This morning Vince Vitrano announced on air that he will leave WTMJ-TV to replace Gene Mueller as the host of “Wisconsin’s Morning News” on WTMJ 620-AM radio.
He will make the transition, he said, “early next year.”
Mueller announced his retirement, after 44 years, in June.
“I was among those listening and laughing out loud with Reitman and Mueller all those years ago when they were the red hot morning show on WKTI,” Vitrano said, sitting next to his longtime co-anchor Susan Kim.
“To know that I will follow him is both a great honor and a little bit terrifying. (Mueller) is a friend and colleague who I have always looked up to.”
Vitrano – who joined the television news team as a reporter in 2000 – said he expects viewers will still see his face on television after the move.
“Truly this transition will only grow the long relationship that we’ve had both between TV and radio,” he said.
“My last official day here I hope and believe will not be the last time you see me on TV on Channel 4, either.”
Kim offered her congratulations, saying, “What an honor for you. I can’t imagine anybody else that they could have found who would have filled that role as well as you will.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
