Category: Newsroom & On-Air Staff

Mike Perini is Michigan Radio’s midday host. He started at the station in 1996 as a temporary, fill-in announcer and was made the full-time midday host in 2002. Mike likes to spend his vacations visiting some of the offbeat places in America’s heartland. Continue reading “Mike Perini | Midday Host”

Rick Pluta has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener. Continue reading “Rick Pluta | Reporter / Producer / Co-Host, It’s Just Politics”

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Radio. She began her career at Michigan Radio as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.
Continue reading “Tracy Samilton | Energy and Transportation Reporter / Producer”

Tyler Scott is the weekend afternoon host at Michigan Radio, though you can often hear him filling in at other times during the week. Tyler started in radio at age 18, as a board operator at WMLM 1520AM in Alma, Michigan, where he later became host of The Morning Show. He studied political science and graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in 2016. Continue reading “Tyler Scott | Weekend afternoon host”

Christina began her career in radio at Michigan Radio while a student at the University of Michigan. She was a producer and researcher for The Todd Mundt Show, and then hosted Weekend Edition. Continue reading “Christina Shockley | Host, All Things Considered”

Lindsey Smith is Michigan Radio’s Morning News Editor. She previously served as Michigan Radio’s investigative reporter and West Michigan Reporter.

Lindsey’s work has been repeatedly recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and Michigan Associated Press. She co-wrote and co-hosted the 2018 Peabody award winning podcast, Believed, about how former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar got away with sexual abuse for decades. Continue reading “Lindsey Smith | Morning News Editor”

Lauren returned to Michigan Radio nearly a decade after her very first internship as a newsroom intern. In her role as Morning Edition producer, Lauren coordinates and edits interviews, writes news copy, and helps make Doug Tribou sound good on air. Continue reading “Lauren Talley | Producer, Morning Edition”

Doug Tribou joined the Michigan Radio staff as the host of Morning Edition in June 2016. Doug first moved to Michigan in 2015 when he was awarded a Knight-Wallace journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Continue reading “Doug Tribou | Host, Morning Edition”

April Van Buren is a producer for Stateside. She produces interviews for air as well as web and social media content for the show.

Before landing at Michigan Radio, April worked as a producer for Current State at WKAR and a reporting intern and producer at WBEZ in Chicago.
Continue reading “April Van Buren | Producer”

Kate Wells has been a reporter at Michigan Radio since 2012. Her reporting at the station runs the gamut, from the wrongful conviction of a 14-year-old boy in a quadruple homicide, to refugees building new lives in this state, to how swing voters helped Donald Trump turn Michigan red. For the past couple years, she’s been covering the Larry Nassar case. Continue reading “Kate Wells | Reporter”