Going on CNBC’s “The Profit” in an attempt to save his business has led to ‘Crazy Ray’ Odom from losing his longtime job as night host at Alpha Media Rock “Q-Rock 100.7” WRXQ Coal City/Joliet IL.
Odom, who is a partner in Rayjus Outdoors in Morris IL, had hosted nights at WRXQ since 2011 and also previously worked overnights at 97.9 WLUP Chicago. The clip embedded below played up his “shock-jock” tendencies without directly mentioning the station but that was not enough for Alpha, who cut ties with Odom before the episode of The Profit aired last night.
Odom and partner Justin Romines went on The Profit seeking help from Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis to turn around their outdoor apparel shop but his position at WRXQ where he said he “played a sexist, egotistical, racist pig on the radio” was used for dramatic effect and tied into why Lemonis did not invest in their company that produces performance apparel for fisherman.
Market Manager Brian Foster told the Joliet Herald-News, “DJ Ray Odom, known as Crazy Ray on WRXQ, took part in a national television program. We do not condone the views he expressed in the program. The feelings portrayed are that of his own and not of Alpha Media or QRock. After an internal review, we have decided to cut ties. No further information is available at this time.”
INSTANT INSIGHT: While Odom was a part-timer who CNBC says worked at the station two days per-week, Alpha Media’s statement on why they cut ties with him is troubling. The company claimed “the views he expressed in the program” were his and not of Q-Rock or Alpha, yet that was what he was doing on-air. If the company had such a problem with the persona he portrayed on air, then why did local management not have him adjust his show previously? Seems like they saw controversy brewing with advertisers and decided to cut and run as opposed to actually caring about the actual programming content coming out on their station the past few years.
Beachguy 
kent
Instant Insight nails it. I believe Alpha’s actions were cowardly and small time.
That’s certainly a plausible explanation, though it’s not the only one.
Those who’ve known me over the years know I’ve been tolerant toward the consolidation from the Telecom Act of 96, but one area where I agree with its detractors is that knowing what goes on at your stations can be tough when you have hundreds of them. Seems possible Alpha didn’t know what his show was like as it owns over 400 stations and added those after getting Digity. Local management, of course, knew and didn’t care, but saving money isn’t the only reason iHeart uses Premium Choice.