Wednesday, July 21, 2010
By Jeff Nuich
CSN Chicago Senior Director of CommunicationsCSNChicago.com Contributor
Want to know more about your favorite Chicago media celebrities? CSNChicago.com has your fix as we put the citys most popular personalities on the spot with everyones favorite weekly local celeb feature entitled 5 Questions with...
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Every Wednesday exclusively on CSNChicago.com, its our turn to grill the local media and other local VIPs with five random sports and non-sports related questions that will definitely be of interest to old and new fans alike.
This weeks special guest on the ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of 5 Questions with: shes the co-host of the No. 1-rated and wildly-entertaining morning radio show in Chicago who can be heard weekdays from 5:30-10 a.m. on 101.9 FM WTMX The MIX ... shes a devoted wife, a proud mom of three kids and a huge Chicago sports fan who can also pretty much kick anyones behind with her expert knowledge in martial arts ... shes a true Chicago original, here are 5 Questions with... KATHY HART!
BIO: Growing up, Kathy Hart wanted to be a detective and despite fantasies about being Sydney Bristow from "Alias, she is glad to be on the air at The MIX, close to her hometown of Crystal Lake. After years of working in radio in Rockford, Phoenix, and Raleigh, she decided to quit her job and move home. Kathy enjoys the perks of her position such as meeting celebrities, but is happiest when she's on a massage table. You may be surprised to know that Kathy was in the chess club and her family was in the Clinton Fencehoppers Snowmobile Club.
1) CSNChicago.com: Kathy, first up, congrats on the massive success for the Eric & Kathy show on The MIX. You and your on-air partner Eric Ferguson, who happened to be the very first guest interview for CSNChicago.coms 5 Questions with... exactly one year ago, are just simply dominating the Chicago morning airwaves these days. How does it feel to be a co-host of the No. 1-rated radio show in a huge market like this and how much pressure is there for you and your entire morning team to maintain that No. 1 status going forward?
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Hart: Having grown up in the area, I was a Chicago radio geek, almost bordering on "groupie" status, requesting songs, trying to win contests and crushing on Bob Sirott, so I recognize the significance of being successful in this town. We try to never forget who our audience is and never forget to just have fun. Our industry is constantly evolving. There is pressure not only to be aware of our on-air competition, but also satellite radio, CD's, mp3's, etc. We know if we keep our listeners as an active part of the show, stay local and reinvent ourselves, we'll do OK.
2) CSNChicago.com: Who were some of your favorite in-studio celebrity guests ever to appear live on the Eric & Kathy show and what made their appearances so much fun for you personally ... and, a follow-up question, tell us whos the one guest that left you a little disappointed?
Hart: Ive answered this question the same way for years and Im still waiting for something to top it. When Lenny Kravitz was at his height of popularity (and I was a HUGE fan) he came into the studio. I had read that he was braggin on his grilled cheese sandwich and no one could make one better. We challenged him to that. I got two of my favorite things that morning: Lenny Kravitz and the best grilled cheese sandwich Ive ever had.
As for a guest who disappointed us ... one of the first that comes to mind is when Mark Wahlberg hung up on us. He's very private and we were instructed to not ask any personal questions. In a somewhat indirect way, we asked what could be construed a personal question, so he immediately hung up on us. Other guests in similar situations occurred when Nick Lachey had broken up with Jessica Simpson, we were told to "not go there." We asked him who his favorite Simpson was ... "Bart, Homer or Marge? He laughed and was totally cool about it.
3) CSNChicago.com: As a mom with children involved in competitive sports, what advice do you have for those parents out there who take their kids participation in sports a little too seriously?
Hart: Its important to teach kids a competitive spirit, however, its just as important to teach them to be a good sport and a gracious loser. Fortunately, my kids are following in my footsteps and are not at the top as far as skill level, so I dont have to worry about travel teams and the drama that sometimes goes with it. For that reason, as far as sports go, I embrace mediocrity in my kids!
4) CSNChicago.com: Your popular Web site, www.HealthywithHart.com, is devoted to helping both adults and their children live a healthier lifestyle on a daily basis. In a society where, unfortunately, more adults and kids are becoming increasingly overweight, tell us your basic thoughts on what people need to do to simply get the ball rolling on a healthier lifestyle track.
Hart: Being healthy is a simple equation that every one of us already knows. Eat right and exercise. Unfortunately, convenience is killing us. Its too easy, inexpensive and convenient to buy food that is not healthy. It takes a conscious effort to break the bad habits and eat healthy. As for exercise, we all know we should do it but its just too easy to be lazy!
A fact that shocked me was when was I read former Surgeon General C. Everett Coop said, "Nearly 75 percent of all deaths that occur in the U.S. each year are from diseases that could've been prevented through proper nutrition. Holy crap! That's a wake-up call to pay attention to what we put in our bodies. My mom recently went through treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma and I learned a lot about how toxic our everyday environment is not only with the foods we eat, but household products, etc. All that said, there are days I HAVE to have a cheeseburger or a Rosati's pizza!
5) CSNChicago.com: Name five songs on your iPod that listeners would never hear on The MIX.
Hart: U2: Out of Control; Franz Ferdinand: No You Girls; 3 Days Grace: Break; LL Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out; Dixie Chicks: Not Ready To Make Nice
Hart LINKS:
101.9fm The MIX Eric & Kathy home page
Kathys blog on wtmx.com
Kathys Healthy with Hart official Web site
Kathy Hart on Facebook
Kathy Hart on Twitter