As you’d expect a week before an iconic radio personality speaks his last daily words into a microphone, there’s a growing amount of attention being paid to retiring Clear Channel classic hits WMJI/105.7 “Majic 105.7” morning star John Lanigan.
The first feature on the radio vet, who started in Cleveland in 1970 on the old WGAR/1220 (replacing now national radio icon Don Imus), was aired in an odd place.
It’s no secret that Lanigan has had his, uh, moments with Raycom Media’s CBS affiliate WOIO/19 and its “19 Action News”.
But the folks at Reserve Square caught up with him for a look at his impending retirement and back at his Cleveland media career.
And yes, that career included decades as the host of “The Prize Movie”, a midday giant on now-WOIO sister station WUAB/43…currently, the market’s MyNetwork TV affiliate, but much more powerful as the independent station known as the place that “played favorites” (every Northeast Ohio adult of a certain age is singing along at this point, even involuntarily).
The “19 Action News” piece by Paul Orlousky includes the inside story of how Lanigan started gracing local TV screens as well…and there’s really not much to the story:
Former channel 43 General Manager Jack Moffet stopped Lanigan as he rode his bike.
“He said, hey you’re new in town and we’re looking for somebody to do the prize movie. And so I went down and I auditioned and he said, OK good audition. Can you start tomorrow?”
Among those who helped Lanigan over the years: a local writer by the name of Dan O’Shannon, much better known in the TV business these days as executive producer on ABC’s hit show “Modern Family”.
As Lanigan prepares to not wake up at “insane o’clock” (as syndicated morning talker Stephanie Miller puts it), he’s also profiled by Akron Beacon Journal pop culture writer Rich Heldenfels.
Lanigan mentions his 4 AM wakeup call to Heldenfels, and then answers the question he says many have asked: what will you do after you leave?
“Everybody says the same thing: ‘Oh, you’re going to retire, what are you going to do then?’ … I’m retiring, The idea is I’m quitting. I’m not doing anything, so I don’t have to plan anything. And I don’t have anything in mind. … I’ll figure it out when I get there, I’m sure. But right now it will be to sleep in and enjoy the day and spend some time at home, and that’s it.”
Lanigan tells Heldenfels that he’ll likely spend his retirement in weather appropriate places: at his home in Florida in the winter, and at his home in Colorado in the summer. (He also has a local home in Bay Village, where he apparently won’t spend much time.)
The Heldenfels piece carries some nuggets of information we didn’t know about, like Lanigan’s stint at a TV weatherman in Albuquerque.
It recounts some of the off-air stories linked to Lanigan’s massive notoriety in the market.
And the man who’s anchored the “Majic 105.7” morning show for oh, so many years talks about the changing world of his business, after recounting tales from the past:
But we competed. It was really fun radio. Lots of promotions, lots of personalities that came through. Now it’s corporate and everybody wants to work for the same team, it seems. …
“Corporate has got to worry about, ‘Well, I don’t know if that would be a good idea or not. We might get in trouble.’ Everybody’s covering their butts.”
Heldenfels writes that despite conventional wisdom (including in this space), WMJI middayer and former WKYC/3 anchor/meteorologist Mark Nolan will indeed be joined Tuesday, April 1st by existing “Majic” morning show members Jimmy Malone, Chip Kullik and Tracey Carroll.
(Heldenfels says Oak Tree’s Kat Jackson will be heard in Nolan’s midday slot, and will also keep her evening slot on sister country WGAR/99.5…voice tracking one or both shows, we presume. Speaking of corporate radio in 2014…)
Though Lanigan’s final public event will be this weekend’s “Moondog Coronation Ball” concert, his last radio show will air that following Monday.
And though we thought it was odd that John Lanigan would bow out as nearly an afterthought at an event mainly dedicated to such musical acts as Herman’s Hermits and The Family Stone without Sly (“by the way, did we mention our morning guy is leaving?”), we did allow that the lack of a spotlight on his exit may be his own choice.
And Heldenfels concurs:
Although he planned to retire quietly at the end of 2013, the company wanted to give him a big send-off. Tribute will be paid at the annual Moondog Coronation Ball on Saturday. His last day on the air will be the following Monday.
WMJI has put up a page about Lanigan’s retirement, with a run through his extensive career…
I’ve been out of Cleveland and hadn’t seen or listened to him since the days he wore a tuxedo during his TV movie hosting gig. But now than I’ve at least seen him for the first time in God knows how many years, all I’ve gotta say is this: What’s the deal with that horrible toupee?
I have followed Mr. Lanigan’s broadcasts here in Ohio as well as in Tampa in the 1980’s. I even attended a standup comedy show of his here in Akron back in the ’80’s. He was a legend. His last ten years on WMJI with Malone however were a real yawner. Lanigan’s morning show was 4 hours of NOTHING. I am sorry but the banter among those on the show had NO SUBSTANCE. Now, I didn’t listen to it voluntarily, I just happened to hear it while visiting customers and while being serviced at my dentist’s office (he finally switched to 102.1 thank God). How he was able to maintain ratings while broadcasting the Cleveland eq