When Marc Amazon leaves Friday, who will take over his 9 p.m. show on WLW-AM? Mo Egger? Rocky Boiman? Lisa Wells? Sterling? Tom Gamble? Gary Jeff Walker?
Here’s what Amazon says: “I still don't Mo my successor. It can be Rocky sorting out the candidates, and there are only so many Wells you can look down to find talent. They don't have to be perfect, but require a Sterling reputation in the community. You want someone with upside, but can't afford too much of a Gamble. The only thing I can say for certain is they wouldn't want someone who requires a Walker.”
While he enjoys fueling speculation about his successor, there’s one topic he wants to be absolutely clear about – his health a year after bladder cancer surgery.
“I've been trying to make sure that everyone knows that my leaving has NOTHING to do with health, but Willie (Bill Cunningham) tends to get excited and mention the cancer quite a bit,” says Amazon in an email to me.
“My health is great. I was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago, had my partial bladder removal the day after Christmas, and did chemo until June. I was lucky to have caught it fairly early and have excellent doctors. I feel as good as I ever have.”
Amazon wants to spend more time at his Mason home with his children, ages 6 and 11, and devote more time to his full-time day job selling syndicated radio shows and products.
He has been doing the 9 p.m.-midnight show almost five years. The former WBOB-AM 1360 Homer sports talk host returned to radio here when Scott Sloan moved from nights to mornings after Mike McConnell left for Chicago’s WGN-AM in 2010.
“I just honestly would like to have my nights free, help coach my kids' basketball teams and maybe even watch a little TV,” Amazon says.
