Pete Kaliner was born in a sleepy little suburban town of West Islip, New York. Actually, it's not a town at all - but rather a hamlet. Pete completed his primary and secondary education by the age of 18, at which point he fled the northeast for the warmer climate and the friendlier people in the southeast. He attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill , South Carolina where he majored in English. Then "undecided." Then Journalism. Then Mass Communication Broadcast. He minored in Political Science and was upset to learn he could not double-minor -- for he had enough credits in Philosophy, as well. Despite such a bitter disappointment he persevered , and was able to graduate in 1997 with a Bachelors degree and no double-minor.
 
Upon graduation from college, Pete was offered a full-time job at the NPR affiliate WFAE - where he had been an intern the previous year. He took the job, but soon grew restless. He was a membership assistant and that meant he mailed listeners coffee mugs, T-shirts, and bills. He also handled the daily deposit of donations. He liked handling all the money... even if it was all checks and not cash.

Pete then left for a part-time job at a small radio station named WRHI where he quickly rose through the ranks (thanks in large part to everyone else leaving).

After a few years of paying dues, Pete was hired by WBT and quickly rose through the ranks (thanks in large part to everyone else leaving).

Pete also worked one season for the NBA Charlotte Hornets Radio Network. Then the team left for New Orleans. However, Pete is not bitter.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001 Pete began providing news updates for the Matt and Ramona Show. Apparently, this made life easier for the staff there and they asked Pete to continue to do so.

Pete has won several industry awards from the Associated Press and the Radio and Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas - which named him the 2006 North Carolina Journalist of the Year.

Pete is 30 years old, is a Sagittarius, and enjoys political debate, live music, reading, football, playing guitar, camping and taking long walks on the beach... although he lives nowhere near any beaches.

He has been dubbed the "Angry Pit Bull " by Matt and Ramona, although Pete does not consider himself to be angry. "I prefer to call it passion," he says. "However, as far as nicknames go - I really shouldn't complain. After all, I could've been named Shrek or Beano or something like that!"

 

Click here to send Pete an e-mail