June 16, 2011
We reported to you yesterday that CBS L.A. Newsman Jim Thornton was hired on as the new voice of Wheel of Fortune. We thought it would be kind of cool to try to talk him out of it. He says it's his dream job but surely he's kidding. Why would anyone want to leave the action-packed craziness of big city news to hang out with game show contestants and Vanna White? So we chased Jim down for several days and finally caught up with him yesterday. We put the tough questions to the veteran newsman.
Jim, are you nuts? How can you leave radio? You've been at KNX forever? What are you thinking? You want us to put a word in with Mason, try to get you more money?
JT: As far as leaving KNX, it does feel very strange. I've been employed by them since around 1988. However, I actually did traffic on KNX from Metro Traffic Control in summer of 1985 when I was barely 20 years old. It was a weekend gig, paying about $5.00 per hour, and I was thrilled but petrified that first day I cracked the mic. Since then I've done a whole lot of other things - voiceover, disc jockey, TV hosting, et cetera. But KNX has been the one constant of my career. The good news there is that I will still be doing some endorsements and perhaps some fill-in work from time to time if it works out. Friday, June 24th will be my last day full-time.
Reflect on the years you've had at radio and at the station. Tell us your two best memories.
JT: As far as the years I've had there at KNX, a lot of memories stand out: One was the day I rolled my Ford Explorer on a rain-slick 210 Freeway back in 2004. It was about 4:30 in the morning and I called the KNX newsroom to say I'd be late. Our producer David Singer didn't skip a beat. He made sure I was okay, then immediately asked if I would go live and do an interview from the center divider for KNX. Of course, I obliged. We still laugh about it. Another standout memory was the day I first tried my hand at hosting afternoon drive, at the behest of David G. Hall. People thought he was nuts for throwing the traffic guy in there. In fact my first co-anchor, Gail Eichenthal, quit and left the station about a week into the gig. I guess my lack of news pedigree was too much--I can't really say I blame her. But through perseverance and the incredible patience of past and current management, it all worked out.
What is the one story you covered that sticks out the most? Maybe not a national news story we all know about."
JT: I think the most memorable news event I helped cover was a big mud slide on Bluebird Canyon in Laguna Beach a few years ago. Not because it was such a huge story, but because of where we were. My producer David Singer and I did the entire afternoon news show (with yours truly hosting) from the back porch of this nice woman's home. It was amazing to ponder, the thought of broadcasting on a 50,000 watt radio station from a quiet little neighborhood and creating radio while looking at nothing but mud. That's what I love and will miss most about radio - creating something from nothing. Bringing a story to life through theater of the mind. Being the one that people are relying on to give the clearest, most interesting, and most important information they can get.
Thornton has been a part of KNX 1070 Newsradio in Los Angelas since 1985 when he provided traffic reports with the syndicated traffic service, "Metro Traffic." He then became a fulltime traffic reporter during morning drive for both KNX and CBS2 News, before taking on his current role as host of the afternoon drive newscast in January 2005. he says he's very excited and this is truly a dream job. He's been been guest announcing on Wheel since December. He adds "I was overwhelmed at first. I honestly didn't know if I would be up for the pressure. But once I got there and found out how nice the people are at Sony, everything came naturally." We want to wish Thornton all the luck as the new voice of Wheel of Fortune.
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