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Chaz and AJ

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Chaz & AJ in the Morning is a morning radio talk show program on 99.1 WPLR, a rock radio station broadcasting from Milford, Connecticut. Though the show is mostly comedy based, it includes certain segments of more serious (and more important) things, including interviews with politicians and authors. Chaz & AJ recently won the 2016 NAB Marconi Award for Medium Market Personality of the year, a highly distinguished honor in the radio community. The show has won the New Haven Advocate award for best local radio show every single year for the past ten year.

Contents

The show is done primarily by Chaz and AJ (who don't use their last names to protect their privacy when they aren't working), Pam, and current show producer Phil. Pam does traffic, and Phil handles all duties regarding the overall production for the show.

Former regular participants included Megan, who did the traffic and news, but also took part in many segments; John, the former show producer; Billy Winn, who was laid off March 2009.

The show began on WPLR on February 17, 2002, after the previous show, Smith & Barber, ended, moving from WRCN on Long Island. Chaz had previously been a night jock at WPLR. In 2007, Connecticut Magazine named the show "Best Local Radio Morning-Drive DJs", saying "If FM radio is going to hold off its satellite competition, ... it's the ability of the on-air personnel to connect with the audience. Chaz and AJ seem to be doing that very well."

Format

The show is usually "played by ear." A topic mentioned by "The Tribe" (the name given to Chaz & AJ listeners) may be discussed for an hour on the show even though it wasn't planned when the show began.

Interviews

Chaz & AJ normally have interviews with both local Connecticut talent and people known around the world. Some people featured on the show are Connecticut congressmen, sports figures, musicians, local news anchors, and much more.

A rather notable interview was with actor James Brolin on September 11, 2007. He made the news after Chaz and AJ noted it was the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and Brolin replied "Right, oh, yeah, Happy 9/11!"

Coverage of the Sandy Hook tragedy garnered national attention, as the program updated the people of Connecticut on the horrific attacks.

Regular segments

The show has a number of regular features:

  • Shock Collar Trivia: On Tuesdays and Thursdays, one of the hosts or a "special" guest will be fitted with a dog training collar that sends an electric shock when a button on the remote control is pushed. The person wearing the collar will be asked a trivia question from another host or a caller. The contestant attempts to answer the chosen question and if the answer they give is wrong, they get shocked. Hilarious audible noises are often heard and sometimes the results are video recorded for replay on the WPLR website. No longer done.
  • AJ's Top 10: At the start of the show, AJ has a Top 10 list that is inspired by current events. Listeners call in to guess.
  • Loser of the Week: Played every Friday at 8:15AM. Listeners call in to nominate and vote for the person or thing that was the biggest "loser" that week. The one with the most votes at the end is crowned "Loser of the Week."
  • Open Phones: Introduced early 2010. Listeners call in about anything on their mind. Some calls divert the show anywhere from a few minutes to a full break. This bit can run anywhere from one break (15 minutes) to a full hour (4 breaks). It can be used more than one time per show.
  • Chaz & AJ Line of the Day: Usually happens right before the close of the show. Bob, a caller from Norwalk, provides one of the more memorable lines from that morning's show. No longer done.
  • "'Dumb@** News"': The crew discusses some of the dumbest people in the world that made the news.

    • References

    Chaz & AJ Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA