CLEVELAND — After more than 30 years on Cleveland airwaves, longtime radio DJ Jimmy Malone said he was fired from his job without warning. Malone said the company, WTAM 1100, owned by iHeart Radio, told him he was let go due to cost-saving measures.
The beloved radio host expressed that he just wants a chance to say goodbye to his listeners. Malone’s storied career came to an end on Thursday, Aug. 8. He noted that while his career at WTAM 1100 is over, his love for radio and his commitment to the youth of tomorrow continues.
“They just walked in with no warning and said, ‘You’re fired,’ and, I think, they said, ‘Have a nice day,’” Malone recalled. He mentioned that the radio executives informed him the station was cutting back on costs.
“Never a scandal, never a discipline problem, never even late to work in the whole 30 years,” Malone said.
Malone, who began his career as a stand-up comedian, made his first radio appearance in the early 1990s on the Langan and Webster show on MAJIC 105.7. He quickly became a household name.
“For a guy with no experience who just jumped onto the radio, to get that kind of support — I’ve been grateful every single day for that,” Malone said.
Now in his 70s, Malone remains modest about his career, saying he’s had the job of a lifetime.
“I’ve interviewed everybody from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton, to Tom Hanks,” said Malone. But beyond the celebrities, he said it’s the people he interviewed in Cleveland he’ll miss the most.
“Most people don’t get to do what I do, or what I did, so again, I’m grateful for that. My regret is that it just didn’t end with a little bit more respect, a little dignity.”
Now, Malone is spending time in his garden, taking the time to smell the roses as he awaits his next chapter.
During his time on air, he also started a college scholarship fund, where he said he’s raised more than $5 million to help kids continue their education.
3News reached out to iHeart Radio for comment but has not yet heard back.
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