www.rebeccaortiz.com/bio

Rebecca is the youngest of 3 daughters, and has been in radio since 2003.

She is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a Major in Journalism. She is
also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists since 2001, and
AFTRA.

Rebecca’s career in the public eye started at the age of 16 when she began
competing in beauty pageants.

She won the titles of ‘Miss Cary 1994’, ‘Miss McHenry County 1994/95’ and
competed in the ‘Miss Illinois County Fair Pageant’ at the age of 17. She was the
2nd youngest of 84 contestants.

Following that, she also competed in 'Miss Illinois-America' preliminary pageants,
and was on the committee for her hometown pageant for close to 10 years,
directing it for 3.

All of Rebecca’s public speaking skills, and representing her community through
pageants, inspired her to be a News and Entertainment Writer/Reporter.

During her senior year in college, she applied for an internship at ABC-7 Chicago
on a whim because she had no interest in the internships available for magazine
and newspaper writers.

She was hired, and interned as a writer in their “Creative Services/Promotions”
department.

During that time she also served as the Music Editor for Columbia’s in-house
magazine ‘Echo’.

Upon Graduation in 2001, Rebecca was hired for Freelance work at ABC-7
Chicago, and also worked as a Freelance Producer for UPN’s financial network
“Web-FN”.

While at Web-FN, she also did on-air work for a daily segment called “War and
Wallstreet” which gave the bullish and bearish stocks of the day.

In 2002, Rebecca was brought on under contract with Time Warner as one of the
Associate Producer’s for “The Jenny Jones Show,” and remained there until the
show was canceled in late 2003.

While the company looked for another show to place her, Rebecca ran in to an
Emcee from a local pageant she had competed in several years past. Stew Cohen,
News Director at Nextmedia’s WZSR STAR 105.5FM (the pageant emcee) gave
her the number of the Program Director. He said they might be looking for some
help with promotional work. Rebecca called that afternoon. The rest is radio
history!

Rebecca worked part-time at WZSR in promotions for 2 months until she broke
her contract with Time Warner to work as the Promotions Director in May 2003.
(She was going to be placed at “The Judge Mathis Show”).

Rebecca had always been passionate about music, and liked the idea of being
able to connect with the community again - which was what led her to a career in
journalism in the first place. It was at that time that she also caught the “Radio
Bug”.

Rebecca spent her evenings and weekends learning how to use the equipment
and the “in’s and out’s” of the business. She was eventually given the ‘Overnight’
slot (voice-tracked), and worked her way to ‘Late Nights’. She also became the
filler for the Morning Show. Rebecca knew she had finally found her calling, and
found her home at Nextmedia’s WXLC 102.3FM in July 2004 as a part of “The
Joe Show with Rebecca”.

In October 2005, the show officially changed it’s name to “The Joe and Rebecca
Show.”

The show gained lots of momentum adding on Podcasting, A Web Cam, and an
Online Stream making them global!

They were also nominated for a Silver Dome Award in 2007 for their charity
broadcast, "Caring for Kids" to raise money for the Allendale Association in Lake
Villa, IL.

Rebecca also got the chance to use her writing skills. She was the creator of “The
Hollywood Freakshow,” an entertainment report that airs twice daily.
An online version was later created, complete with pictures, and bonus footage
which Rebecca does personally 7-days-a-week! (now called "Rebecca's Rumors")

Together Joe Cicero and Rebecca woke Lake County up every morning Monday -
Friday from 5am - 9am until Joe left in February 2008.

Rebecca continued on with a new co-host for, "Mornings with Rebecca and Jon" -
a first for having a female name lead the male's in morning radio.

Jon left the show after only a few weeks. Rebecca ran the show solo, with the
help of Monica DiSantis (traffic) and Tim Vander Tuuk (news) until May 2008
when the company decided to change directions.

During that time, Rebecca also did guest work for “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse”
(2005 – “Juanita the Hot Latina Bombshell”), and in March 2007, she began
doing Weekends and filler work, at WZOK 97.5.FM (Culumus Radio) in Rockford.

In March 2008, Rebecca also worked briefly at WILV-FM 100.3 (Bonneville Radio)
in Chicago for weekends/filler as 'Carmen Torrez,' until she was hired by
Chicago's WBBM-FM 96.3 (CBS Radio).

You can currently hear her on B96 every weekend.

As far as Rebecca's radio style, she didn't quite know how to describe it.

"I guess I just always try to be myself and hope people like it, " she laughs. "I
just feel like I belong here, and this is what I was meant to do. I can't imagine
myself doing anything else. Music is my life. I love to laugh. I get excited over
celebrities / celebrity gossip - all of that. Regardless of what I'm going through
that day, I can go on-air for a few hours, have fun, just let it all go, and I try to
bring that to the listeners."

Rebecca looks forward to a long and successful career in radio.

w w w . r e b e c c a o r t i z . c o m

www.rebeccaortiz.com!

Bio

Rebecca Extras:

Now Playing:

Britney Spears: Womanizer

I certainly believe…
Everything happens for a reason!

I never go…
Anywhere without my cellphone

I enjoy…
Spending time with family and friends

Favorite movie scene…
The scene in "Anchorman" when Will Ferrell is
screaming in the phone booth about his dog Baxter
getting drop-kicked over the bridge. That whole movie
just kills me though!

Favorite memory about college…
I'm a giant dork! I loved homework and school in
general. I never really partied. I was sooo focused!
Going to Columbia College Chicago from the suburbs
and spending everyday in the city changed my life.

My biggest Mistake …
Thinking if you love someone enough it will work out.
Boo-hoo I know!

I've never…
Been sky-diving...but I will!

Who is on your “Freebie” list?
Justin Timberlake, Christian Bale, Justin Timberlake,
David Beckham, and Tatum Channing. Did I mention
Justin Timberlake?

Favorite scent…
Coconut! I LOVE the smell of coconut. I even smell like
a coconut! Strangely though, I hate the way it tastes! I
won't eat it!

What food can you NEVER resist?
Chocolate covered strawberries! Mmm!