Roe Conn
Roe B Conn | |
---|---|
Born | 6 June 1964 |
Occupation(s) | radio personality and television personality |
Spouse | divorced / remarried |
Children | one daughter |
Roe B. Conn (born in Chicago on 6 June 1964) is an American radio talk show host who is the host of The Roe Conn Show which airs on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago, Illinois. The Roe Conn Show broadcasts live from 2 to 7 p.m. (Central Time), Monday through Friday.
Career
Roe's first radio gig was Saturday overnights on WDUB in Granville, Ohio. He then went on to be producer for Don Vogel on WMAQ-AM. He received his first national exposure for his daily "round up" of the OJ Simpson Trial. After that, he went on to host shows on WLS-AM, eventually teaming up with Garry Meier. In 2004, a contract negotiation with the station caused Meier to not renew his contract with WLS. Roe is now the sole host of the show, along with Jim Johnson, Christina Filiaggi and Bill Leff. Roe and Leff often joke on the air about the similarity of their voices.Many praise Roe Conn for having a good sense of humor and for being skilled at articulating his thoughts.[citation needed]In the spring of 2006 ratings period, The Roe Conn Show reached new heights by becoming Chicago’s most listened to radio talk show among adults.
Glenn Beck Show
On May 10,2006, Roe Conn started his own weekly segment on Glenn Beck's one-hour talk show on CNN Headline News. It airs at 7 p.m. (Eastern Time) with reruns at 9 p.m. and Midnight (Eastern). Conn turns up on the show every Wednesday with "Roes & Cons," an irreverent roundup of the winners and losers of the week in the news. He tapes his segments from studios in Chicago. Occasionally Conn serves as guest host of this show when Beck is on vacation.
Personality
He often describes himself as obsessive about cleanliness, avoiding germs and sickness at all costs.
On 5 January 2006, Roe Conn mentioned Wikipedia in his daily talk show on WLS. He stated that while most of it is factually correct, some details (including his birthday) were incorrect. Now his birthday is correct on the site (as of 6 June 2006). However, Chicago Sun Times columnist Michael Sneed, whom Roe loves to read, declared his birthday as June 7 in her 7 June 2006 column.
When Dusty Baker was fired from the Chicago Cubs, Harry Caray's restaurant named a hot dog kids meal after Roe; he is the first non-Cub whom the restaurant has honored in this manner.
Jim Condit Jr ads
On November 2,2006, Roe took his typical digs at WLS sales management and FCC regulations to a new level and proclaimed his disgust for WLS 890 having to air Jim Condit Jr's "Political Ads" (which were really issue statements - accusing Michael Chertoff and Zionist Jews for orchestrating September 11 and planning Phase 2 attacks). He pledged to personally contribute $6500, which is the amount that Condit paid for his "Ad" to WLS, to the Jewish United Fund and the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. Condit's spots were subsequently pulled from WLS that afternoon at 3:00 PM. Largely due to listener concerns, hosts speaking out, and legal teams having been assembled.
Involvement with Litigation
The Roe Conn show took a call from a small business owner on March 28, 2006 who allegedly spoke to the jury foreperson about the then ongoing trial of former governor George Ryan.[1] This possible juror misconduct is one of the bases for appeal in Ryan's conviction on criminal charges of corruption.
Conn testified for the plaintiff at a civil proceeding involving his former on-air partner Garry Meier.[2] In the suit, Meier's former manager Todd Musburger alleged that he was owed money for work related to contract negotiations. Conn's testimony contradicted that of Meier's, and the jury sided with Musburger.
Awards
Roe Conn was recognized by Talkers Magazine to be one of the "One hundred most influential radio hosts is America".
References
- ^ Questions about another Ryan juror, Chicago Sun Times, April 12, 2006.
- ^ Chicago Sun Times, Robert Feder, January 30, 2007.