"While at Z-102 in 1988, Coyote found himself in the middle of controversy once again due to him stunting Z-102 with a classic rock format, airing songs by Boston and Pink Floyd, culminating with Calhoun getting fired live on the air. Before it was over Coyote was being escorted out of the building by police officers from the Tuscaloosa Police Department who heard the ruckus live on-air and rushed to the station while the manager of Z-102, Steve Russell, and Coyote J began fighting over the microphone, which Coyote refused multiple times to turn off. Coyote was reinstated for a short time afterward but was let go from Z-102 for keeps in 1989. "


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_J


Audio on YouTube below...



https://youtu.be/_hLB6YezJgs

I personally know if an incident that took place in the 80s where a dj got fired. WPST 97.5 Trenton, NJ. At the time I had a friend who worked there. This other dj had played a McDonald's commercial, then after it was over he played the Wendy's commercial with that elderly lady saying, "Where's the beef?" The station manager didn't think it was funny. He was allowed to finish his shift. The peculiar thing about it was this was the most straight laced guy you'd ever meet. Think Chris Wallace from NBC News. I never thought he'd pull a stunt like that.

My old memory really gets triggered here at times.

In 1959, DJ Alan Freed was fired from WABC/770/New York for refusing to sign a statement that he had never taken payola.

In 1961, DJ Tom Clay was fired from KDAY/1580/Santa Monica, for playing 6 straight hours of Johnny Mathis records continually.

Interestingly, Freed worked as a DJ at KDAY in 1960.

It seems program managers aren't known for their sense of humor!


Thanks, Zenith!

Good memory, fifties!

Thanks!

There have been several dj's over the years that have "locked themselves in the room" for publicity stunts. Don Cannon in Philadelphia got his name in the Guinness Book Of World Records for continuously dj'ing until his voice gave out I think.

I wondered the same thing.

Publicity stunt, or bad blood with the station manager?

Calhoun said some pretty nasty things about the way the station was run.

And his predecessor had been fired over a contract dispute.

There was a DJ at KFWB/980/Los Angeles named Bill Balance in the late '50's who managed to get kicked off the air temporarily several times for his off color jokes. I remember three of them, but don't want the admin kicking me out for repeating them...

Don Cannon did it to get his name in the Guinness Book. He was always on good terms with his station, and they were behind him, so he wasn't fired. Another dj Bo Weaver worked at WTTM in Trenton, NJ. He did something similar in supposed protest of the gas shortage. He was way too obnoxious to begin with.

In high school, my brother and I were fans of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention as well as the Fugs. Whenever the local rock station took requests we called in requests. Of course, they were never played since the station didn't have the records. It was fun pestering the DJ.

Zappa and Ed Sanders, I compliment your good taste, Sir!

I tell ya what. There are alot of songs from the 70s that would not get played nowadays. Requested or not.

Right, I remember requesting a Zappa tune, but was told by the DJ he couldn't find it.
Or maybe he couldn't find a good reason to play it.

I am with the station manager on this one. Whatever Z-102 normally played, it HAD to have been better than "classic rock".

"Oh, boy, I can't wait until they play 'More Than A Feeling' again!"
"When did they last play it?"
"It hasn't finished playing this time yet."

I have heard "Black Magic Woman" 480,000 times, it seems, do I need to hear it the 480,001st time? (But, they never play "Open Invitation" or "Winning" by Santana...)

Oh what the hell; in 1958, he played "It Only Hurts For A Little While", by The Ames Bros, and dedicated it "to all the virgins in the San Fernando Valley".

Thread winner!

Haha my old mhm hated johnny Mathis. Mom liked Johnny's singing

"He's not here"
"Where is he?"
"He's on his way to the station".

Lol!

He made some good points. Love this history stuff like how the BMI ASCAP war killed jazz and brought folk and country into the radios and how stations had rules to only allow playing one female artist per hour only a few decades ago, actually that's probably still true in some ways.

Anyway more Mississippi Queen!

Thanks, and welcome, elmenco!