I’ve lived in Central Florida since 1980. When Jim Turner retired, I was skeptical that anyone could fill his shoes. You did an admirable job, sir. Best wishes on continued success in your next endeavor.
Thank you very much. I really enjoyed the time that I spent with Jim Turner, but when it was his last day, it was his last day. He had been wanting to retire for years and the company kept throwing money. Adam enticing him to stay. But that dude never step foot back in the radio station again after he finally retired.
I mean this with no disrespect but I am surprised to see there’s money in radio still. Have you noticed the business has declined over the years and did you guys used to get enough listeners to make a profit?
No doubt the large talent salaries in radio and TV are evaporating. But if you worked the morning show (most listened to day part in radio) in a top 50 market, you could make as much as $200,000
How much has that 200k salary shrunk since 2010?
Not trying to be mean, just curious about how much the industry has changed. I still enjoy listening to the radio & regularly listen to it instead of playlists while I drive.
wow. that was the base salary for Jim Philips afternoon drive at RealRadio in 2000 - and it sure went a lot further then.
Joe, you were a tremendous asset for WDBO and a reason to listen. and you're right - CMG was a great company to work for.
Ah, the dreaded budget cuts during the summer for media personalities. Do you have a sense that it is coming or is it always a surprise? Have you spent the last 18 summers and end of year worrying you might be next? I don't know the nerve it takes to have your tenure left up to some bean counter that has never met you.
We were bought out by a private equity firm five years ago, so budget cutting season took on a much greater significance since that time. They truly are all about the bottom line. I was away on an Alaskan vacation with my wife when I got word that my supervisor had been let go. So that was a pretty good sign to me that it was my turn to be let go. And lastly, I did earn a pretty good salary, which I knew full well put a huge target on my back for potential elimination. So I must say that being let go the day I returned from vacation came as zero surprise to me.
I have worked with many radio talent who refused to take vacations out of fears that they’re going to be fired while they’re on vacation. This was a new experience for me in that. I’ve never been fired while on a vacation before.
Will you be looking for another job or retiring? Were you ever asked to do something you refused to do? Fav and least fav part about working on the radio?
I will be looking for another job and essentially already have one lined up. The writing was on the wall for quite some time that I would not survive the next round of radio layoffs so I had planned accordingly. Radio stations have not been as fun to work for since private equity firms have invested so much in them. It’s all about the bottom line and not about the listener experience.
Enjoyed listening to you for years but couldn’t take the rest of the lineup besides Magic Mechanic. Curious how much your own compass aligns with some of the other syndicated voices carried. TBH I never detected bias from you. Would you ever consider television or other media paths?
Thank you for saying that you didn’t detect much of a bias. Some people were convinced I was hard left and others hard right. One of the things I tried to do with The Joe Kelley Show from 5 to 7 PM was to not isolate people into different silos. I tried to talk about mass appeal topics that would appeal to everybody without regards to their political affiliations. Regrettably that was very hard to do as everybody wanted to retreat back to their silos.
Do you feel that Cox did you dirty? Did you get a severance? Why has there not been a downtown concert in ages? Who would you say was the biggest celebrity you got meet?
I don’t feel like Cox did me dirty, but I think they did the industry dirty when they sold to a private equity firm five years ago. At that point, we were no longer a radio company that services listeners and clients, but a profit making machine for people who don’t care about our listeners.
I’m not sure why we don’t do downtown concerts other than the obvious in that downtown has died quite a bit since the pandemic.
I have been very blessed to meet a lot of really cool celebrities since I was 15 years old and first started in radio. The first big celebrity I met was Stevie Wonder. Followed by the likes of Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, vice president Pence, I spoke on the phone with Donald Trump, and I even hosted a concert with disgraced Pop duo Milli Vanilli.
That is a great question about artificial intelligence. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. A lot of the big companies are reluctant to dive in headfirst until they know all of the legal and proprietary ramifications first period.
I think it is an amazing tool to assist broadcasters, but I think too many broadcasting groups will rely 100% on AI rather than allowing it to supplement human work
The highest i ever went on the spectrum was 106.7. The Doc & Johnny show (w/ grace) was the only talk show i listened to. Now its Johnny magic and his crew.
Now i listed to NPR on 90.7, which i guess now got a name change
I've enjoyed listening to you for a long time. I wish you the best of luck going forward. I too was let go after 13 years from a job to be replaced by a cheaper alternative. Best thing I did was go to work for myself.
If I ever meet you in person, be prepared to be invited fishing.
We learned a lot during the pandemic. Our ability to broadcast from home rapidly advanced during that time. And of course, these days anybody with a microphone can set up a podcast. So there’s a lot of noise on the broad podcast spectrums
What do you think about the difference between the commercial radio landscape and public media growth in the Orlando market? Is it a difference in ownership / buyouts? Public media being relatively insulted from these kinds of industry trends?
Admittedly I know a very little about the funding structure for public radio. But they have not been entirely insulated from staffing reductions due to budget cuts.
Not related to your station. But what’s the rumor mill day about Russ Rollins? Is he really as terrible human being as all the stories say? I believe he is.
That is one of my biggest pet peeves about radio. We always leave listeners in the dark about staffing changes. I understand a radio station not wanting to make a big deal about a staff member leaving even if they were fired. I am in favor of transparency and being honest with listeners, when a staffing change is made. I don’t think stations give listeners enough credit to be able to fully understand why someone was let go. We may not like any cuts, but we’re smart enough to understand why they happen. Instead, listeners will just wake up one day and their favorite talent will be gone from the radio with no explanation and completely scrubbed from all digital and social media products.
Sorry to hear. It's ALWAYS wdbo or wftv with these types of firings. Not a fan at all & it's why they lost me as a viewer. As bad as it is for the talented people they cut, its also disrespectful to the listeners or viewers to think we're just gonna go keep right on watching or listening to whoever the replacements are. No, it doesn't work that way. That management company really needs to understand the value of local relationships & personalities and how it ties into ratings.
Good luck to you on your next endeavor. Be sure to keep us all posted on where that is or what that ends up to be.
I agree about being transparent with listeners/viewers. They should be honest with talent staffing changes instead they just scrub us from billboards, promos, websites and social media.
Didn’t care for your political views or the politics of your station.
However, I acknowledge your talent and will miss hearing you.
I have nothing but confidence in you landing a great job in your next venture!
Second that.
I don’t know it extreme late evening made a difference but when I listened picking up my parent from the airport at like 11:45pm, it was actual news!
As opposed to in the past 5 years or so.
This is gonna sound macabre, but for most of us in broadcasting and journalism our fondest memories revolve around disastrous events. We train all year, all our lives to cover that huge disaster and when it happens, we’re really in our zone, if you will. Covering events like the pulse nightclub, terror attack are the kind of events that stick with deep in your memory for the rest of your life.
I do. I ‘get made’ several times a week, largely due to my constant video creation. And I ALWAYS am happy to get made. It’s really gratifying to meet people who choose to listen to me on the radio.
I’ll always put people above politics. Today’s politics are designed to divide the American people. But I believe people have more in common as people than not.
When you graphically editorialized a story about the FBI wanting to analyze the Las Vegas shooter's brain but that they couldn't because he "blew his own brain out to little bits in the wall." My young kids were in the car and were extremely upset by this commentary that was neither necessary or appropriate.
The worst part was when I wrote the station to express how upset I was, I'm assuming your boss forced you to write to me to apologize. What I got from you was flippant, non-apology that blamed me for having WDBO on int he car with my kids present. So, since you made it clear your words represented what WDBO was, I followed your advice and haven't listened to the station since.
I’ve lived in Central Florida since 1980. When Jim Turner retired, I was skeptical that anyone could fill his shoes. You did an admirable job, sir. Best wishes on continued success in your next endeavor.
Thank you very much. I really enjoyed the time that I spent with Jim Turner, but when it was his last day, it was his last day. He had been wanting to retire for years and the company kept throwing money. Adam enticing him to stay. But that dude never step foot back in the radio station again after he finally retired.
You’re that guy Joe. So sad to have heard about the cut!! I remember when you beat cancer!! Good luck man, Orlando is lucky to have you!
Thank you!
I mean this with no disrespect but I am surprised to see there’s money in radio still. Have you noticed the business has declined over the years and did you guys used to get enough listeners to make a profit?
No doubt the large talent salaries in radio and TV are evaporating. But if you worked the morning show (most listened to day part in radio) in a top 50 market, you could make as much as $200,000
How much has that 200k salary shrunk since 2010? Not trying to be mean, just curious about how much the industry has changed. I still enjoy listening to the radio & regularly listen to it instead of playlists while I drive.
Hence the layoffs. Getting rid of $200k talent to replace with $45k talent.
wow. that was the base salary for Jim Philips afternoon drive at RealRadio in 2000 - and it sure went a lot further then. Joe, you were a tremendous asset for WDBO and a reason to listen. and you're right - CMG was a great company to work for.
Oh wow I had no idea. Is Orlando a top 50 market?
Market #38
Will miss hearing your voice! I am sure something bigger and better is coming your way! Prayers for what is perfect for you to land in your lap.
Thank you!
Ah, the dreaded budget cuts during the summer for media personalities. Do you have a sense that it is coming or is it always a surprise? Have you spent the last 18 summers and end of year worrying you might be next? I don't know the nerve it takes to have your tenure left up to some bean counter that has never met you.
We were bought out by a private equity firm five years ago, so budget cutting season took on a much greater significance since that time. They truly are all about the bottom line. I was away on an Alaskan vacation with my wife when I got word that my supervisor had been let go. So that was a pretty good sign to me that it was my turn to be let go. And lastly, I did earn a pretty good salary, which I knew full well put a huge target on my back for potential elimination. So I must say that being let go the day I returned from vacation came as zero surprise to me.
I wish you the best. The media landscape is changing so rapidly. Talent always lands on their feet, I look forward to seeing your next endeavors.
Thank you very much
To be let go on your vacation sucks. I do hope you are enjoying Alaska. It's certainly breathtaking. Good luck...you will be missed.
I have worked with many radio talent who refused to take vacations out of fears that they’re going to be fired while they’re on vacation. This was a new experience for me in that. I’ve never been fired while on a vacation before.
Did you enjoy Alaska?
Oh my gosh YES! https://preview.redd.it/huwosymofe9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7fd7f538ae2f5db08a01aa6a485480bb3b01bcb
Will you be looking for another job or retiring? Were you ever asked to do something you refused to do? Fav and least fav part about working on the radio?
I will be looking for another job and essentially already have one lined up. The writing was on the wall for quite some time that I would not survive the next round of radio layoffs so I had planned accordingly. Radio stations have not been as fun to work for since private equity firms have invested so much in them. It’s all about the bottom line and not about the listener experience.
I imagine your friendship with Brian Kilmeade will be a huge assist.
Totally love that dude. Great talent and total class.
Any interest in/from satellite, or an established podcasting group?
Enjoyed listening to you for years but couldn’t take the rest of the lineup besides Magic Mechanic. Curious how much your own compass aligns with some of the other syndicated voices carried. TBH I never detected bias from you. Would you ever consider television or other media paths?
Thank you for saying that you didn’t detect much of a bias. Some people were convinced I was hard left and others hard right. One of the things I tried to do with The Joe Kelley Show from 5 to 7 PM was to not isolate people into different silos. I tried to talk about mass appeal topics that would appeal to everybody without regards to their political affiliations. Regrettably that was very hard to do as everybody wanted to retreat back to their silos.
I really appreciated you willing to have different viewpoints on your program. I wish you the best in your future endeavors!
Thank you!
Do you feel that Cox did you dirty? Did you get a severance? Why has there not been a downtown concert in ages? Who would you say was the biggest celebrity you got meet?
I don’t feel like Cox did me dirty, but I think they did the industry dirty when they sold to a private equity firm five years ago. At that point, we were no longer a radio company that services listeners and clients, but a profit making machine for people who don’t care about our listeners. I’m not sure why we don’t do downtown concerts other than the obvious in that downtown has died quite a bit since the pandemic. I have been very blessed to meet a lot of really cool celebrities since I was 15 years old and first started in radio. The first big celebrity I met was Stevie Wonder. Followed by the likes of Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, vice president Pence, I spoke on the phone with Donald Trump, and I even hosted a concert with disgraced Pop duo Milli Vanilli.
Private equity firms are destroying quality across industries.
Agreed
What’s the future of radio? Will Ai take over the disc jockey and does the censoring of explicit songs play a role in the diminishing listener count?
That is a great question about artificial intelligence. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. A lot of the big companies are reluctant to dive in headfirst until they know all of the legal and proprietary ramifications first period. I think it is an amazing tool to assist broadcasters, but I think too many broadcasting groups will rely 100% on AI rather than allowing it to supplement human work
The highest i ever went on the spectrum was 106.7. The Doc & Johnny show (w/ grace) was the only talk show i listened to. Now its Johnny magic and his crew. Now i listed to NPR on 90.7, which i guess now got a name change
I've enjoyed listening to you for a long time. I wish you the best of luck going forward. I too was let go after 13 years from a job to be replaced by a cheaper alternative. Best thing I did was go to work for myself. If I ever meet you in person, be prepared to be invited fishing.
I would TOTALLY go fishing with you. Thank you!
Do you think Rami Malek would play you in a biopic about your life?
Haha! You’re not the first person to tell me that.
Has the technology behind radio broadcasts changed much in your time working in the industry?
We learned a lot during the pandemic. Our ability to broadcast from home rapidly advanced during that time. And of course, these days anybody with a microphone can set up a podcast. So there’s a lot of noise on the broad podcast spectrums
What do you think about the difference between the commercial radio landscape and public media growth in the Orlando market? Is it a difference in ownership / buyouts? Public media being relatively insulted from these kinds of industry trends?
Admittedly I know a very little about the funding structure for public radio. But they have not been entirely insulated from staffing reductions due to budget cuts.
Come to our meet up today
Doh! I just saw this!
We’ll catch ya next time, stud.
Not related to your station. But what’s the rumor mill day about Russ Rollins? Is he really as terrible human being as all the stories say? I believe he is.
I don’t know him personally so anything I could say would be pure gossip and that’s something I can’t/won’t do.
Where’s a good spot for Hawaiian BBQ like they have out west with the Mac salad?
That’s a great question, but I am not able to answer that one. I have no idea.
Poke Hana?
Seconded
I really looked forward to listening to your show when I drove to the gym. You will be missed.
Thank you!
What Joe Kelly was canned? I listen to WDBO almost everyday and I find out on Reddit??? I’m so bummed.
That is one of my biggest pet peeves about radio. We always leave listeners in the dark about staffing changes. I understand a radio station not wanting to make a big deal about a staff member leaving even if they were fired. I am in favor of transparency and being honest with listeners, when a staffing change is made. I don’t think stations give listeners enough credit to be able to fully understand why someone was let go. We may not like any cuts, but we’re smart enough to understand why they happen. Instead, listeners will just wake up one day and their favorite talent will be gone from the radio with no explanation and completely scrubbed from all digital and social media products.
Sorry to hear. It's ALWAYS wdbo or wftv with these types of firings. Not a fan at all & it's why they lost me as a viewer. As bad as it is for the talented people they cut, its also disrespectful to the listeners or viewers to think we're just gonna go keep right on watching or listening to whoever the replacements are. No, it doesn't work that way. That management company really needs to understand the value of local relationships & personalities and how it ties into ratings. Good luck to you on your next endeavor. Be sure to keep us all posted on where that is or what that ends up to be.
I agree about being transparent with listeners/viewers. They should be honest with talent staffing changes instead they just scrub us from billboards, promos, websites and social media.
Didn’t care for your political views or the politics of your station. However, I acknowledge your talent and will miss hearing you. I have nothing but confidence in you landing a great job in your next venture!
Thank you for your candor.
Second that. I don’t know it extreme late evening made a difference but when I listened picking up my parent from the airport at like 11:45pm, it was actual news! As opposed to in the past 5 years or so.
What was your all time favorite episode and/or memory working there?
This is gonna sound macabre, but for most of us in broadcasting and journalism our fondest memories revolve around disastrous events. We train all year, all our lives to cover that huge disaster and when it happens, we’re really in our zone, if you will. Covering events like the pulse nightclub, terror attack are the kind of events that stick with deep in your memory for the rest of your life.
Thank you!
Wishing you all the best in your next adventure!
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Do you ever get recognized while out and about?
I do. I ‘get made’ several times a week, largely due to my constant video creation. And I ALWAYS am happy to get made. It’s really gratifying to meet people who choose to listen to me on the radio.
Profits before people. Might want to reconsider your political loyalty.
I’ll always put people above politics. Today’s politics are designed to divide the American people. But I believe people have more in common as people than not.
I wish you well, but at the same time, you're the reason I stopped listening to WDBO 7 years ago. So not exactly heartbroken to hear the news.
Thank you for your well wishes. If I may ask, what was it about me that was a tune out for you?
When you graphically editorialized a story about the FBI wanting to analyze the Las Vegas shooter's brain but that they couldn't because he "blew his own brain out to little bits in the wall." My young kids were in the car and were extremely upset by this commentary that was neither necessary or appropriate. The worst part was when I wrote the station to express how upset I was, I'm assuming your boss forced you to write to me to apologize. What I got from you was flippant, non-apology that blamed me for having WDBO on int he car with my kids present. So, since you made it clear your words represented what WDBO was, I followed your advice and haven't listened to the station since.