Westwood One's Jim Bohannon Observes 25th Anniversary

Get out the silver! Tuesday night, Westwood One talk host Jim Bohannon celebrated the 25th anniversary of his weeknight The Jim Bohannon Show, after taking over what had been The Larry King Show on January 29, 1993.

His show staff surprised him last night with a special celebratory broadcast. Clearly honored and unaware of what was to come, Bohannon opened the show with “If you’re lucky, and if you live long enough, every now and then a milestone comes along in your life. And so it is with me. The years do rush by, and it’s hard for me to realize that I first took over this show from Larry King on Friday night, January 29, 1993. That makes this my 25th anniversary of hosting Westwood One’s weeknight late evening talk radio program. The staff has put something together for this hour, and you know as much as I do at this point. Suffice it to say, thanks to all concerned for whatever follows. OK, crew. What follows?”

What followed was a customized montage, a surprise call-in greeting from Larry King, plus congratulatory messages from Westwood One personalities Dennis Miller, Charles Osgood, and Michael Savage. You can listen to the audio here. After the broadcast, Jim exclaimed, “It was a wonderful night; well planned and executed. Each segment was like opening presents! Many thanks to my crew and management, and to Westwood One for the surprise and a great 25 years.”

Bart Tessler, EVP News & Talk, Westwood One, said “It’s been a highlight of my career working with Jim over a very fast 25 years and producing programs with him across the country and around the world. Jim Bohannon has long been the standard bearer for a great talk show host: intelligent, informed, passionate, and funny. Congratulations to Jim on a superb 25 years. Westwood One and our advertisers and affiliates have long been the beneficiaries of The Jim Bohannon Show’s wit and wisdom. Let the next great quarter century begin!”

The weeknight show and the weekend The Best of Bohannon air on more than 250 stations nationwide, including WLS-AM/Chicago, WBAP-AM/Dallas, KLIF-AM/Dallas, KXL-FM/Portland, WTMJ-AM, Milwaukee, KTAR-FM/Phoenix, KDKA-AM/Pittsburgh, KSL-AM/FM, Salt Lake City, and more.

A recipient of numerous industry awards and honors, including the RTDNA First Amendment Award, Bohannon has been a member of TALKERS magazine's Heavy Hundred every year since its inception in 1995 and received the TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.  He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2003.

Stations interested in The Jim Bohannon Show can contact Stuart Greenblatt at (212) 419-2946 or at sgreenblatt@westwoodone.com.