Kristi Lee

{{Short description|American radio personality}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox presenter

|name = Kristi Lee

|image = Kristi Lee.JPG

|image_upright = 1

|caption = Lee in 2008

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|birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana

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|show = The Bob & Tom Show

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|country = United States

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|website = {{url|kristileenews.com}}

}}

Kristi Lee is the news director and a co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Bob & Tom Show and is responsible for delivering newscasts of various headlines (which are often used for humorous takeoffs) during the show. She is also a member of the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame Class of 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.bobandtom.com/2022/07/07/the-bob-tom-shows-kristi-lee-named-to-2022-indiana-broadcast-pioneers-hall-of-fame/|title=The BOB & TOM Show's Kristi Lee Named to 2022 Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame|date=7 July 2022 |access-date=7 July 2022}}

Lee often hosted or participated in Bob and Tom Radio: The Comedy Tour shows.{{cite news |last=Coudret |first=Rebecca |title=Comedy tour: She stands her ground when 'Bob & Tom' start tossing barbs |url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/apr/19/comedy-tour-she-stands-her-ground-when-bob-amp/ |date=2007-04-19 |access-date=2007-11-29}}

Lee graduated from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and got her start on WBDG, the school's station.{{Cite web|url=https://bdhs.wayne.k12.in.us/services/wbdg/past_to_present/|title=You are being redirected...|website=bdhs.wayne.k12.in.us|accessdate=15 August 2023}} She attended Indiana University.

Lee's first full-time job in communications was at WRTV, where she was a television engineer for six years. At the time, she was also a part-time disc jockey for WFBQ Q95, the station which eventually hired Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold for mornings. She began her full-time radio career on The Bob and Tom Show in 1988. Lee was also featured on ESPN and ESPN2 as a sideline reporter, covering events like lacrosse, auto racing, and the first three X Games on ESPN2. In the mid-nineties, she was the sideline reporter for the NBA's Indiana Pacers.

On January 11, 2016, Lee announced that she was leaving The Bob and Tom Show. Prior to her later return, Lee's last "on air" appearance was on December 17, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.nuvo.net/arts/general_arts/first-bob-now-kristi-lee/article_d8aac8e8-053b-5db4-9c47-e215e9b213f5.html|title=First Bob, now Kristi Lee|first=Ed|last=Wenck|date=January 11, 2016 |access-date=26 April 2017}} In an April 2016 appearance on the Hammer and Nigel podcast, Lee revealed that her Bob and Tom contract had been "rolling over for 12 years" and included a three-month non-compete clause, a length brief enough as to be considered "unheard of in our business." Since any new contract would likely have extended her non-compete requirement to six or 12 months, Lee said she chose not to renew her contract. It was "time to try something different," Lee said. "If I'm going to do this, it's going to have to be now."{{cite web|url=http://hammerandnigel.com/podcast-2/kristi-lee-new-morning-life-hn241/|title=Kristi Lee and the New Morning Life – HN241|date=15 April 2016|access-date=26 April 2017}} The announcement and timing of Kevoian's December 2015 retirement{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_YFS8dbV4k |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/i_YFS8dbV4k |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Bob and Tom Accept their Induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame|last=The BOB & TOM Show|date=7 November 2015|access-date=26 April 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} was a surprise to Lee, and she told the Dan Dakich Show that "Bob wasn't there, and I didn't want to sit in that room without Bobby" despite her continued fondness for Griswold and Chick McGee, the show's remaining longtime stars.{{cite web|url=http://www.1070thefan.com/blogs/dan-dakich-show/kristi-lee-uninterrupted-plus-more-dan-dakich-jason-benetti|title=Kristi Lee is Uninterrupted plus more from Dan Dakich & Jason Benetti. - WFNI ESPN 107.5 / 1070 The Fan - Indy's SportsCenter|access-date=26 April 2017}}

On July 8, 2016, The Bob and Tom Show announced that Lee would return to the show on July 11, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.bobandtom.com/2016/07/08/the-bob-tom-show-welcomes-kristi-lee-back-to-the-show/ |title=The BOB & TOM Show Welcomes Kristi Lee Back To The Show |date=8 July 2016 |access-date=26 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708154516/http://www.bobandtom.com/2016/07/08/the-bob-tom-show-welcomes-kristi-lee-back-to-the-show/ |archive-date= 8 July 2016 }} In an interview with BoomerTV's Patty Spitler, Lee reiterated that a desire to find her own voice as an interviewer and to create her "own brand" were her primary motivations for what ended up being a hiatus from The Bob and Tom Show. Lee also said Griswold initiated the discussions which led to her return.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_wc_aI_Od0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/M_wc_aI_Od0 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Kristi Lee|last=BoomerTV|date=15 August 2016|access-date=26 April 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

During her six-month break from Bob and Tom, Lee began hosting a podcast titled Kristi Lee Uninterrupted,{{cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kristi-lee-uninterrupted/id1099512078?mt=2|title=Kristi Lee Uninterrupted by Kristi Lee on Apple Podcasts|website=iTunes|access-date=26 April 2017}} which debuted on April 5, 2016,{{cite web|url=http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/02/12/kevoian-griswold-smiley-indianapolis-radio-entercom-westwood-q95-morning-comedy/79335128/|title=Morning radio is an evolving, funny business|last=Lindquist|first=David|date=February 12, 2016|publisher=Indianapolis Star|access-date=February 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226171653/http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/02/12/kevoian-griswold-smiley-indianapolis-radio-entercom-westwood-q95-morning-comedy/79335128/|archive-date=February 26, 2016}} and was affiliated with Dr. Will's Neighborhood.{{cite web|url=http://www.drwill.com/|title=Dr. Will's Neighborhood|publisher=drwill.com|access-date=February 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226170843/http://www.drwill.com/|archive-date=February 26, 2016}} Its title is a reference to Griswold's habit of constantly interrupting her Bob and Tom Show news reports. Lee produced podcast episodes through August 2018.{{cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kristi-lee-uninterrupted/id1099512078|title=Kristi Lee Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts|date=August 2018 |access-date=7 July 2022}}

On June 27, 2022, Lee was named as a member of the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame Class of 2022, and the induction ceremony took place on October 4, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.youarecurrent.com/2022/09/26/zionsville-resident-lee-to-be-inducted-into-broadcast-hall-of-fame/|title=Zionsville resident Kristi Lee to be inducted into Broadcast Hall of Fame|date=26 September 2022 |access-date=5 October 2022}}

Kristi's engagement to a gentleman named "Andy" was announced on the Bob and Tom Show on March 21, 2023.{{cite tweet|user=bobandtom|number=1638131053280854021|title=Congratulations and Best Wishes to @kristileenews and Andy. This morning she announced they're engaged and that none of us are invited to the wedding}} {{better source|date=August 2023}}