Duke City Radio: T J Trout Returning To Airwaves

T.J. Trout, the former morning radio prince of pranks, is back in Albuquerque and soon to be back on the air – but not in the morning, and not at his former home of 94 Rock, KZRR-FM.

Instead, Trout, 63, will take on the conservative AM radio crowd at KKOB 770 AM.

Known for its largely conservative lineup, which includes nationally syndicated radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, KKOB-AM is not an obvious choice for Trout, who was called out of retirement by station general manager Jeff Berry.

T J Trout (Journal photo)

“The way it was put to me when Jeff brought me in for the interview was he wants me to help change the culture of the radio station,” Trout told The Albuquerque Journal. “I reminded him, ‘You know my politics. I’m solidly left of center, a social liberal, and I make no apologies. If I’m going to be on the air, that’s what I’m going to do.’ Jeff said that’s what they were looking for, so I guess I’ll be the yin to Rush Limbaugh’s yang.”

Berry praises Trout as a “tremendous talent,” but beyond that he says he sees Trout as someone who can “engage people on the right and left and do it in an entertaining way.”

He acknowledges that the conservative talk radio audience is getting older, and the last election underscored New Mexico’s blue state status, but the decision to recruit Trout was made before the election, with the intention of expanding the audience by “taking the station in a little bit different direction” and maybe even nudge the ratings for those hours, he concedes.

“Politics today is so polarizing. People think they have to pick a side, but I don’t think they do,” Berry says. “People may lean right or left, but they don’t have to buy into the entire agenda. I know that some people will call in and disagree with T.J., and that’s OK. I want people of all beliefs who are passionate about a subject to engage. I want diverse subject matter, diverse opinions, and I think T.J. is the guy to find the common ground among all those voices.”