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CommentsBest (and Longest-Reigning) Radio Duo
WHEN YOU’VE sustained a two-decade radio presence in a city like San Diego, you’re bound to have listeners recalling how they first heard your bits on the way to school in their parents’ car. It happens all the time to Jeff Detrow and Jerry Cezak, hosts of the Jeff & Jer Showgram on Star 94.1.
The madcap, civicminded morning hosts celebrate their 20th anniversary in San Diego this month——longer than any hosts have shared airtime in America’s Finest City. As their Web site boasts, they have outlasted four U.S. presidents, four San Diego mayors and six Chargers head coaches. Their 26-year partnership, which began in Detroit and Chicago, may make them the longest-running radio duo in the history of American broadcasting.
Though always conscious of impressionable listeners in the backseat——they typically satisfy parents’ longing for adult banter with cleverly crafted double entendrés——Jeff and Jer are no prudes, Cezak says. Even when they were up against the bawdy blunt force of Howard Stern, they provided their own share of provocative radio.
Cezak recalls his favorite remote broadcast, minus pants, at a North County nudist colony. Producer “Little” Tommy Sablan, who also is celebrating 20 years with the show, joined them.
“Let me tell you something,” St James says. “You don’t want to see most people naked. Most people you want to see with as much clothes on as they can get on.”
And then there was that time they swiped Jimmy Buffett’s bike shorts. “He was staying at Le Meridien Hotel, in 1989,” Cezak recalls. “We knew what room he was in, but he wouldn’t answer the door, so we swiped his bike shorts live on the air. He called us back and said, ‘Hey, I need those back.’ ”
Cezak considers the duo’s knack for getting celebrities on the line a strong suit. Johnny Carson granted an interview on the morning of his final episode of The Tonight Show, and Peanuts creator Charles Schulz chatted with them just before his death. Hooking the infamous Jack Nicholson took a bit of trickery. Cezak figured convincing the Easy Rider star to chat with a couple of deejays from San Diego wouldn’t be as easy, even if they had his home phone number.
“We thought, ‘What if a hot woman called?’ So we had Laura Cain, who’s been with us for 15 years, call him. Laura played around with him for a little while and then finally let him in on the scam. God, he wouldn’t shut up! He was probably on for a half-hour. He was a great guest . . . and such a nice guy to us.”
Detrow and Cezak have another year on their contract with Clear Channel Communications. Though Cezak is not sure what the evolving future of radio holds for them, they will remain in San Diego.
“I guess we’re still number one with adults, which is nice after all these years,” he says. “This has really been a great 20-year love affair with this city. It’s kind of a fantasy trip we’ve got going here.”
—— PAT SHERMAN
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Copyright 2009 CurtCo/SDM, LLC
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Reader Comments:
Longest running does NOT make something "best." McDonald's has been around forever, and they produce mediocre food. J & J have found out how to get middle-aged women to fall in love with their "bits." In the meantime, anyone with a shred of testosterone and three brain cells has learned to change the station years ago.
I sure would like to know how you decided the "Best Of" for choosing the best radio duo? Not only is this radio show stale, they have been reusing material for atleast 10 years and copying material from other stations across the nation.
You quote Jer Ceszak's double entendrés, but I have an 8 y/o child who catches every one of his entendrés and I must change the station.
Laura Cain's drug usuage and subsequent rehab, Little Tommy Sablans anger issues and misuse of his status to harass callers and emailers, Jeff's holier than thou (although he's been married 3x now)
The only two of the show who are without error are Randy and Delana.
I only hope that J&J end soon and Randy and Delana are able to salvage their reputations and continue in this venue
Jeff and Jer are "The best of"? you have to be joking! San Diego deserves better!
I grew up listening to J&J...and actually thought they were hilarious. Now after returning back from college and grad school, I'm disappointed that they're still doing the same stuff they did before and stuff that I hear re-used from other stations.
They preach about being honest with their listeners and how we're all one big happy family...ad yet they keep lying about the drug use, the abuse, affairs, divorces, re-marriages. It's become painfully obvious that they're only in it for the money now. They don't even care to pretend not to eat on the air. What the heck, they're not getting paid for us to listen to them eat...they're supposed to get paid for being funny. If I kept underperforming and was making that much money at my job, I would've been fired years ago...like they should have been! I hope they're let go soon and someone new and fresh will actually get a chance.
I whole heartedly disagree with you.
"Radio Duo" is a stretch! As of late, how often have the two of them even been on the air together? One of the two is forever on vacation (when it's not just that the entire crew decided to up and take another "well deserved" break). They can no longer feed off of each other's energy and need a cast of 4 other delinquents just to have fodder.
Interesting that every "funny" bit this article sighted was NOT from the last couple of years. What? Tommy taking his "wives" to breakfast a few weeks back wasn't good enough? How about when they wore diapers in public? Or Tommy pulling the "Don't you know who I am" bit in the diner? Oh! I know, the fat guy working out in Wal-Mart! Come on! THAT'S not good enough for a Best of 08 article considering it all happened IN 2008?
Mrs. Drug Addict, Mr. Perv, and Mr. Righteous make up your "Best Of?" What's next, are you going name David Westerfield "Best Suited" to play Santa later this year?
Congratulations, way to pinpoint who our children should aspire to emulate. Media attention and focus on these people begs the question, "How much did they pay your magazine to have you print this story."
It also begs, "Have you actually taken the time to listen to their Morning Spewgram?" Of course not, if you had, this story would not have been posted.
Next time, please write a story about someone who has actually made San Diego a better place.
Please get these hypocrites off the air.
Best of in San Diego Radio? What??????????? Who was editing the articles and allowed this one to get past them?
Best of in San Diego Radio.,,,let's see...
1. Making fun of polygamists and sending Laura and Delana out to dress and mock a religion in public
2. Listening to them pee in diapers in public
3. Seeing pictures of Jer's Italy trip, drinking from the breast of a famous fountain
4. Tommny, on air, name-calling people who call in "Fags or 'You're gay'"
5. Jeff constantly interupting callers or his co-hosts with off the wall comments, nver allowing them to finish what they were saying
6. Jer's 100 names for breasts (during morning commute times while parents are traveling with children in their cars)
7. Faking out their listeners with a "FAKE" Bono in the park skit
8. Tommy insulting his ex-wife on air and making references to her exagerated age and his proposing to a woman he'd only known for mere months
I think I will cancel my subscription to your magazine since it obviously is very slanted and not the type of opinion I want in my home.
A woman co-host who "checked out" of her marriage and rearing her children years ago in favor of drugs and alcohol.
A man who spouts the gospel and has been married 3 times
Another man who is the biggest verbal pervert on the air
Another (the term is used loosely) man who is the biggest pig and passive/aggressive to anyone he meets (and I've met him!)
SDMag, are you people even listening to this show or did you just pull a rabbit out of a hat? Their arbitron ratings don't even justify giving them this title.
Is Pam Cezak on your board or something? It sounds like there must be some sort of connection for you to give such an obviously fluffed up review of these stooges.
Wow! Is this list from 1988?? Get serious!