|
 |
 |
|
|
The Jewish Radio Mafia
 t’s
7:30 a.m. in a non-descript Atlanta office building. On
the fifth floor, the hallways are still dim, cubicles
mostly empty. Nevertheless, down a maze of corridors and
through air-tight (and sound-proof) doors there’s
plenty going on.
At the moment, co-host Fred Toucher is explaining a listener
vote on the station’s Web site. It seems sister
station Q100’s morning host, Bert Weiss, has a picture
of himself with his shirt off in the newspaper. The morning
crew at 99X has dug up a similarly embarrassing photo
of co-host Jimmy Baron and they’re asking their
listeners to rate (in the words of Toucher) “whose
picture is more gay?”
“It’s the battle of the short Jews,”
chuckles producer and all around laugh-track Wally.
Indeed it is, in more ways than one. Beyond the confines
of a Web site poll, there are plenty of Jews (short and
otherwise) manning the airwaves of Atlanta radio. On the
mornings alone, there’s Jimmy and Bert facing off
against 96 Rock’s Larry Wachs, Dave FM’s Holly
Firfer, WABE 90.1’s Lois Reitzes, and 790 the Zone’s
host (and owner) Steak Shapiro.
Down the hall from the 99X studio (literally) Bert is
holding court on Q100 in a brown t-shirt with his trademark
disheveled hair.
“Why are you interviewing Bert,” asks
co-host Jen Hobby. It’s for this Jewish write-up
on radio DJs, I explain.
“Yeah, I know,” she smiles. “So
why are you interviewing Bert?”
Bert, peering over his control board in his tiny (but
newly muscle-bound) frame tries to bone up his Jewish
qualifications a few minutes later. During a discussion
on babies, namely the goop on them just after birth, Bert
jumps in with this zinger: “It’s like that
gefilte fish residue.”
Co-host Jeff Dauler leans into his microphone as everyone
else holds back their own laughter. “I’m sorry
Abraham,” asks Dauler, “what was that?”
Such is the diversity and the dichotomy of Atlanta’s
Jewish radio personalities. There’s the fairly observant
Jimmy who studies with his rabbi once a week alongside
Stu Klitenic, who broadcasts for Braves Radio and dons
tefillin every day. Then there’s the completely
non-observant Bert, joined by the lobster-loving likes
of tall-as-they-come Billy Jaffe and equally-towering
Matt Chernoff. In between there’s Clark Howard and
his money advice, Mara Davis and her Radio Free Lunch,
and then there’s the rookie from Philly, Nudge.
They’re the Jewish radio conspiracy, and their secret
is out.  |
|
|
|
|
