WRNJ Morning DJ Jimmy Howes moving on to other opportunities
The WRNJ morning DJ Jimmy Howes today announced that he is moving on to other career opportunities, as a DJ in NYC. I believe he said it was a couple hours a day on a NYC station. He did not mention the station he is moving to.
His last day at WRNJ is today.
In his short stint as the morning drive host of WRNJ's morning show, he really did a great job. Believe it or not, WRNJ is on the fringe of the largest market in America, and Jimmy is a major league talent who rightly deserves this opportunity in the Major Leagues of NYC radio.
Jimmy also mentioned some personal issues that I was not aware that are in his family. He never let that affect the quality of the product he put on the air each day.
His banter with traffic reporter Tom Note(Big Like Boat) was always entertaining and his banter with news anchor Joyce Estey really brought out Joyce's personality in a positive light.
I cannot say I am surprised at this news however. Many times Jimmy recounted the harrowing drives up Rt.80 from his Bergen County residence to get to WRNJ. They were clues to me that the ride was going to become an issue. I thought in time he might move closer to our area.
But, with his other business concerns, his umpiring ("your missing a good game here blue") and family concerns, I guess the closer job is more in line with what his path will be.
Now. Norman Wirth has a challenge. Jimmy has set the bar high for entertainment in the AM at the station. It seems that WRNJ has used the afternoon DJ as a sort of "Farm System", much like baseball, to pull from when they need a morning DJ.
Will Greta Latona become the new morning person? Dave Kelber brought out of semi retirement? Mike Galley, I think was a wise departure for both him and the station. Russ Long coaxed back from Maine?
Good luck Jimmy Howes, we were fortunate you have your Big League skill here in our small market for the time we had you.
Good luck WRNJ on the search for a permanent morning personality.
The Rhyme Animal I was sad to hear that news this morning. I'm listening now to his conversation with Norman Worth, and it sounds like he's going back into banking, as well.
He had a great on-air relationship with Joyce Estey and Tom Note. You could tell that it was really genuine. He made my long commute tolerable. (A ride that I don't have to do at the hour he did!)
Good luck, Jimmy!
BobL I was listening to the conversation on WRNJ this morning between Norm Worth and Jimmy Howes as well. I heard that his immediate plans were with going back into the banking industry rather than any immediate plans to go into NYC radio work although he did receive a offer from them. I have been a WRNJ listener for many, many years. They are a great local radio station now and always have been serving our community not only with superior radio personnel but with their humanitarian efforts and personal service to our town in many other capacities..... Wishing the station and Jimmy much success in the future...
joyful 
Hipster That's too bad. He will be missed for sure.
I called in last week to speak with him about the Purple Heart Day show he did the day prior. We had a nice chat and spoke almost up to the moment he had to get back on the air. He actually mentioned my call when he went back live as I was thanking him for the good work he and the morning crew are doing and in particular the Purple Heart segment they did.
I wish him the best.
Greg Stopped listening the afternoon Russ Long made a crack about Alzheimer's disease. He apologized as did Norman, but that was it for me.
Acl76 
MIkej Another long-time listener am I. Jimmy is great, and I wish him good luck as he moves onto something else; somewhere else. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the discussion between Jimmy and Norman this morning. WRNJ serves our community extremely well in many ways, and I am thankful.
Dr. Pipes```` Thanks all, for the kind comments on Jimmy and the station. The skinny on Jimmy is that he has accepted a job as Special Projects Manager for Meridian Health's new medical research lab in Nutley. Jimmy has a large family and one special needs child and this move will be good for hiim and his family.
Jimmy is a big Radio talent and was recently offered a weekend air shift at WCBS-FM in NYC but declined. He said he'd like to fill in once Iin awhile at RNJ so we may not have heard the last of him.
Really good guy. We wish him well.
Norman Worth, WRNJ I am always up at 5:30.Had the alarm set to the station. And I'd laugh at the conversations he'd have with Note and the weather guys. Quick witted. Best of luck to him.
td
Bernie Dave is strictly a temporary placeholder. I doubt that he wants to comeback to full time morning schedule.
I will say, Jimmy's morning energy is def missed, after one whole day. I will be honest, I did change the dial to another station for a bit this AM. Jimmy's selection of some more music you normally don't hear on the radio anymore and his banter kept me tuned.
It is going to be a tough slot to fill- but high energy would be welcome- Dave is a great news guy, and is best suited for that role. (I know the morning news person this AM is on a learning curve, but Katie M would have been a better choice for this interim time when Joyce is off, let someone learn on a less crucial shift)
As always, best to WRNJ and Norman in filling this key spot.
Dave Kelber for now is a temp for Jimmy, Bernie..Jimmy will be stopping back at WRNJ on occasion to fill in for some of the weekend people that are off . Have always liked Dave Kelber and hope he comes back permanently again..
They've never been much on spending time training people and developing a "bench" … you had to be perfect with the tech right from the get go … the ability to inform and entertain (old school journalism skills) was always secondary to being an airplane pilot behind the control board … having a "board operator" helping a new person out has never been their thing.... heaven forbid they pay someone eight bucks an hour for doing that!
Andy Loigu Any word on a replacement, full time, for Jimmy Howes? Seems that Dave Kelber has become the replacement, I thought he was just an interim step until a new AM host has been found.
As I wrote back in August, Dave is a great, long time Pro, but at this stage I thought he was winding down his career a bit and now has been thrust into a full time role. I wonder how long he plans on doing that?
Katie M did a great job as the news AM fill in a couple of weeks ago, and the young man, (sorry I should have remembered his name) that filled in for Joyce when she was out a couple weeks before, he is getting better as he gets more on air time, just my observation.
Sure, I could call or write WRNJ and ask what is happening, but generating commentary about the station is never a bad thing. (overall they are an asset to the community, regardless of their on air talent choices.)
They've let plenty of good people slip through their fingers … no further comment needed.
This morning I heard them play Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond … couldn't believe my ears, that song is over 50 years old … yeah, they do the things I say they should do, it just takes them five years to realize I was on point LOL they even carried a live Hackettstown Tigers basketball game …. FINALLY … Norman Vincent Peale always said the way to get someone to do something is to let him/her think it was their idea :-D
I worked with Jimmy Howes for 9 years at WGHT in Pompton Lakes and let me tell you, he is true professional snd I consider him a very good friend. He would always go out of his way for you no matter what and he treated you as an equal. A very funny guy with that quick wit I wish I had. I am honored that I got to work with him. Best of luck my friend!
Espo 
COASTERFAN98 Wow, this is good news! I can tune 96.7FM in on my 60 year old tube radio, barely, from where I live (Mt.Lake). Seems like Greta Latona is also working at 96.7- where Jimmy goes, Greta is not far behind. She works the 10a-3p shift and then moves over to WRNJ 3p-7p. I have to guess she can do all this from home, unless she has mastered time travel between the 2 studios of each station.
Jimmy would be a good distraction right now from the way too serious situation we are all in. I will tune him in later, it will be good to hear him again.
Strangely enough, WRNJ did not replace Jimmy in morning drive. Dave Kelber, whom I thought was an interim placeholder until a replacement was found, has found his second wind, and during this time of national crisis, actually is providing a "steady hand" at WRNJ in the mornings, with the proper tone that we need for this time, at least in the mornings.
(no worry Mr.Worth, I will not be switching allegiances to an out of town station, we still need WRNJ!)
While we still need WRNJ they should have brought back Doc South years ago as he was a steady hand at the station and a nice man. Should never have been let go.
Russ Long - thank God he is gone as he was always yelling when he talked. Speaking of past their expiration dates... when will Joyce Estey go already? She comes across as a little cranky when she is on the air and she gets to stay on the air when real talent is let go? Makes no sense.
I like Dave Kelber in the morning as he has a great personality and a calming sound to him. I also like Greta in the afternoon. They need to bring Doc South back - even if it just on Saturdays which he used to do in addition to the weekdays, he would be great to have back on the air.
The Rhyme Animal
Congrats on having a 60 year old tube radio that works! I have an FM-only radio from the late 50's or early 60's, which is rather unusual, but I may have put that one in storage when I moved. I do have several in my home, but the ones dating back to the 20's and 30's are mostly in storage. I won't be listening to WRNJ on any of them though. It's bad enough that I sometimes listen to the no longer local 91.9FM, but the loss of On-Air WNTI and the change of format of WRNJ still won't get me to listen anyway.
Phil D. Wow, WRNJ is still on the air! That's great to hear. I used to set my alarm to them but when they are still on low power early in the morning, they didn't come in well. 250 Watts just doesn't make it too far in ground wave at 1,7MHz
Reggie Voter Commenting is no longer available.