Originally posted Friday, October 25, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Usually when a radio personality is named in Atlanta, the radio company will tell you what station they will work at and what they are going to do.
Atlanta-based Cumulus Media is being a little cagier when it comes to its recent hire of JJ Kincaid, an award-winning radio host who is best known for nine years hosting afternoons at top 40 station Z100 in New York from 2006 to 2015.
He has been a morning host at 95.7/the Party in Denver the past four years until April of this year.
Kincaid this week has been doing some short stints on Q99.7 but oddly, nobody is owning up to what he really plans to do with either that station or anywhere else.
Brian Phillips, who runs the show there, wrote me yesterday: “We’ll find something for him to do!”
When I wrote: “You hired him with no particular position in mind?”, he responded: “I wouldn’t say THAT. That would be irresponsible Rodney!”
He later wrote: “I’ll tip you as soon as I can, of course.”
On his Facebook page, Kincaid wrote that he joined Cumulus Media October 22. And to me, he simply wrote: “I am an air talent for Cumulus Media.”
Q99.7 only has an opening at night right now and he seems overqualified for that. The rest of the dayparts appear secure as well. It's not as if the Bert Show, Rachel Jones or Adam Baum are going anywhere.
So the speculation is that Kincaid might be part of a new developing morning show on Kicks 101.5, which booted long-time host Cadillac Jack without explanation over the summer. Dallas McCade has been covering mornings ever since but that wasn't considered permanent.
Sure, Kincaid has a top 40 - not a country - background but that's hardly unusual in Atlanta. Jason Pullman, formerly at 94.9/The Bull for a decade until January, came from top 40. His replacement Spencer Graves last worked at a pop station in St. Louis 106.5/The Arch though he did start in country.
Kincaid could also potentially do dayparts in other cities, a common practice nowadays for radio companies to save money.
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