| John Kobylt, originally from New Jersey, was a sportswriter and editor for the Passaic-Clifton Herald-News (now the North Jersey Herald and News). He moved to New York in 1985. He spent a year in a New York college, but never graduated. John claims to have never even seen his college grades!
After graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ken Chiampou became an accountant, working as a controller at a health company. Only Ken himself is sure why he got into radio - the introverted talk show host rarely reveals details about his personal life.
(Other than he drives a BMW that he got a "great" deal on!)
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John and Ken worked both individually and as a team at WOND - AM in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They worked the morning drive for a year at WMGM - FM in Atlantic City as well. In just 3 months, The John & Ken Show raised the morning ratings by 65%, eventually becoming the number one show in the market. Their big break came at WKXW "New Jersey 101.5" FM in Trenton, New Jersey. Their afternoon shows caused notable events, such as incurring the wrath of the New Jersey Turnpike tollbooth collector's union. As a result, they were identified as "disgruntled former tollbooth operators."
On another occasion they were responsible for inciting a taxpayer revolt which included a protest march on New Jersey state capitol building. Always a hit with their stations' management, (John Kobylt referred to one of his former station managers "a deranged mental patient") the show moved west to Los Angeles in 1992.
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Their show debuted on KFI - AM 640, replacing the former LAPD Chief of Police, Darryl Gates. True to form, THE JOHN AND KEN SHOW proceeded to arouse the ire of special interest groups and educators everywhere! At first, John and Ken were unfamiliar with the Los Angeles area and made humorous gaffes about different locales in the area, but they quickly adapted to their new surroundings.
They frequently spotlighted contemporary events like the 1994-5 O.J. Simpson trial, and the 1995 Menendez brothers murder trial. Their innovative responses to these events such as their series of programs titled "Hour of O.J.", and their "Fry the Menendi" barbecue earned them fame and eventually made them the most popular afternoon talk show in Southern California with a weekly listening audience of over 700,000 people.
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Syndication around the country followed. The John and Ken show returned to the East Coast at various radio stations, and they began to change their format slightly to appeal to a national audience. Local issues to the Los Angeles area went by the wayside in favor of broader topics. However, popular topics such as "Hour of Rage" and the "Customer Service Desk" continued to appear regularly.
The show grew until it was syndicated in over 110 radio stations nationwide. Unfortunately, it didn't last. In what was described as a "contract dispute," their show abruptly disappeared from KFI Los Angeles on March 19, 1999. The collapse of syndication soon followed, with the 110 stations dropping the show soon after. A month after their show disappeared from the airwaves, Talk Radio 790 KABC announced that John and Ken would be hosting a new morning show beginning July 1, 1999.
JOHN AND KEN triumphantly returned to the airwaves on July 1, 1999 at their new home, Talk Radio 790 KABC. Their debut show was held at the House of Blues in Hollywood, with music from the Hawaiian rock band "The Hula Monsters" and appearances by many other KABC personalities. They delivered blistering commentaries about "Siegfried and Roy" (the boys that took over their former time slot at the "Misguided Station")and their contract battles with their former employers. The Los Angeles City Council proclaimed July 1, 1999 as "John and Ken Day." They took calls from many loyal nutballs and mental patients welcoming them back.
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Unfortunately, the party didn't last. The morning show format and loss of their former drive time audience elicited a ratings decline that began soon after their return to the airwaves. Promotions and personal appearances were tried at various locations, but apparently their particular style of banter and presentation were not a ratings winner in the morning. Their show began foundering, and rumors of their demise from Talk Radio 790 began cropping up as early as May 2000. With the departure of Program Director Drew
"Purple" Hayes, their biggest booster, cancellation became a virtual certainty. This finally occurred on October 20, 2000 at the end of their broadcast. Program Director Erik Braverman stated: "We're disappointed that the John & Ken show did not work on KABC. They are two talented individuals who were just in the wrong environment on Talk Radio 790. The type of program that listeners expect of KABC in morning drive is not the type of show that John & Ken do best. We wish them well in the future."
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John and Ken returned to the airwaves March 2001 once
again at their former home of KFI AM 640, somewhat subdued about their
misadventures at "the mouse managed station" but definitely true to form!
They immediately pissed off the Hispanic population in Southern California
by sarcastically offering cheese to lazy illegal immigrants who had failed
to meet a two year amnesty deadline. Gary
Condit, Robert Blake, the 91 Freeway, David Westerfield, Osama Bin Laden, and Governor Joe "Lowbeam"
Gray Davis have also been recent targets of opportunity. |
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The JOHN AND KEN SHOW can be heard daily at 3 PM
lambasting the lazy, uneducated, fraudulent or just plain bizarre. Tune in
today and see what's new. |
Site last modified October 1, 2002.
This site is created and maintained by the
minimum wage mental patient
Art J. Wills who is not affiliated
with KFI AM 640, Clear Channel, Disney, or any other radio station other than
having the ability to tune in with his cheap radio.
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