By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Oct 15, 2021 at 4:26 PM

After 14 years together, 96.5 WKLH and morning show personality Gino Salomone have parted ways. 

Salomone said his goodbyes on WKLH's Friday morning broadcast alongside co-hosts Dave Luczak and Dorene Michaels, as well as wrote a farewell to his WKLH audience on his Facebook page, noting that the departure was due to an inability to come to terms on a new contract with the station. 

"It was probably the most cordial parting of ways – they let me say goodbye on the air, they let me walk out on my own without HR," Salomone told OnMilwaukee. "I'm saddened by it, but unfortunately things don't always work out, and this was one of those cases."

Salomone marks yet another significant radio personality departure from 96.5 WKLH over just the past year. Karen Dalessandro left the station, and the entire Milwaukee market, back in March for a new radio host gig in Phoenix while Steve Palec aired his final "Rock 'n' Roll Roots" show in April after 34 years behind the microphone. 

Salomone and his effervescent personality have been mainstays in Milwaukee media for more than 30 years, going back to producing and co-hosting at 94.5 WKTI from 1986 until 2007, when he moved to WKLH. And though his time at 96.5 FM is done, he will remain on Milwaukee airwaves – albeit now solely on the television side of things with FOX 6, where his celebrity interviews, pop culture insights and general good-natured humor and commentary can still be found daily on both the channel's 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. news broadcasts as well as on "Real Milwaukee" at 10 a.m.

And as for other potential future plans?

"There are many interesting possibilities, and I'm eager to explore all of them," Salomone said, adding that he would be open to return to radio as well. 

"I've lived a life being able to use my brain for creativity to come up with what to do – and I hope to be able to keep doing that."

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.