John Boy and Billy show to leave Charlotte radio airwaves after 38 years, station says
Friday marks the final broadcast of one of Charlotte’s longest-running radio shows, “The Big Show” with John Boy and Billy on 99.7 the Fox, the station revealed in pre-recorded on-air messages this week.
The station “says farewell to the show after 38 great years together,” according to the message. “As the curtain falls, Charlotte says thank you.”
The station announcement didn’t say why 99.7 will no longer carry the show. Owner iHeart Media Charlotte didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Charlotte Observer on Thursday.
The show will live on with original content on other stations nationwide, and also on the free iHeartRadio app and iHeartRadio.com, Rachel Nelson, vice president of public relations for California-based iHeartMedia — Premiere Networks said Thursday.
The show, featuring Johnny “John Boy” Isley and Billy James, started at Charlotte’s WBCY in 1980 and later moved to WRFX. The show grew into a nationally syndicated behemoth that rivaled Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern by the 2000s.
James told the Observer on Wednesday, “I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask” when asked about the show. Isley didn’t return a phone message.
In a text message, Jackie Curry, the longtime producer of the show, said only that “I still have a job through next year.” She didn’t respond to follow-up questions about the fate of the show.
The show renewed its syndication agreement with longtime partner Premiere Networks in September, Inside Radio reported.
Nearly 50 country and rock stations nationwide carry the show, along with its dedicated channel on iHeartRadio, according to Inside Radio.
“We’re thrilled they’ve asked us to keep doing ... whatever the heck it is that we do,” Isley and James said in a statement at the time about Premiere Networks.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 12:25 PM.