SuperTalk Mississippi Media is pleased to announce a new show for the time slot left vacant by talk radio icon Paul Gallo, who passed away last month after more than five decades on the air.
Mornings with Richard Cross will air every weekday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the statewide SuperTalk Mississippi network, on SuperTalk TV, and through the SuperTalk Mississippi mobile app. The show promises to be a must-listen on the way to work and in the office, continuing the news-entertainment form perfected by Gallo.
“Paul Gallo set a standard for what morning talk radio, at its best, is supposed to be in Mississippi,” Cross said. “It’s an honor to have the trust of this company and its audience to take on this role, to sit in that chair, to sit in front of that microphone, and try to carry on the legacy of Paul.”
Cross, no stranger to SuperTalk’s listening base, has been with the company for the better part of 25 years, working tirelessly to become one of the most respected broadcasters in not only Mississippi but the entire nation.
“Richard Cross is a name synonymous with radio and TV broadcasting for people across the country. There is no person more qualified, more talented, or harder working than Richard to take on this role as a trusted voice for people to start their mornings alongside,” SuperTalk Mississippi Media President and CEO Kim Dillon said. “I am confident he will take this opportunity and create a lasting legacy just as his predecessor, Paul Gallo, did.”
Cross began his career announcing high school and college sports on the local level while also working as an account executive with SuperTalk Mississippi Media. After a short hiatus away from radio, the microphone kept calling and Cross couldn’t help but answer. By the mid-2000s, he was hosting a statewide sports show under the SuperTalk Mississippi umbrella while calling games for the Sun Belt Conference and serving as a sideline reporter for the University of Mississippi.
He was later contracted by ESPN and the SEC Network and has served as the voice behind many big moments on the gridiron, on the court, and on the diamond that audiences throughout the Southeast and across the country were tuning into. He never forgot where his home was, though, continuing to serve as an afternoon host on SportsTalk Mississippi. Since 2018, the show has been the most listened to sports program in the Magnolia State.
While Cross noted that he has “big shoes to fill” and is excited to be moving to a different spot with an expanded genre – one that includes everything from human interest to political stories – he’s already had a few months to get his feet wet. Since October, Cross has filled in for Gallo on an interim basis and has interviewed politicians from Jackson to Washington, award-winning artists, and university presidents, among others.
“It’s been a new challenge, which has been fun. It’s exciting to feel like you’re learning something new but within the same realm of what you’ve been doing,” he said. “Talking into a microphone is talking into a microphone, regardless of the subject matter. But you better be educated in that subject matter, because our listeners are smart. The audience is engaged, they keep up with what’s going on, and they hold you accountable.”
As for the goal of the new morning show, Cross said: “To make Mississippi a better place, to make a difference, to not just be a filler on your way to work or while you’re taking the kids to school, to have listeners be able to tune in and learn something, maybe feel something, and walk away a little entertained, a little smarter, and a little more informed.”
About SuperTalk Mississippi Media
With four statewide radio networks, 12 talk radio stations, 16 music stations, SuperTalk TV, over 45 news affiliates, and a trailblazing digital marketing division in STMM Digital, SuperTalk Mississippi Media covers every inch of the state. SuperTalk Mississippi Network delivers simulcast programming to 12 stations that cover all 82 counties in the state and explores many issues from social, political, and sports news across Mississippi and the nation and includes shows such as Mornings with Richard Cross, MidDays with Gerard Gibert, SportsTalk Mississippi, and Good Things with Rebecca Turner. For more information, visit www.supertalk.fm.
