Off Deadline
Off Deadline goes beyond the headlines to reveal what really happens when the cameras stop rolling and the deadlines pass. Host Melissa DiGianfilippo, Founder and CEO of Proof Publicity, creates a rare safe space where top journalists drop their professional guard to share the moments that changed everything—the ethical crossroads that kept them awake, the sources that most surprised them, the stories that broke them, and the victories no one will ever write about.
From the hilarious disasters to the heart-stopping close calls, veteran journalists share the wild, unforgettable moments that never made it into their reporting. These are the behind-the-scenes confessions, the career-defining chaos, and the human moments that remind us why journalism is equal parts calling and complete madness. This isn't about breaking news—it's about the people who lived through the craziest moments while chasing the story, and the experiences they'll never forget.
If you've ever wondered what it really takes to be a storyteller in our chaotic world, Off Deadline delivers the raw, unfiltered truth behind journalism's most compelling voices.
Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Off Deadline
Karen Dalessandro on Reinvention, Radio Gypsy Life and Becoming a Hall of Fame Broadcaster
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Karen Dalessandro, a multi-award-winning broadcaster whose career spans more than four decades across Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and Phoenix. Karen shares how a high school radio booth sparked her passion, the advice that pushed her into country radio, and the “radio gypsy” lifestyle that shaped her early years.
She opens up about sitting in all 60,000 seats at Miller Park to raise money for child abuse prevention, launching mammogram parties to help women get screened, meeting Taylor Swift before her superstar era, and becoming only the third woman ever inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Karen also reflects on 40 years of marriage, navigating loss, leaning on fitness, and reinventing herself again and again through a constantly changing industry.
Karen can now be heard every afternoon on @1007kslx, where her signature energy continues to connect with listeners across Arizona.
Discussion highlights:
- How a high school radio class sparked her career
- The mentor who pushed her into country radio
- From Detroit to Chicago to Milwaukee to Phoenix
- Radiothons and sitting in 60,000 stadium seats for charity
- Creating mammogram parties and their lasting impact
- Meeting Taylor Swift as a 15 year old “baby artist”
- Becoming the third woman in the Country Radio Hall of Fame
- Surviving the record industry lifestyle in her marriage
- Grief, growth and finding a new dog after loss
- Fitness, certification and staying sharp as a broadcaster
- Why improv changed her confidence and her career
- Reinventing herself for TV and multimedia storytelling
Karen’s story reflects passion, longevity, risk taking and the power of reinvention in media.
🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
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