BOB 94.9

“The New Guy” at BOB 94.9

by Michala Michaels

He’s answered to a lot of things in his life. He’s answered to a variety on-air names, like Joe Mamma. He’s had a few nicknames, like anyone has. And there’s his given name, of course. For right now, he responds to “the new guy.” But the name that might most stick with Nancy Ryan’s new morning show co-host might just be “John Doe 2.”

It’s a funny story, really. Even if it wasn’t quite so humorous at the time. As he tells it, his travels found him in Denver the day after the Oklahoma City bombing where, amongst a group of hotel guests, he found himself face-to-face with federal agents. Thinking it was an added security force, he ignored the agents’ shadowy presence and went on with his visit — until he was stopped in the hall by a fellow guest and prompted to check out the front page of the day’s USA Today. Which he did; and what he found can only be described as a little too eerie: a police sketch of the suspected bomber’s accomplice. A police sketch that looked exactly like him, eyebrows, eye shape, and all. The federal agents weren’t there for everyone — they were there for him. Never questioned, “the new guy” assumes he was checked, cleared, and rightly dismissed as quickly as he was suspected. But he still carries a memory of the day with him, in the form of a tattered sketch that he clipped from the newspaper in his wallet.

He’s come a long way since then.

A native of Wilkes-Barre, “the new guy” has worked in the industry for more than 12 years, his career taking him from the morning shift to the overnight shift, from classic rock to country, and from Pittsburgh to Santa Barbara. Married to a fellow Pennsylvania native and the proud father of two, “the new guy” and his wife decided to sacrifice a warm life on the West Coast for life in the tundra closer to home. A move that resulted in his eventual move to this region to work alongside BOB’s veteran morning pro, Nancy Ryan.

Only on the air for some two weeks, “the new guy” has been making himself at home in the area, tagging along with his station cohorts and discovering a few of the finer points of life in the Capital City — The Spot, the Walnut Street walking bridge, one-way streets. And, by all indications, he likes what he’s seen. Both for work and for play. “Nancy and I really clicked and hit it off right from the start,” he said. “She’s an incredible talent and if I had anything negative to say about her it would be that’s she’s too talented and I don’t know if I can keep up.”

So, in an effort to familiarize himself with the morning show audience, Nancy and “the new guy” decided to allow the listeners to pick his on-air name, a contest that has been received enthusiastically, with hundreds of entries posted the first day. “We were trying to come up with a very neat way to involve the listeners, giving them a sense of control, so we decided to let them pick my name,” said “the new guy.” And does he have any hesitation about what his new name could be? “I have confidence in the listeners of BOB 94.9 that they will pick the good name that I need,” he said, laughing. An on-line contest, listeners can log on to the station’s website, bobradio.com, fill out the entry form, and make suggestions for a name. The station will then compile a list of six suggested names and allow the audience to vote from those selections. The listener who suggested the determined name will then be flown to see Lonestar in concert this summer in Dallas. “There’s a little pay off, it’s fun,” said “the new guy.”

And fun seems to be a recurring theme in the life of “the new guy” who swears to love every aspect of his job. “I’m just a regular guy having fun and I know what a pain it is to wake up early in the morning and if I can get a giggle out of the audience and make them laugh, make them kind of forget about the nonsense during the day that they have to put up with when they get to work on the ride in or while they’re getting their kids ready for school … then that’s what I want to do. I live to entertain the listeners,” he said. “Aside from the fact that it is the coolest thing in the world that you can do for a living and get paid to do it …I guess the most exciting part about my job is that it changes everyday, you’re not really doing the same thing day in and day out … it’s just a kick, it really is.”

“The new guy.” “John Doe 2.” “A name to be named later” … either way, the new co-host for the BOB radio show is here and he’s happy to call Harrisburg — and BOB — home.