Chaz & AJ

Chaz & AJ in the Morning is a morning radio talk show program on 99.1 WPLR, a rock radio station broadcasting from Milford, Connecticut weekdays from 5:30–10 am. Though the show is mostly comedy based, it includes certain segments of more serious (and more important) things, including interviews with politicians and authors. Chaz & AJ recently won the 2016 NAB Marconi Award for Medium Market Personality of the year, a highly distinguished honor in the radio community. The show has won the New Haven Advocate award for best local radio show every single year for the past ten years.

The show is done primarily by Chaz and AJ (who don't use their last names to protect their privacy when they aren't working), Ashley, and current show producer Phil. Ashley does traffic, and Phil handles all duties regarding the overall production for the show.

Former regular participants included Megan Doll, who did the traffic and news, but also took part in many segments; John, the former show producer; and Billy Winn, a local comic who was laid off March 2009.

The show began on WPLR on February 17, 2003, after the previous show, Smith & Barber, ended,[1] moving from WRCN on Long Island. Chaz had previously been a night jock at WPLR.[2] In 2007, Connecticut Magazine named the show "Best Local Radio Morning-Drive DJs", saying "If FM radio is going to hold off its satellite competition, ... it's the ability of the on-air personnel to connect with the audience. Chaz and AJ seem to be doing that very well."[3]

Format

The show is usually "played by ear." A topic mentioned by "The Tribe" (the name given to Chaz & AJ listeners) may be discussed for an hour on the show even though it wasn't planned when the show began.

Interviews

Chaz & AJ normally have interviews with both local Connecticut talent and people known around the world. Some people featured on the show are Connecticut congressmen, sports figures, musicians, local news anchors, and much more.

A rather notable interview was with actor James Brolin on September 11, 2007, who made the news after Chaz and AJ noted it was the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and Brolin replied "Right, oh, yeah, Happy 9/11!"[4]

Amusing moments with some famous people have occurred, such as when then-Vice President Joe Biden was on the phone and called Chaz "Chad". Chaz politely corrected him, to which the Veep just chuckled. Another moment was in 2016 when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump called into the show. The phone number he called was not being monitored by former Traffic Girl Pam as it should have been, and Trump's voice message was used many times by Chaz for comic relief.

Recurring Guests

  • Jimmy Koplik, Live Nation concert booker
  • Joe Meyers, movie critic
  • Upcoming performers at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater

Regular segments
  • AJ's Top 10: At the start of the show, AJ has a Top 10 list that is inspired by current events. Listeners call in to guess.
  • Loser of the Week: Played every Friday at 8:15AM. Listeners call in to nominate and vote for the person or thing that was the biggest "loser" that week. The one with the most votes at the end is crowned "Loser of the Week."
  • Open Phones: Introduced early 2010. Listeners call in about anything on their mind. Some calls divert the show anywhere from a few minutes to a full break. This bit can run anywhere from one break (15 minutes) to a full hour (4 breaks). It can be used more than one time per show.
  • Dumb@** News: Everyday at 7:20 & 9:20. The crew discusses some of the dumbest people in the world that made the news.
  • Boss Keith's Top-5: Friday at 9:35. Keith D., boss of Chaz and AJ, rants about his Top-5 of whatever is on his mind. Usually personal and self-deprecating.

References
  1. Amarante, Joe (2003-01-31). "WPLR's Smith & Barber sign off after 18 years". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  2. Scott Fybush, "North East RadioWatch: Smith, Barber End 18 Years at WPLR", BostonRadio.org, February 3, 2003
  3. "Best of Connecticut 2007: People & Entertainment" Archived 2007-11-03 at archive.today,Connecticut Magazine, September 4, 2007
  4. Annie Rourke, Actor makes shocking comments on New Haven radio show, News Channel 8 (WTNH TV), September 14, 2007
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.