Tom Joyner Morning Show
The Tom Joyner Morning Show was a nationally syndicated program, featuring host Tom Joyner and a team of commentators reporting and discussing the latest news and sports of the day, playing popular R&B songs from the 1970s through the 1990s as well as contemporary R&B hits. It aired on weekdays. The weekend equivalent of the program was "Tom Joyner's Right Back At Cha." Southwest Airlines was a prominent sponsor of the radio show, especially Joyner's on-site remotes (called "Sky Shows"), and offered free round-trip airfare to any destination that Southwest flew as a recurring giveaway on the show. Its final episode aired on December 13, 2019.
Genre | Talk, Urban Adult Contemporary, R&B/Soul |
---|---|
Running time | 4 hours (approximately) |
Country of origin | |
Home station | Various Urban AC/R&B station affiliates (based in Dallas, Texas) |
Syndicates | Reach Media |
Starring | Tom Joyner Sybil Wilkes |
Created by | Tom Joyner |
Original release | January 3, 1994 – December 13, 2019 |
Opening theme | Oh, oh, oh, it's The Tom Joyner Morning Show |
Website | www.tjms.com |
It could be heard on mobile devices and on the Xbox 360 console via iHeartRadio.
History
In 1994, Joyner was signed by ABC Radio Networks to host the show. Joyner transferred syndication rights to Radio One in 2004. Joyner attributed the national show's success to his complete refusal to serve non-black audiences. He stated in 2000: "We do a show for African Americans. That's what we do." In 2019 he stated: "Don't worry about crossover. Just super serve, super serve, super serve. Anything that affects African Americans, that's what you do."[1]
Joyner announced in 2017 that the show would end when it reaches its 25th anniversary in syndication, with the final show airing on December 13th, 2019.[2] Affiliates that remain with the show until its end will receive Rickey Smiley's morning show after Joyner retires.[3] Joyner stated on the day of his last program that he had been forced into retirement because of repeated salary cuts (claiming that successive cuts had reduced his salary nearly 90%), and that his own financial greed—about which he was unrepentant—drove much of his radio career.[1] Joyner acknowledged that cultural changes and radicalization among black audiences ( "I think we were more woke then than now," Joyner said.) had reduced his influence and thus his listenership and station count.[1]
Featured personalities
- Tom Joyner
- J Anthony Brown (1996-2016)
- Sybil Wilkes
- Tyrell Zimmerman (On A Roll Catering, Newport News, VA)
Others featured on the show
- Jacque Reid
- Roland Martin
- Kevin Frazier
- Jeff Johnson (BET personality)
- Jawn Murray (2006-2011) [4]
- Sheryl Underwood (2006-2010).[5]
- Tavis Smiley (1996-2008)[6]
- George Wallace
- D.L. Hughley
- Al Sharpton
- Nikki Woods
- Myra J
- Damon Williams (comedian)
- Dominique (comedian)
- Huggy Lowdown (celebrity snitch)
- Shaun King
References
- Duncan, Jericka (December 13, 2019). "Retiring radio icon Tom Joyner says he would have stayed for more money: "My goal was to die on the radio"". CBS This Morning. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- Tom Joyner To Fly Into Retirement In 2019
- Rickey Smiley to succeed Tom Joyner in January 2020. Radio Insight. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- "Music Matters: TV & Radio Personality Jawn Murray To Release First CD". Electronic Urban Report. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
- "Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Elects Entertainer Sheryl Underwood 23rd International President". Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. 2008-07-07. Archived from the original on 2008-08-21.
- Farhi, Paul (2008-04-12). "Tavis Smiley Will Cut Ties With Joyner Radio Show". washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2008-08-19.