FL Radio: Genesis Inks Deal With Sports Talker Jay Mariotti

Jay Marotti

Controversial Chicago sports personality Jay Mariotti is touting his return to radio.

Jay Mariotti was a controversial columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times starting in 1991. According to Chicagoland Radio & Media, he not only made a habit of angering readers, along with sports and media figures, but his own co-workers, as well. He abruptly quit the Sun-Times in 2008, for the most part resulting in cheers from both the public and former work associates.

In 2004, Mariotti hosted a Chicago radio show on WMVP-AM. He was released after only ten months after he would not stop verbally attacking Jerry Reinsdorf, the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bulls and those associated with those teams. WMVP-AM was the flagship radio station of both the White Sox & Bulls at that time. Station management asked Mariotti to tone down his inflammatory remarks. He refused, causing the station to part ways with him.

Mariotti joined AOL as a writer for Fanzone in January 2009 and worked as a regular commentator on ESPN's "Around The Horn." Both ESPN and AOL's Fanhouse.com parted ways with the outspoken Mariotti after a series of embarrassing incidents began in 2010. He has since been unemployed.

Those embarrassing incidents included multiple arrests and charges of various felonies and misdemeanors all stemming from his being witnessed repeatedly being involved with domestic abuse against a now-former girlfriend.  Mariotti continues to publicly profess his innocence. He claims all witnesses are wrong and that the ex-girlfriend was just after his money.

Wednesday, Mariotti launched his own website, MariottiShow.com and he announced that beginning this coming Monday, August 12th, he will begin his own weekday Internet radio show, "The Jay Mariotti Show," which will stream on his website from 11:00am-2:00pm (Central time).

Additionally, Jay Mariotti has inked a deal with the Largo, Florida-based Genesis Communications II, Inc. That company, which owns radio stations across the state of Florida, will air Mariotti's new show on four stations: WHBO-AM (Tampa), WHOO-AM (Orlando), WGGG-AM (Gainesville), and WMOP-AM (Ocala).

Mariotti claims it is a multi-year deal with Genesis Communications, who also will operate his website.

Read More Now.