Lex and Terry

Lex and Terry is a syndicated morning radio program hosted by Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes. Based in Dallas, Texas,^[1] the show is distributed by United Stations Radio Networks.^[2] It is heard during weekdays on radio stations throughout the U.S. The current Lex and Terry team consists of show hosts Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes plus longtime staff member Dee Reed as Executive Producer/Air Talent, Ian Gleason News Director and Krystina Byford

History

Prior to the show, Jaymes gained popularity as an actor on Santa Barbaraand on the Fox Network on the critically acclaimed "Sunday Comics" as well as a stand up comedian. Jaymes also hosted mornings at legendary KTYD in Santa Barbara and was a member of the Blaze and Bob morning show on the best call letters in radio KOME "the kome spot on your dial'. Staley was on tour number two as Program Director at WFYV-FM "Rock 105" in Jacksonville, Florida, where he brought Jaymes to join him to do mornings in 1992. Staley had met Jaymes in California earlier and promised if he was ever in charge of a radio station again Jaymes would be his first and only choice to host mornings. Staley, enjoyed a successful first stint as a Program Director in the mid 80's at WFYV Jacksonville Florida before he left for a four year stint at the Album Network in Los Angeles as VP of Syndication for World Premiere events for major music acts, such as, Robert Plant, Guns N Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, John Mellencamp, and what he said was his coolest moment, Co-producer along side of soon to be world renown super Producer Brenden O Brien at The Black Crowes Live at the Greek Theatre in the summer of 1992. Staley was the Executive Producer for the weekly syndicated show hosted by Redbeard called In the Studio. One of Rock Radio's most successful syndicated programs. Staley and Jaymes years later would be working on a daily basis with Redbeard at KTXQ Q 102 in Dallas.

On December 16, 1992, Staley and Jaymes began collaborating in the morning on WFYV. The first show was a whirlwind of controversy in and out of the building as the phones exploded concerning Ross Jefferies The author of How To Get The Women You Desire Into Bed. His interaction with WFYV's new morning duo was unlike anything the city had ever experienced. So uncomfortable for management that PD/Morning Host Staley was asked to put Jaymes on a plane back to California if this is what the show was going to be. Unbeknownst that this irreverence would set the tone for years to come as one of America's most critically acclaimed talk shows. Lex & Terry served notice that things have changed for Jacksonville, WFYV-FM, and for its two host's Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes forever.

The show took a while to succeed; some people didn't like the "two punks in a locker room" attitude. Eventually, Lex and Terry had the number one morning show in Jacksonville, with a mix of frank relationship talk, sports (including Sam Kouvaris of WJXT), and sometimes music from such artists as AC/DC and Danzig. WFYV general manager Mark Schwartz said, "Unlike a lot of other morning shows that rely on tired bits and material that's stolen from other radio stations, these guys are 100 percent unique. They don't rely on joke services. They're extraordinarily topical."

In 1997, Lex and Terry first went into syndication as the show moved to Dallas TX at legendary KTXQ Q-102 and remained on WFYV-FM ROCK 105 in Jacksonville. Other radio station's in Florida and Georgia realized that if Jacksonville was getting the feed from Dallas then so could they. This was the catalyst for the start of the duo's successful syndication career that excels until this very day.

In May of that year, Lex and Terry began airing on KTXQ in Dallas, and the show began originating from Dallas as well. By the end of the year, Lex and Terry were also on WFXH in the Savannah, Georgia market. Promotion of the show included showing the duo with milk mustaches, a blonde stripper with large breasts between them, and the tagline "Got Milk?" Peter Welpton of KTXQ called Lex and Terry an "affordable major market radio show" which gave smaller markets the talent and advantages of a large-market show, along with promotion help, and breaks for news and local information. Celebrity guests included Howie Long, Alan Thicke, Denis Leary, David Lee Roth, Norah Jones, Bill O'Reilly, as well as, porn actress and call-in host Juli Ashton and more. The "Telecom Bill" was a huge factor of what happened next for Lex & Terry as broadcasting companies were able to buy many more properties than they were before and the duo got caught up in a whirlwind of acquisitions that eventually swallowed up their host station KTXQ Q-102 in [Dallas TX]].

Despite the show's positive impact on its ratings KTXQ changed formats as the result of the station's sale, and dropped Lex and Terry on September 1, 1998. A firing story that the boys love to tell until this day. Lex and Terry moved their show back to Jacksonville, where it was the top morning show among rock radio stations. By this time, the show could also be heard in Key West and Bluefield, West Virginia. On September 11, Lex and Terry debuted in Augusta, Georgia. Gainesville, Florida and two other markets also planned to add the show, according to Schwartz. He also said the show would likely be added to other stations of WFYV owner Capstar Broadcasting.^[3]

By 2005, Lex and Terry were heard on 22 radio stations, with an XM channel added late in November. Kim McCafferty was the show's news director. Also that year, the show's contract with WFYV owner Cox Radio ended, and Staley and Jaymes signed with Clear Channel Communications, hoping to promote the show. A reason for the change was that Cox Radio would not allow the show to run on stations that competed with its stations while Clear Channel would. Despite being the number one morning show for years in the market the hosts called "Freakville", Lex and Terry was off WFYV and not heard in Jacksonville until February 2006,^[4][5] returning on Planet Radio 107.3.^[6] The show remained on Planet Radio until a format change in 2010.

University of Florida radio station WRUF-FM stopped airing the show on Fridays in April 2005 because of a feature called "Drunk Bitch Friday". Cox Radio decided the station had violated its contract and dropped WRUF as an affiliate. Staley and Jaymes both disagreed with the university's decision, with Staley claiming this action violated The First Amendment. The Federal Communications Commission had never found the feature to be indecent^[7] but the university did not want to appear to condone drinking excessively. On Drunk Bitch Friday, "a female participant is chauffeured to the station, drinks to 'a state of inebriation that is entertaining,' and provides commentary and advice to callers."^[8] Welpton called the feature, a part of the show for two years at the time, a "good educational tool to demonstrate the effects of alcohol and why drinking responsibly is important."^[8] The announcement was made January 20, 2006 that the feature was being dropped. As a result, WRUF brought back the show.^[9] Although Lex and Terry held the number one position among men 18-34 for eight straight Arbitron ratings periods,^[10] WRUF changed to country music in October 2010, dropping the show, but active rock WHHZ picked it up on November 29,^[11] but dropped the show in mid 2015.

In the Dallas radio market, Lex and Terry returned to live in Dallas Texas and KDGE "The Edge", one of America's best Alternative stations became the Flagship station for the "Lex & Terry Radio Network". It took less than 2 years for Lex & Terry to establish ratings dominance in the Metroplex with 18-34 adults in morning drive in market number four. The move to Dallas was explained by the duo as necessary because the Charlotte's and Nashville's of the world questioned the credibility of Jacksonville Florida success as not being a good enough market to roll the dice on the show to be cleared in the larger medium markets. Lex & Terry decided to rip the band aid off and take care of business in a major market to lay that concern to rest. Which as stated earlier, they did. Soon markets like Oklahoma City, Tampa, and more had no reason not to accept the show. Not to mention their 2004 Marconi nomination as the best syndicated show in the land. They eventually lost out to the Susan Lucci of nominees The Tom Joyner Show. In 2008 on a trip with the NHL Dallas Stars the duo were notified that they were being moved to another signal in Dallas to accommodate the feelings of upper management that they would better serve being on hard leaning classic rock KEGL 97.1 THE EAGLE This decision did not sit will with L&T but it was done. Once again the beneficiary of big business Bain Capital acquired Clear Channel the biggest broadcaster in America. Now IHEART RADIO Lex & Terry and numerous other shows in budgeting moves by the company went without renewed contracts and eventually took L&T in business for themselves. Later that year, United Stations Radio Networks replaced Clear Channel as the show's distributor.^[2] The show is now without a flagship station in Dallas.

Kim McCafferty served as news director from the time the show was in Jacksonville, but left in April 2007 to return to Florida. Scott Richards was producer of Lex and Terry until November 2008 when he decided to return to Florida. Jason Carr of WZZR in West Palm Beach became executive producer in 2008, eventually replacing Welpton as director of network operations in September 2010. At the end of 2010 he went back to Florida. Devell Reed took the reins of Executive Producer/Air Talent where he remains as such until this day.

Ian Gleason, an actor and show regular with the Pub Quiz, was brought in from New York City in January 2012 to serve as news director following the departure of Welpton and Tyler "Taint" Baker the previous year.

In 2016, longtime phone screener Sarah Morgan left the show to pursue a career in the cruise ship industry and was replaced by Krystina Byford, a Texas native and radio personality for The Ticket in Dallas.

References

External links

• Official website