Shawn can be seen weekday mornings on “The Morning Blend” on Las Vegas‘ ABC affiliate, KTNV-TV. He is also the host of the number one afternoon radio show in Las Vegas on CBS Radio Hot AC Mix 94.1.
Originally from Boston, Shawn’s fascination with media began early after realizing at age 8 that working in television in radio was actually a career! From that moment he knew he wanted to be a part of it. Almost immediately, he joined his local public access station and began making “airchecks” with his karaoke machine, boombox, and collection of 4 CD’s.
By the time he was 14, he launched his own television show called “The Show”. Produced, edited, and hosted by Shawn, he interviewed stars like Britney Spears and members of New Kids On The Block. Later producing a music video show called “MZONE” where he went on to interview countless other artists and build relationships with record labels.
In 1999, the show “Kids Talk Sports” on New England Cable News held open auditions for a new kid cast member. Shawn was selected, and served as the show’s news anchor during it’s final season.
After graduating from The New England Institute of Art in 2004, Shawn was given his first professional on-air position at 98.3 WLNH in Laconia, New Hampshire. Soon after, he added a second gig on Fun 107 (WFHN-FM) in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, he took his talents west to join Las Vegas, Nevada’s hit Hot AC Mix 94.1 (KMXB-FM). As webmaster and part-time talent, Shawn collected 4 Electronic Media Awards for his work.
Shawn returned to Boston in 2007 to fulfill his dream of broadcasting to his hometown at Mix 98-5/Mix 104.1 (WBMX-FM). He also briefly served as a contributor on the entertainment news-magazine show, “Backstage” on The Comcast Network.
Then in 2008, another open audition. This time, WNAC-TV, Providence, Rhode Island’s FOX affiliate was looking for a co-host to join their morning news team for a new lifestyle and entertainment show: “The Rhode Show”. Over 140 people competed for the position, and ultimately Shawn was chosen for the show’s first season. While with “The Rhode Show”, he performed several high-profile interviews and covered major events including the Boston auditions of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance”, and took viewers behind the scenes of their favorite game shows including “Wheel Of Fortune” and “Deal Or No Deal”. Another major part of the show included sales-integration. Shawn served as the main on-air liaison to working with clients and presenting the segments in a “less salesy” way.
Shawn also helped the Rhode Island Lottery draw their first ever “Million Dollar Raffle”. The winner later went on to be featured on TLC’s “The Lottery Changed My Life”, and Shawn’s drawing can be seen throughout the episode.
In July 2010, Shawn returned to Las Vegas to co-host “The Morning Blend” on Las Vegas’ ABC affiliate. The lifestyle & information format is something Shawn was accustomed to, and the show has proven to be incredibly successful for KTNV’s parent company, Journal Broadcast Group, out-performing “Blend”s at other Journal properties.
Applying talk-show gloss, Tempesta out-Reeges Reege. Hyperactive as a puppy on a sugar high (he has actually bounced on-air), Tempesta is just as amusing, and sometimes exhausting, to watch, flashing a smile that threatens to fracture his face.
- Steve Bornfeld, Las Vegas Review-Journal
While returning to Las Vegas, Shawn also joined his alma mater, Mix 94.1, for weekends. Two weeks after re-joining the station, he was moved up to afternoons, and has been number one Persons 25-54, the station’s core demographic, as well as several other demos, since the beginning of 2011.
Shawn lives in southwest Las Vegas with his girlfriend and cat and is always looking for the next adventure.