WIVK/Knoxville's 'Andy & Alison' Set To Retire

Alison Mencer And Andy Ritchie

CUMULUS Country WIVK/KNOXVILLE morning team ANDY & ALISON are set to retire after a 20-year run on the station. ANDY RITCHIE and ALISON MENCER will step away from radio and sign off from WIVK's weekday morning show, "ANDY & ALISON AND THE MORNING CREW," but have agreed to remain handling wakeups while WIVK conducts a nationwide search for their replacements. "ANDY & ALISON AND THE MORNING CREW" is only the third morning show in the station's 50-plus years on the air having signed on in 1997.

"ANDY and ALISON have earned a well-deserved place in the illustrious history of WIVK," said CUMULUS/KNOXVILLE VP/Market Manager KEN SALYER. "They have been the 'morning crew' for EAST TENNESSEE for the last 20 years. It's been an honor to have been associated with them. We'll miss them."

Added WIVK PD NIKKI THOMAS, "I have so much love and respect for ANDY and ALISON. It has been a tremendous honor to work with two of the most professional and revered broadcasters in Country radio. I am sad to see them go...but, I'm happy for their decision to spend more time with their families. Who could ever find fault with someone doing something [that] makes them happy?"

"A huge THANK YOU to our EAST TENNESSEE listening family for allowing us to be a small part of your lives for the past 20 years!" said RITCHIE. "I hope we were at least able to put a smile on your face. You are the best! Making the decision to leave our friends at WIVK was not an easy one. I can't imagine a  better place to spend the past two decades on the air. It's time for a change. I'm incredibly excited about new adventures with more time to work from my home studio, spend time with my family, and sleep late! Did I mention sleeping late?! What I'm most thrilled about is no longer needing to answer the question, 'Hey, ANDY! Where's ALISON?'" Added MENCER, "It has been an honor and a privilege to work for the #1 Country station in AMERICA for the past 20 years. WIVK has been the voice of information and entertainment for the EAST TENNESSEE area for over 60 years, and I am extremely proud to have been a part of it. I will miss my co-workers, who I also consider friends, and this great radio station. I look forward to no longer setting my alarm at 4a and being able to go to a movie at 9p without falling asleep! It is time for me to move on, do some traveling with my husband, and find some new adventures in life."

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