Wendy Williams Quits Radio For TV Gig

It’s the end of an era. Longtime hip-hop radio personality Wendy Williams officially called it quits on the airwaves yesterday (July 22).

The Wendy Williams Experience will continue until July 31 before she shifts her focus to her TV spot, The Wendy Williams Show. The program, which had a trial run last summer, recently began its national syndication on July 13 to good results.

Williams seemed saddened by her decision to leave radio, but enthused about her new home on the small screen. “My hope is that you will do your best to find me on your remote so I can continue to entertain and inform you each and every day,” she said in a statement.

The radio host, who has been known for stirring up controversy with numerous hip-hop artists throughout her career, has been working for New York station WBLS since 2002. “We are saddened to lose one of our most popular personalities,” said Deon Levingston, the station’s vice president and general manager. “But we understand what it requires to put a live show on television each and every day and wish Wendy all the best in this new venture.”

Throughout her career on the air, Williams has had gigs on New York’s famed Hot 97, Kiss FM and WPLJ stations before heading to WBLS. She is notorious for broadcasting gossip about hip-hop stars and celebrities during her broadcasts and has earned quite a reputation in the rap world. She has been the subject of several rapper’s rhymes, including Jay-Z, Lil' Kim and Tupac, among others.

The Wendy Williams Show airs on numerous networks across the country, including FOX, MyNetworkTV, The CW, ABC and BET. Check your local listings for show times. –Elan Mancini