9:28 PM Wed, Jun 18, 2008 | Permalink
|
I always laugh each time I hear him say it. "Hello everyone and welcome back to the Sunday Morning talk show, I'm Joe Elliott the cheap, part-time help."
Joe, who is blind, may consider himself the cheap help ever since WHAS AM discontinued his full-time nighttime talk show, but he's still as strong as ever. The cutback by Clear Channel Radio happened last November. Joe at the time told us in an interview on WHAS TV (owned by Belo of Dallas TX) that he wasn't mad at his bosses. They apparently listened. Since November, I've heard Joe filling in on weekday morning drive for Tony Cruise, afternoons for Terry Meiners, and weekday news-talk from 9am til Noon. He's all over the place.
So I called Joe the other day and asked him how he's doing. He says that like a good radio person, not knowing if he'd ever have a certain job very long, he saved up over the years. He was on WHAS Radio for nearly 20 years. But he has a family and a son and says his money is dwindling and he's still looking for a full-time job in Louisville.
I thought of Joe recently because of Tim Russert's death. Joe is Louisville's Tim Russert. He has the same respect for his guests, and isn't afraid to ask tough questions. I've always thought that both Joe and Terry Meiners would be great news reporters. They know news and also know when a new development has occurred with a story, never letting an interview subject skate by if they've contradicted themselves from what has been reported previously. The real art in any interview is listening, then pouncing on the folo-up. Many times, you break the most news, in the folo-up question. Both of those guys do it brilliantly.
Joe says he still gets lots of encouraging emails from listeners. He tells me he's thinking about doing some public speaking, telling his remarkable story to audiences who may pay to hear him speak.
I've always enjoyed listening to Elliott because I've found him to be extremely fair and honest about his opinions. He always tells you where he stands, whether you like it or not, but he makes sure you know that he respects your opinion as well. To me, that makes Joe stand out in world where fire and bluster on TV and radio is the norm.
Listen to Joe Elliott while you can.
Joe Elliott was the last DJ at WHAS that I will listen too. Now there is no reason to listen. Sometimes I will listen to RUSH for a laugh or two, but that's it. WHAS fired the best they had in Joe Elliott. And Francene is a joke.
I wish Joe Elliot would replace Francene, he would be the perfect match for that time slot. I have stopped listening to WHAS radio during the 9am slot because of the stupid thing she did during the UofL/WestVirgina game a few years ago. Joe has much more personality, dignity and profesionalism and represents our town much better than what is offered now.
WHAS should be embarrassed at getting rid of Joe Elliott so that they have a place for the idiot and hate filled man they replaced him with.
I thought WHAS cared more about Louisville than that. Obviously someone with the quality of Elliott should be on the air in Louisville and the idiot who is should not.
*note added by Doug Proffitt: WHAS Radio and WHAS TV are not affiliated and are owned by different companies. Joe Elliott worked for WHAS Radio.
Joe Elliott is so missed by those of us "talk radio junkies"....He let us know what Louisville and Kentucky thought about so many issues, just by letting us talk...he helped the current issues stay in the forefront until taken care of, he cared what people thought, and he respected everyone's opinion like we respected his. I would love to hear him on the morning radio show instead of Francine. She's a nice person but she's NOT Joe Elliott. I hope he continues his program in one form or the other....if not at 84 WHAS then somewhere else in Louisville. Any station would be lucky to have him. I hope he finds his niche again soon..until then, I enjoy him each time he fills in for any of the regulars.