and began his career behind the microphone.
In his nearly 30 years in broadcasting Richard has worked at radio stations in Bristol, Hartford, Middletown, New Haven, Newington, Norwich and Torrington. His experience as a reporter and news anchor earned him top honors, winning the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters Association award for “Best Newscast” in 1994 and 1998.
On a personal note, Richard has been happily married to his wife Cindy since 1993 and is blessed with two wonderful children, Jakob and Jilian. Yes, they’re twins and present Richard and Cindy with many challenges, as well as lots of love and comic relief with their antics.
Java with MaryEllen Fillo
Every Friday at 8:35, Harford Courant Java columnist MaryEllen Fillo has the scoop on local celebs making headlines with her Java Reports.
I heard it on the Big D Morning Show...
If you heard it this morning on the Big D Morning Show with Jerry Kristafer, Mike Stevens, Tina Gao and Richard Price, chances are you can find out more about it and share it with your friends on the Big D Morning Show As Heard On.