A.J.
06-11-2003, 07:22 AM
More 'Ron & Fez'
Fans of "The Ron & Fez Show" now can hear a fifth hour of the inventive evening comedy program weekdays on talk station WJFK-FM (106.7).
The catch? The extra hour airs in the middle of the day.
On Monday, the duo began hosting a live, one-hour version of their show weekdays at 11 a.m., a time slot previously occupied by reruns of Bill O'Reilly's "Radio Factor."
Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley still host a live show weeknights from 7 to 11. They now work a five-hour shift, with a seven-hour break in between the first and second hours.
WJFK said it wants to expose "Ron & Fez" to more listeners. Evening ratings have dipped since Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley took over the slot from "The Sports Junkies," which moved to mornings on sister station WHFS-FM (99.1) in November.
To squeeze as much into the midday hour of "Ron & Fez" as possible, Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley plan to ape the rapid-fire style of the ESPN debate series "Pardon the Interruption."
"We're trying to take all four hours of what we do at night and cram it into a single hour," said Mr. Whatley, whose nasally voice recalls "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares" regular Charles Nelson Reilly.
Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley moved their show from New York to WJFK's Fairfax studio last year. The two have been staying in a hotel near WJFK, but they hope to find permanent homes by July.
Mr. Whatley, who said he sleeps after his midday show, plans to live near the station.
http://www.washtimes.com/business/20030610-100508-7586r.htm (http://)
<IMG SRC="http://www.silentspic.com/images/sighost/ajdcsig.jpg">
A Skidmark production.
Fans of "The Ron & Fez Show" now can hear a fifth hour of the inventive evening comedy program weekdays on talk station WJFK-FM (106.7).
The catch? The extra hour airs in the middle of the day.
On Monday, the duo began hosting a live, one-hour version of their show weekdays at 11 a.m., a time slot previously occupied by reruns of Bill O'Reilly's "Radio Factor."
Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley still host a live show weeknights from 7 to 11. They now work a five-hour shift, with a seven-hour break in between the first and second hours.
WJFK said it wants to expose "Ron & Fez" to more listeners. Evening ratings have dipped since Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley took over the slot from "The Sports Junkies," which moved to mornings on sister station WHFS-FM (99.1) in November.
To squeeze as much into the midday hour of "Ron & Fez" as possible, Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley plan to ape the rapid-fire style of the ESPN debate series "Pardon the Interruption."
"We're trying to take all four hours of what we do at night and cram it into a single hour," said Mr. Whatley, whose nasally voice recalls "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares" regular Charles Nelson Reilly.
Mr. Bennington and Mr. Whatley moved their show from New York to WJFK's Fairfax studio last year. The two have been staying in a hotel near WJFK, but they hope to find permanent homes by July.
Mr. Whatley, who said he sleeps after his midday show, plans to live near the station.
http://www.washtimes.com/business/20030610-100508-7586r.htm (http://)
<IMG SRC="http://www.silentspic.com/images/sighost/ajdcsig.jpg">
A Skidmark production.