Joe Pyne Show Joe Pyne was a former Marine and WWII veteran from Chester, Pennsylvania, who collected three battle stars and lost his left leg during the war. He started his radio career at WCAM in Camden, New Jersey, and began his first TV show in Wilmington, Delaware. At the peak of his career in 1966, Pyne’s syndicated talk show appeared on Metromedia-owned TV stations and 254 radio stations across the country, including WONN from 1965 to 1967 where his one-hour radio show ran weeknights at 10:30 PM right after Smokehouse Serenade. Known as the father of “in-your-face” talk radio, Joe insulted people on his show long before it became hip. Some described the show as “shocking” for its time because not only was he verbally aggressive, but at times he would become physically violent. Pyne was perhaps the first angry conservative to “let it all hang out” on radio and TV, insulting and verbally assaulting his liberal guests, “fringe” celebrities, or any public figure who disagreed with him. Joe always did his show from behind a desk, possibly because he was self-conscious about his wooden leg. Legend has it that Frank Zappa appeared on the show once and Pyne quickly went on the attack with, “So I guess your long hair makes you a woman.” Zappa quickly fired back, “So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table.” Members of the audience also got to be a part of the show and would step up to the “Beef Box” to address the host or a guest. If Joe didn’t like what he heard, he would quickly tell the audience member to “take a hike.” Pyne ended each broadcast with his signature sign off, “Good night everybody - straight ahead.” He was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer at age 44 in 1970.

Station History 1965 - 1967 WONN (Featured Program)

