After more than four decades as a fixture on Chicago’s airwaves, the superstar who dubbed himself “The Hardest Working Man in Radio” won’t be working on the air here anymore.
Tom Joyner, who catapulted to fame and fortune as the legendary “Fly Jock” in the 1980s, is being dropped by Crawford Broadcasting urban adult-contemporary WSRB FM 106.3, which has aired his syndicated morning show for eight years.
The decision to go with local programming in morning drive effectively ends Joyner’s remarkable run in Chicago, which began at WVON in the 1970s. He earned national recognition and seven million frequent-flier miles (along with the nickname “Fly Jock”) for the eight years he commuted between his morning job at KKDA in Dallas and his afternoon job at urban contemporary WGCI FM 107.5 here.
Starting June 5, "106.3 Chicago's R&B" will move Mike Love from afternoons to mornings, replacing Joyner from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays.
Fondly recalled for his partnership with Victor “the Dizz” Blackful on WGCI’s wildly successful “Bad Boy Radio” nighttime show from 1997 to 2007, Love joined 106.3 Chicago in 2014.
The new “Mix Mornings with Mike Love” will feature “rush hour mini-mixes by some of Chicago’s most popular DJ’s delivering the hottest R&B hits and throwback hip-hop from the 80s, 90s, and today,” according to the station.
In the Nielsen Audio survey for April released Monday, WSRB ranked 28th in mornings among all listeners with a 1.5 percent audience share.