Jeff and Jenn heard about Q102's revolving door all the way down in Tampa.

They think they can fix it.

Jeff Thomas and Jennifer Jordan, best friends for nine years, brought their act to WKRQ-FM (101.9) three weeks ago, knowing they would be the station's 13th morning team in 10 years.

“I'm not privy to what happened to the other morning shows,” said Mr. Thomas, 35.

Jeff Thomas and Jennifer Jordan are the latest morning team at Q102. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

“I never heard them. Maybe that's a good thing. It allows me to focus on this job, and the future, so the audience is responding to us,” said Mr. Thomas, who has been working at a radio station since he was a fourth-gr ader in suburban Boston.

With Ms. Jordan, 33, a longtime friend and colleague from Tampa radio, they have brought maturity to Q102, which for years was known for its wild 'n' crazy morning zoos.

Jeff and Jenn aren't “underwear on your head” radio, as Q102 executive Jim Bryant described morning man Randy Miller in 1992.

Their show isn't filled with raucous studio laughter or wack y stunts heard on Q102 through the years with Jim Fox and Chris O'Brien, Johnjay van Es, Shark and Shelli, Dr. Maimes or Danny Meyers.

They don't try to solve caller's personal problems, like Luka, the Englishwoman who hosted mornings until August.

They sound, well, so normal.

From 5:30-8 a.m. they chat about NBC's Friends and TV ratings, dish some dirt about movie and rock stars, and ask callers' advice on such things as whether a man should pay if the woman asks him out on a date.

“They are very talented. They're veterans of the (radio) game, and they're good friends,” said Mr. Bryant, market manager for Infinity Broadcasting's four Cincinnati stations: Q102; oldies WGRR-FM (103.5); country WUBE-FM (B105.1) and alternative rock WAQZ-FM (Channel Z 97.3). He's also general manager for WUBE-FM and WGRR-FM.

MORNING TEAMS

1992-93: Randy Miller 1993-94: Dave Mason and Linda Welby 1994-96: Linda Welby and Terry Boyd 1996: Linda Welby, Brian Douglas and Johnjay van Es 1996: Brian Douglas, Johnjay van Es and Phil “Bobo” Groh 1997-1998: Johnjay van Es and Phil “Bobo” Groh 1998-1999: Shark and Shelli 1999: Brian Douglas and Shelli 1999: Brian Douglas 1999-2000: Dr. Bruce Maimes and MG 2000: Brian Douglas 2000-01: Danny Meyers and Zack Jackson 2001-02: Luka Oct. 7, 2002: Jeff and Jenn

“They're a very engaging pair — relaxed and comfortable. I think the city will eventually embrace them,” said Mr. Bryant, a former Q102 manager.

Some of their predecessors weren't around long enough to be embraced here. Shark and Shelli, and Dr. Maimes, were shoved out the revolving door in six months. Mr. Meyers and Zack Jackson got the boot in nine months.

All were sent packing because failure to draw a big audience in the morning can hurt the whole station. Morning is radio's prime time.

“Mornings are important because sometimes that's the only opportunity listeners get to hear your radio station,” said Tim Closson, program director for WGRR-FM and WUBE-FM. “Mornings set up the rest of the day.”

The hiring of Jeff and Jenn signaled a change in the target market for the station. Instead of teens, Q102 has taken aim at women age 25-34. Q102 was first in that female demographic in the spring Arbitron ratings, but fell to third in the summer ratings released last week.

Ironically, Jeff and Jen were available — in other words, out of work — because Tampa's WSSR-FM switched formats in the summer from Q102-style adult contemporary music to aggressive alternative rock like Channel Z. Whoosh, out the door they went.

“Let's be honest, we wouldn't fit there,” Mr. Thomas said. “Cincinnati contacted us. They had read in the trades that we were on the beach.”

Best friends

Before coming to Q102, Mr. Thomas had worked at stations in Marlborough, Mass.; Portland, Ore.; Sacr amento, Calif.; San Francisco; New York; and Tampa. Ms. Jordan had worked at stations in Champaign, Ill., and Tampa.

They became best friends in their 20s at Tampa's WFLZ-FM, the former “power pig” Top 40 station. (Think KISS107.1) She did middays; he did afternoons. Both were single then.

“We have kind of a Will & Grace relationship,” Ms. Jordan said.

“But we're both straight,” Mr. Thomas interjected.

Each has married since they first met. Ms. Jordan has a 13-month-old son; Mr. Thomas doesn't have children. They live eight doors apart in the same Sycamore Township apartment complex.

After turning 30, they wanted to leave Top 40 radio and test their appeal to adult listeners. They were tired of speaking in 20-second sound bytes and playing Britney Spears and 'NSync songs.

“You were never able to do anything more than play music, and give away concert tickets. And our average listener was 12,” he said.

“I had always wanted a shot at mornings. I didn't know if I could do it, but I wanted a shot. I told myself I'd give it two years,” he said.

They liked it enough to try it here for a third year. Mr. Thomas turned down an afternoon job in Chicago so they could come as a team to Q102. So far, they've been pleased with the response.

“We want this to be a listener-involved show,” Mr. Thomas said. “Morning shows — if you let them — take on a life of their own. This show we're doing will evolve, because of where the listeners take us.

“We don't want people to feel they need an invitation to call us. We want listeners to take ownership of this show.”

For the long term?

That is, if Jeff and Jenn aren't hustled out the revolving door.

Their bosses sound as if they will be more patient this time around.

“I think this is just a great opportunity for Cincinnati to have a long-term morning show, and to accept them as a long-term companion,” Mr. Bryant said.

“Jeff and J enn are more relatable to our target audience, a slightly older adult,” said Mike Fredrick, general manager of Q102 and Channel Z. “We're very optimistic that this is it.”

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

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