Quad-City Radio Group shuffles morning hosts

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By David Burke | Wednesday, November 5, 2008 4:46 PM CST | () comments

The departure of one morning-show co-host from WLLR-FM (103.7) is causing a domino effect at Clear Channel’s Quad-City Radio Group.

J.D. Justice, who had been with the station for 11 years and morning-show co-host with Danielle Howe the past three, signed off at WLLR on Oct. 30, said Jim O’Hara, director of programming operations for the Davenport-based group.

“In my career, I’ve never met a more dedicated listener than a WLLR listener,” Justice said in a note on WLLR’s Web site. “I’ve been treated with respect and friendship, and I’ll never forget you. Thank you for everything.”

Justice and Howe were selected as the area’s “Top DJ” in August in the Quad-City Times Readers Choice Awards, and the show has been No. 1 in overall listeners during the past three ratings periods, O’Hara said.

Justice is moving to Lincoln, Neb., where he will co-host a morning show at a country music station.

“They offered him a great position,” O’Hara said. “It’s a team show with a lot of focus on what he brings to it. He’s excited.”

A Twin Cities native, Justice has family in Nebraska, O’Hara added.

Besides broadcasting, Justice has been the public address voice of the Quad-City Steamwheelers arena football team at the i wireless Center in Moline.

Filling Justice’s spot on WLLR as of Nov. 17 will be Pat Leuck, a Quad-City radio veteran who has co-hosted the morning show at sister station KMXG-FM (96.1), or Mix 96, for the past decade, with eight years of previous experience on afternoons at WLLR. He also has been the nighttime host on WLLR for the past several years by doing prerecorded segments.

Leuck and Justice were the two contenders for mornings on WLLR in 2005, O’Hara said. Leuck will team up with Howe, longtime co-host of the morning show and a country-rock performer.

“They’re great friends and I think they’ll sound really good together,” O’Hara said.

Another Quad-City Radio Group veteran, Ron Evans, will move from afternoons to mornings and co-host with Tami Seitz on KMXG. Interviews are taking place for the afternoon job at Mix 96, O’Hara said.

Mix 96 also will be the radio group’s home for Christmas music, beginning with a switchover Nov. 22.

Sister station KUUL-FM (101.3) had been the home of holiday songs since 2002. O’Hara said that was done partially to handle transitions in the station’s oldies format.

“Mix will be the perfect fit for this type of music. It’s kind of the closest transition in terms of the audience. It’s such a heavily female-oriented radio station that it’s all perfect for all-Christmas music.”

David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.