Friday, June 16, 2000
WSAI-AM's 'JFPO' to retire
Veteran radio personality James Francis Patrick O'Neill, who has been off WSAI-AM (1530) since February due to ill health, makes his absence official on Monday.
“JFPO,” 71, will announce his retirement Monday on Nick Clooney's morning show on the “original hits” station.
“I thought 57 years in the business is enough,” says Mr. O'Neill, afternoon personality since 1994.
Many of his best years were spent here. He was Cincinnati's top-rated morning personality, “the morning mayor,” on WLW-AM from 1967 to 1981, when he was replaced by Gary Burbank. Listeners loved his daily soap opera spoof, As The Stomach Turns, set in Shady Corner.
“I had pretty well free rein to do whatever I wanted,” he says.
After WLW-AM, he spent a decade in California, then returned in 1992. His wife, Marjorie, died of cancer a year later. The WSAI-AM staff, and his longtime loyal listeners, helped him through the difficult days after his wife's death, he says.
“I think the people of Cincinnati are unlike any others when it comes to radio loyalty,” he says.
Mr. O'Neill started in radio in Fremont, Neb., at 15 on KORN-AM. (No kidding). A few years ago, he re-recorded his Stomach Turns scripts, which WSAI-AM sold on a cassette, Return to Shady Corners.
JFPO has missed the last four months as he battled pneumonia and emphysema. But don't expect the former heavy smoker (47 years) to join any class-action suit against tobacco companies.
“I was a damn fool, but nobody forced me to do it,” he says. “I blame myself for it.”
Braun honored: Mr. O'Neill is the second veteran to leave WSAI-AM in eight months. Bob Braun, who is battling Parkinson's disease, retired in November.
Mr. Braun will be honored with a Board of Governors lifetime achievement award at the 36th annual Midwestern Regional Emmy Awards Saturday at the Aronoff Center. The awards ceremony will be telecast live 8-11 p.m. on Time Warner Cable public access Channel 4.
Channel 9 special: Channel 9 broadcasts a live one-hour special from the Kentucky Speedway 5-6 p.m. Saturday, before the inaugural race is telecast live at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Purtan call: Former WSAI-AM DJ Paul Purtan has been nominated for the national Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago. Mr. Purtan was one of the WSAI-AM (1360) “Good Guys” from 1961 to 1965 who helped bring the Beatles to Cincinnati Gardens in 1964.
For years he has been known in Detroit as Dick Purtan, morning personality on oldies WOMC-FM (104.3). He was named Radio & Records oldies personality of the year in 1999, and won a Marconi Award as best major market radio personality in 1993.
More NYPD: ABC has renewed NYPD Blue for two years, through May 2002. NYPD begins twice weekly reruns next week, 10 p.m. Tuesday and 10 p.m. Saturday (Channels 9, 2). New episodes resume in January.
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