(WWJ) It's not an overstatement to say it is the end of an era in Detroit radio as Spike, the longtime co-host of Mojo in the Morning, has left the show.
Mojo made the announcement on the air on Monday, April 3.
"I hate to start off like this on a Monday morning ,,,But we gotta start off with some big news," Mojo said. "As we've seen around the country and around the world, we've seen a lot of crazy things have have been going on with, you know, a lot of decisions being made by companies these days. And you're hearing stories every day about another company doing something where they're announcing that they're going to have changes made... and we're not immune to that.
"We are in a situation where we do have a change that's been made on the Mojo in the Morning show. Spike is no longer on the Mojo in the Morning show."
Mojo went on to say that Spike has been an "integral part of the show" on Channel 95.5 for more than 23 years. He spoke about his first meetings with Spike, calling his now-former co-host "extremely talented," and an "amazing worker."
Mojo added: "From the moment that I met him he made me laugh, and he made all of you laugh, I know."
While the reason why Spike left has not been explicitly stated, his departure comes as iHeartMedia recently announced a hefty round of layoffs affecting markets nationwide.
Spike — who got the news last Friday, according to Mojo — wrote late Monday morning on his public Facebook page:
"I am no longer on the Mojo In The Morning show. For more than 23 years, it has been a dream come true to entertain you. I never took it for granted. It's with much love that I say THANK YOU for your support. Radio is in my blood so to say I'm going to miss it would be a massive understatement. Although I can't answer questions regarding this change, you can always stay in touch with me here... and if you see me, please say hi!"
Mojo in the Morning first launched on February 21, 2000, and in 2020, earned the distinction of being the longest-running FM morning program in Michigan history, according to the Detroit News.
Before joining Mojo, Spike worked at 105.1 The Edge in Detroit, 93.3 The Zone in Dallas and 103.9 in Philadelphia.
Reaction to Spike's exodus was swift on social media, as followers shared their shock, disbelief and well-wishes in comments by the hundreds.
Bonnie Moua wrote on Facebook: "I have been a listener since 2011. Your humorous skits had carried me through my complicated pregnancy during very long dr appts, hospital stays & ER visits. Thank you for all of the laughs over the years. The show has lost a piece of its charm. Wishing you all of the best!"
Brynnae Green Opalewski, who said she's been a loyal listener for 10-plus years, commented: "I’m not sure I can keep listening. Such a loss for the radio community you’ve created. Such a terrible decision."
Eve, a Mojo in the Morning fan from Plymouth, told WWJ she enjoyed Spike's humor and she'll miss his phone pranks. But she's not too worried about him.
"It'll be a bummer not having him on there," she said. "But he's cool; he'll do his thing... He'll bounce back."
Eve said she will still listen to the Mojo show, but if Spike moves on to something else she'll check that out as well.
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Former local TV news man Jason Carr, who recently started his own streaming show after being let go from Local 4, responded to Spike on Facebook: "There’s life on the other side 👍🏻Godspeed."
With no signs that the show itself will end anytime soon, Mojo in the Morning remains hosted by Mojo and Shannon.
As for who might fill some of Spike's left behind shoes, iHeart does have a job opening posted for "Mojo In The Morning Associate Producer/Digital Producer." Listed duties include assisting in show ideation and creation of topics, arrangement of guests and callers, and assisting in the production of podcast audio.
In a memo issued to iHeart employees back on March 17, iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman and President/CFO/COO Rich Bressler said the company had implemented a round of cost savings tactics “to get through this difficult economic time while protecting our employee base as much as possible." See a list of known iHeart departures complied by Radio Insight here.
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