Mario Hilario
WJAR-TV
Mario Hilario has been a trusted voice in Rhode Island for more than three decades. Named anchor
of NBC 10 News Sunrise in 2019, he succeeded the legendary Frank Coletta after nearly 22 years
anchoring NBC 10 Weekend Sunrise and covering some of the region’s biggest stories, from the
shooting death of Cornel Young Jr. to the Station Nightclub Fire to the historic floods of 2010. In
2022, he added co-host of Studio 10 to his on-air roles.
A 1992 graduate of Emerson College, Mario began his career at WLVI-TV in Boston before reporting
for WLNE-TV and serving as anchor and managing editor for Metro News in Brockton,
Massachusetts.
Since moving to Rhode Island in 1996, Mario has become deeply involved in the community,
volunteering with numerous nonprofits. He received Spurwink RI’s Big Heart Award in 2010 and
Mentor RI’s first Peter Koch Memorial Award in 2016 for his long-standing commitment to Dancing
with the Stars of Mentoring. He is also a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island’s Alpha II Class, has
served on its Board of Governors, and currently serves on the Board of the Girl Scouts of
Southeastern New England.
Outside of work, Mario enjoys fitness, piano, cooking, dancing—and life with his beloved dog, Duke.
Doris Burke
PC basketball player and NBA analyst for ESPN
Doris Burke is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster and the lead NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC.
In 2024, she made history as the first woman to serve as a television analyst for a major American men’s sports
championship when she called the NBA Finals on ABC. She previously became the first woman to serve as a
game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform when she worked ESPN Radio’s coverage in 2020.
Burke joined ESPN in 1991 and has since been a leading voice across the NBA, WNBA, and men’s and
women’s college basketball. She was the NBA Finals sideline reporter on ABC for nine years before becoming
a national NBA game analyst in 2017, the first woman to hold that role full time. Her contributions have earned
numerous honors, including the 2017 WISE Women of the Year Award and the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media
Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
A standout basketball player at Providence College, Burke set multiple records and later served as an assistant
coach. She has been inducted into the Providence College, New England, and Scholar-Athlete Halls of Fame.
Steve Cascione
WLNE-TV, WPRI-TV, B101 radio, WADK radio
Steve Cascione, a University of Rhode Island graduate in Meteorology and Geography, launched his career in
1978 as a forecast meteorologist for AccuWeather while teaching at URI and assisting with weather briefings
for WLNE-TV. In 1980, he landed his dream job as on-air meteorologist at WLNE, where he also founded
Ocean State Weather, his own consulting business.
For 22 years, Steve became a trusted presence on ABC6 before moving in 2002 to WPRI/WNAC Fox
Providence, where he co-hosted Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at Noon alongside
Pamela Watts. He returned to ABC6 in 2007, taking on dual roles as both news anchor and
meteorologist—becoming perhaps the only broadcaster to “toss to himself” for the weather.
Across his 36-year television career, Steve covered some of the region’s most powerful storms, including
Hurricanes Gloria (1986) and Bob (1991), Superstorm Sandy (2012), and countless Nor’easters. He retired from
TV in 2016 but continues to serve Rhode Island as a meteorologist for the Department of Transportation,
advising on storms, flooding, and hazardous weather impacting the state’s infrastructure.
A past member of the American Meteorological Society, Steve earned the AMS Seal of Approval and was
inducted into the NATAS Boston/New England Silver Circle in 2006.
Tony Mendez
Poder Spanish Radio
Tony Méndez is CEO of Videomundo Broadcasting, home to WPMZ Poder 1110 AM and 102.1 FM—the first
24/7 Spanish-language radio station in Rhode Island. Founded in 1995 with partners Zoilo García and Dilson
Méndez, Poder has become a vital voice for the Hispanic community, delivering news, entertainment, and
advocacy on issues from voter participation to census outreach.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Tony immigrated to the U.S. in 1977, attended Providence public schools, and
later studied at URI, Rhode Island College, and Leadership Rhode Island. His radio journey began at URI’s
90.3 FM, where he created the station’s first Spanish-language program, introducing Hispanic music to its
airwaves and laying the foundation for a career dedicated to amplifying Latino voices.
Before Poder, Tony was General Manager of Spanish Programming at WJFD 97.3 FM – Radio Globo. His
leadership has since extended beyond broadcasting: he has served on the boards of the Rhode Island
Community Food Bank, R.I. Convention Center, United Way of Rhode Island advisory committee, and Girl
Scouts of Rhode Island. He currently serves on the Rhode Island Foundation board, championing equity in
education, health, and the economy.
In 2023, Tony and his partners received the Community Excellence in Leadership Award from Quisqueya in
Action. A West Warwick resident, he and his wife Yocasta are proud parents of two daughters.
John DeLuca
WLNE -TV
John DeLuca, longtime news anchor at ABC6, has been a familiar face in Southern New England for more than
31 years. He joined ABC6 in 1999 as a general assignment reporter after stops at KMPH in Fresno, California,
and WCBI in Columbus, Mississippi, where he began his career as a weekend sports anchor.
Over the years, John has been on the front lines of some of the region’s biggest stories—the Station Nightclub
Fire, the tragic plane crash of JFK Jr., the federal indictment of Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, the COVID-
19 pandemic, the Patriots’ Super Bowl championships, and the historic Bristol 4th of July Parade.
A proud New Englander, John was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, raised in Cranston, and graduated from
Cranston East High School and the University of Rhode Island. Today he calls Barrington home, where he lives
with his wife and their spirited 15-pound “guard dog.” They are proud parents of two adult children.
When he’s not on air, John stays active at the gym, works on his golf swing, and soaks up Rhode Island’s
natural beauty by the water. With deep roots and decades of trusted reporting, John remains a true voice of his
community.
Andy Lamchick
iHeart Media
Andy Lamchick is one of the longest-serving Account Executives in the Providence market, now in his 45th
year. Since starting in 1980, he has developed hundreds of successful advertising campaigns that helped local
businesses grow from “no name” startups into market leaders.
Andy began his career in radio sales at WHJY (then Beautiful Music) and WHIM (Country), just as Franks
Broadcasting was reshaping the Providence market. He became one of the three original salesmen for 94 HJY
when it launched as an Album-Oriented Rock station, creating the legendary Bettencourt’s Honda campaign
that propelled the dealership to #1 in the Northeast. His creative writing skills fueled memorable campaigns for
Off Track Bedding, Phred’s Drug, and Cardi’s Furniture and Mattresses, where he also served as copywriter in
the 1990s.
In 1994, Andy joined WWRX, becoming a passionate seller of the Imus in the Morning show, before Clear
Channel (now iHeart Radio) brought him back to his original stations WHJY, WHJJ, and WSNE in 2000. He
has remained there ever since, building long-term client relationships with Wood’s Heating, Continental
Engineering, Cardi’s, and more.
A three-time Presidents Club honoree, Andy joined iHeart’s Million Dollar Club in 2024, cementing his
reputation as a creative, client-focused sales leader.