Radio personalities must cope with the "revolving door." Few industries are as transient as theirs — a station is sold, switches formats, has a ratings slip or a consultant suggests a change and it's time for new DJs.
Take Dan Jessop, operations manager for KBZN ("The Breeze," FM-97.9) and KLO (AM-1430). Jessop is Salt Lake City's most veteran, active, full-time radio personality with more than 36 years on the air. There are a few others with longer careers that include working outside Utah, but Jessop is No. 1 for the Beehive State only.
Currently a DJ on "The Breeze" (weekdays, 1-3 p.m.), he started at KSVN in 1968, near the conclusion of his student days at Ogden High School. He also worked for at least a half-dozen other Utah radio stations — KCPX (1972-82), KISN (1982-84), KSL (1984-89), KMGR, and most recently at KLO and KBZN.
Known early in his career as "Chadoe Stevens" on KCPX, Jessop also worked with the legendary Len Allen of KLO in the mornings and did a stint as a weekend/substitute TV weathercaster on Fox 13.
Working at only seven stations during his career, Jessop has made fewer station changes than most. Nationally, DJs only stay an average of 18 months at each station.
Radio station morning teams also have a transitory worklife. For example, "Dain and Peggy" on KSFI were the third-longest surviving morning team in the Salt Lake market — until March 30, when Peggy Ijams decided to leave the station. "Dain and Peggy" had been together for 9 1/2 years.
Here are updated listings of local DJs and morning teams who have survived the longest in the Salt Lake market; the most total years in Salt Lake-area radio at one or more stations.
Full-time DJs:
1. 36 years: Dan Jessop started at KSVN in January 1968; he's currently at KBZN/KLO.
2. (tie) 34 years: "Country Joe" Flint, KSOP since 1970.
2. (tie) 34 years: Doug Wright, KSL; started in 1970 at KDYL.
4. Nearly 33 years: Tom Barberi, KALL since July 5, 1971.
5. 32.5 years: Mark Van Wagoner, KKDS; started Oct. 1971 at KRSP (began his radio career in Hawaii in 1969).
6. 32 years: Danny Kramer, KKDS; started at KSL in 1972 (did radio in Georgia in the 1960s).
7. 26 years: Kelly Monson, KBZN; entered Utah radio in 1977.
Part-time DJs:
1. Nearly 56 years: Len Allen, at KLO, since Oct. 5, 1947 (though he left the station briefly for about 9 months in the late 1980s). Allen still does a Saturday-only show, "On the Go," 9:05-9:30 a.m., on KLO.
2. 52 years: George L. Gonzalez has done "El Ranch Rio Grande," a Spanish-language radio show since November 1951, first on KOGO, then on KSOS-AM.
3. Also, there's Rod Arquette of KSL, with 32 years of radio experience. He's mostly a manager these days but does occasional radio host work.
Morning radio teams (two or more people continuously together) at the same station:
1. 16 years: "Country Joe" (Flint) and Dick Jacobson, KSOP; started together in 1988 (Jacobson had left for two years, from 1986-88, but started with Country Joe in April of 1979).
2. 10.5: Bill Allred and Kerry Jackson, KXRK (FM-96.3); started there on Oct. 18, 1993 (and previously worked together at Ogden's KJQN for 5 1/2 years). Gina Barberi added in 1996.
3. 9 years: "Married with Microphones," Dickie and Angel Shannon; started May 1995.
4. (tie) 6.5 years: KSL, Grant Nielsen and Amanda Dickson; since Sept. 8, 1997. (They were originally teamed in 1993, but Dickson left radio for a few years.)
4. (tie) 6.5 years: KUBL (FM-93.3) — "Johnson and Johnson," Tommy and Joe Johnson; since September 1997.
5. (tie) 6 years: KBER: "Bob and Tom" (syndicated from Indiana); since January 1998.
5. (tie) 6 years: KZHT, "Z-Morning Zoo," with Frankie C. and Dangerboy; since 1998. (Various other team members have come and gone.)
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com