Mojo in the Morning
Running time6:00 am–11:00 am
Country of originUnited States
Home stationWKQI
SyndicatesiHeartMedia, Inc.
Hosted byMojo and Shannon
Original releaseFebruary 21, 2000 (2000-02-21)

Mojo in the Morning is a long-running American morning radio talk show that runs weekdays from 6am–11am, with a warm-up show running from 5am-6am Eastern Time. The show first launched on February 21, 2000, on Channel 955 in Detroit. It can also be heard on 104.5 WSNX-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan and WVKS 92.5 KISS FM in Toledo, Ohio.[1][2]

Mojo in the Morning is currently hosted by Mojo and Shannon it is under contract to iHeartMedia through 2025. In 2020, the radio show earned the distinction of being the longest-running FM morning program in Michigan history.[3] The show actively supports various charities and has launched two local charities: the "Breaking & Entering Christmas Wish" (where they show up on the recipient's doorstep with clothing, food, toys and Christmas trees) and "Time Team" (where they encourage listeners to donate their time for various community service projects).[4] The show also donated proceeds from sales made for CDs of their "Phone Scam" segments. Since 2018, Mojo in the Morning has also published an on-demand daily podcast which has consistently ranked among the Top 100 most popular podcasts on the iHeartRadio network.[5]

On April 3, 2023 it was announced that the show's longtime co-host Spike was removed from the daily radio show without explanation after over 23 years on the program. Aside from the show's namesake, Spike was the last original founding member of the show, which has seen many staff changes in recent years.[6]

Staff

Current (Host, 2000–present) Mojo

  • Shannon Murphy (host, 2009–present)[7]
  • Meaghan Mick (Toledo affiliate host, 2017–present)
  • Mike Aguilar (Grand Rapids affiliate host, 2017–present)
  • "Kev" Kevin Irwin II (2023–present)[8]
  • "KP" Kristin Penrose (executive producer, 2022–present) [9] [10]
  • Lydia (associate producer, 2021–present)

Previous

  • Sara Fouracre (co-host, 2000–2007)
  • Chad Mitchell (executive producer, 2000–2007)
  • Eric Harthen (audio producer/celebrity impersonator, 2000–2004)
  • Chuck Gaidica (weatherman/frequent guest co-host, 2000–2002)
  • Kyra Dillard (co-host, 2006–2009)
  • Rob Graham (social media/web-content director, 2008–2011)
  • Fletch (audio producer, 2010–2013)
  • Randi (associate producer, 2011–2015)
  • Calvin (social media/web-content director, 2013–2015)
  • Slim (audio producer, 2013–2018)
  • Ashley Nics (audio producer, 2019–2020)
  • Kirby Gwen (audio producer, 2020-2020)
  • Joey (social media/web-content director, 2016–2020)
  • Rachel Giordano (executive producer, 2007–2020)
  • Producer Ellen (executive producer, 2020–2022)[11]
  • Rhys (social media/web-content director, 2021–2023)
  • Spike (co-founder & co-host, 2000–2023) [12]

Benchmark segments and events

The show features multiple segments that focus on elements such as the lives of the hosts, their guests, celebrities, and pop culture.

War of the Roses
Held every Thursday, the segment consists of Shannon calling a listener's significant other that is believed to be cheating. She pretends to be a florist offering a dozen free roses to be sent to the person of his or her choosing, with the possibility for the potentially unfaithful partner to send the flowers to the wrong person.
Phone Scams
This segment has the host Spike prank calling a victim selected via requests on the show's official website. It is held each morning and notable victims of the segment have included Donald Trump, Ludacris, Charlie Sheen and The Chainsmokers.[13] On a November 2013 broadcast, the hosts noted that Spike had completed his 1,000th phone scam on the program. On the May 3, 2023 broadcast, the hosts noted that the daily Phone Scams feature would no longer air out of respect to former co-host Spike who was inexplicably removed from the show: “Without Spike, we’re not going to do it.”[14]
Senseless Survey
This segment used to air each Tuesday and is similar to the Phone Scams, and was initially created in 2009 by Spike in response to news that the U.S. Census Bureau was having difficulty with the official 2010 United States Census.
Street Scams
Former co-host Spike pranked people in person rather than on the phone and the results of the practical joke are shared live on the air and later when social media was invented, in online videos.
Dirty on the Thirty
An hourly celebrity gossip segment hosted by Shannon.
Throwback Throwdown
Every Friday show members compete in a contest similar to Name That Tune where they must identify songs from the 1980s, '90s and 2000s. If songs are identified correctly, listeners have the ability to win prizes.
Second Date Update
Each week, the show attempts to find out why a listener isn't getting a call back after a first date. This usually results in the show calling the "date" on the air to ask direct, revealing questions.
Break Up or Make Up
Romantic couples share details of their relationship struggles to determine if listeners believe the couple should remain together.
Six on Sex
In this segment Mojo encourages a listener to call his or her parents and listen to Mojo ask the caller six personal questions about their sex life while the call is played on air. If the parent does not hang up before the questions are answered, the caller wins a prize.
5 @ 655
Two listeners battle each morning in a quiz of recent pop culture headlines. The winner continues to play again the next morning while the loser gets a prize. After fifteen wins, the caller then challenges Shannon in a game called 'Smarter than Shannon'
Five Lies to Tell Your Mom
Each week, the show airs a phone call between a listener and his or her mother. The listener volunteers to convincingly tell his or her mom all five lies created by the show to encourage a dramatic response from the shocked mom. The goal is for the listener to keep his or her mom on the phone throughout the entire call.
Singles Mingle
The show hosts several parties throughout the year for single listeners to meet a mate. The parties are usually themed and are by invitation only. Entertainment for the party can include a live performance from a national recording artist and the parties have been attended by people such as Mike Posner, Flo Rida, Kesha, Paris Hilton, Ne-Yo and Jessica Simpson.
Town Tour
Every summer the show's staff broadcasts live from various cities within their listening area, where they encourage listeners to attend the broadcast, which is usually outdoors.

Ratings, reception, and audience

Mojo in the Morning has been broadcast in locations such as Arizona, Ohio, Florida, Virginia,[15] Mississippi and Michigan, and the show has been frequently ranked as a "Top Five morning show" in Detroit's Arbitron/Nielsen PPM Radio Ratings.[16] The show has also been voted as "Best Radio Morning Show" in many Detroit publications such as The Detroit News, Metro Times, and Real Detroit Weekly.[17][18][19] In 2013, Mojo was named along with Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh and Ryan Seacrest as one of the "Top 25 Radio Personalities of the Last 25 Years" according to Talentmaster, a talk radio industry publication.[20] In 2022, Mojo In The Morning was nominated to the Radio Hall of Fame along with 23 other nominees for induction from a list of more than 2,500 suggestions to the Nominating Committee.[21]

Notable broadcasts and controversies

Several of the segments and broadcasts run by Mojo in the Morning have received attention from the national media, such as a 2013 segment where they had someone impersonate actor Ryan Gosling.[22] In 2012 singer Justin Bieber left an interview early because he disliked comparisons to Justin Timberlake and jokes about Harry Styles being attracted to older women, including Bieber's mom.[23] As a result, Mojo (who had been hosting the interview) was briefly suspended from the show.[23] The show also received notice for a series of phone calls between Eminem and his ex-wife Kimberly Mathers, where each would reveal personal information about the other person on the radio broadcast for all to hear.[24]

Other show segments seen as controversial include the show hiring an airplane to fly a banner over downtown Detroit referencing the conviction of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick;[25] Spike trespassing on the set of Glee;[26] a faux funeral for the Detroit Lions NFL football team due to its poor playing;,[27] an April Fool's Day joke in which Mojo shared that the Detroit Red Wings hockey team would be relocated across the Detroit River to Canada as a cost-cutting move.[28] and photos of Miss USA winner Rima Fakih participating in a "Stripper 101" contest sponsored by the show.[29] In 2012 the show was threatened with legal action by former staff member Rob Graham, who claimed that the show violated HIPAA laws by discussing his personal medical history on air and that he had been encouraged to post copyrighted information on the show's official website.[30] A lawsuit was never filed. When Detroit's NHL team built a new arena in 2017, Spike "stole" the zamboni and drove it—without team permission—through rush hour traffic to the new arena.[31]

References

  1. ↑ "Envision Networks Partners with Mojo in the Morning". January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ "92.5 Kiss-FM Toledo Replaces The Morning Rush With Mojo". June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  3. ↑ Rubin, Neal. "Mojo in a lot of Mornings: Radio show hits 20 years". Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Mojo Celebrates 20 Years At WKQI". February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Top 100 Podcasts". Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ Spike leaves Mojo in the Morning after over 2 decades on Detroit radio By WDIV-TV https://www.clickondetroit.com/entertainment/2023/04/03/spike-leaves-mojo-in-the-morning-after-over-2-decades-on-detroit-radio/
  7. ↑ Gonzalez, John (August 17, 2010). "Mojo in the Morning co-host Shannon Murphy makes a splash on Live with Regis and Kelly". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Welcome The New Show Member". May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Welcome The Show KP". September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  10. ↑ "KP is "Trailer Swift"". June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  11. ↑ Williams, Kory (July 27, 2022). "Producer Ellen From Mojo in the Morning Is Making a Big Leap and Leaving the Show". Distractify. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  12. ↑ Spike is no longer with Detroit's 'Mojo in the Morning' show By Julie Hinds https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2023/04/03/spike-leaving-detroit-mojo-in-the-morning/70076349007/
  13. ↑ "Mojo in the Morning Phone Scam: The Chainsmokers" – via www.youtube.com.
  14. ↑ ‘Mojo in the Morning’ co-host Spike says he’s parting ways after more than 23 years By Lee DeVito https://www.metrotimes.com/news/mojo-in-the-morning-co-host-spike-says-hes-parting-ways-after-more-than-23-years-32773506
  15. ↑ "Mojo in the Morning Gets Hot In Norfolk". Envision Networks. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  16. ↑ Hammerstein, BJ. "Mojo's morning crew reaches a milestone". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Best of Detroit 2013". Hour Detroit. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Public Square - Reader Picks". Metro Times. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Best Media". Real Detroit Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  20. ↑ Gonzalez, John (August 21, 2013). "Top 25 Radio Personalities of the Last 25 Years". Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Here Are The 2022 Radio Hall Of Fame Nominees". Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ Schlosser, Kurt. "Lyin' Gosling fools fans on the streets of Detroit". Today. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  23. 1 2 "Justin Bieber Shuts Down Radio Interview Over 'Mom' Joke". MTV. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Eminem: Remarrying Kim didn't fix 'underlying problems'". USA Today. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Airplane hired by 'Mojo in the Morning' show sends brusque message to Kilpatrick". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  26. ↑ "DJ's 'Glee' pix anger studio". DFP. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Radio station gives Millen era proper burial". WZZM. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  28. ↑ Hammerstein, BJ. "Mojo's morning crew reaches a milestone". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  29. ↑ "New Miss USA Once Won Pole Dancing Contest". ABC News. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  30. ↑ Rosenfield, Michael. "EXCLUSIVE: Popular radio host Mojo to face legal action from former cast member". WXYZ. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Spike Moves Zamboni From The Joe to LCA". YouTube. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
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