Michael Starr

Michael Starr

Entertainment

Angie Martinez had reached the ‘tipping point’ in her career

Angie Martinez says her shocking jump from Hot 97 to rival hip-hop station Power 105 sprung from reaching a tipping point in her career where she needed to make a change.

“It just got to the point where I wanted to assess myself and my career and where my future was going,” says Martinez, who spent 15 years at Hot 97 interviewing A-list stars and carving a career as one of New York’s best-known DJs.

“It’s what I wanted,” she says. “It just got to the point where I wanted to be on in different markets — I want to grow and be challenged in new ways.”

Well, Martinez will certainly be challenged; starting in mid-July, she’ll not only host the 3-to-7 p.m. shift at Power 105, she’ll also do an earlier, live four-hour shift for Miami’s The Beat (103.5) — which, like Power 105, is owned by Clear Channel.

“It’s not going to be the same show — I’ll do a show just for Miami and a show just for New York,” she says. “I’ll mostly be based in New York, but I’ll travel back and forth. Miami is my second home, anyway; I have so many friends there and the plan is to be there as much as I can.

“My workload is definitely going to increase but it’s not a coasting situation for me, like I got a new job and I’m going to take it easy now,” she says. “But I like taking on that challenge.”

Martinez will continue in her role as a correspondent for “Extra” and is keeping an eye on other television opportunities down the road.

“The truth is that all of those possibilities exist, which is why I made the decision in the first place,” she says. “Hopefully it will evolve into other TV stuff.”

I asked Martinez why she decided to announce her departure from Hot 97 on Instagram, instead of issuing the standard-practice press release.

“I felt I wanted to get the word out directly to the people who listen to me everyday. Press is cool, but this was more personal for me — I didn’t want it to come from a publicist but directly from me to the people who’ve supported me for so many years.”

Last, but not least

Angie Dickinson at The Paley Center’s 40th anniversary commemoration of her NBC show “Police Woman” (1974-78) in which she starred as cop “Pepper” Anderson: “If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have. The 70’s were the time, women were marching” The event was sponsored by WE tv… Roger Daltrey will headline the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp at Foxwoods Resort Casino (Oct. 16-19) right before he and Pete Townsend embark on The Who’s 50th anniversary tour … “Pawn Stars” guy Rick Harrison is participating in a national educational campaign regarding very high triglycerides (the “forgotten fat”) …  A big “Get Well Soon” to Discovery’s Paul Schur (“It’s just a valve”).