Following the November exit of Aaron Imholte following his attacks on KAZR Des Moines morning host Heather Lee, Tri-County Broadcasting has named John Lassman as its new morning host at Rock “Rockin 101” 101.7 WHMH-FM St. Cloud MN.
Lassman will host “The Johnny Rock Show” starting Monday, March 1 and will also serve as Operations Director for the company. The Minneapolis native most recently served as Senior Executive Producer for the KQRS Morning Show with Tom Barnard at Cumulus’ 92.5 KQRS until November 2019. Lassman has also programmed multiple stations in Minneapolis including Alternative “93.7 The Edge” KEGE, Rock “93X” KXXR, AC “Lite 102.9” WLTE, Variety Hits “104.1 Jack-FM” KZJK and Alternative “Zone 105” KZNR/KZNZ/KZNV.
His career stops also include serving as Operations Manager for Townsquare Media Buffalo NY, Director of Marketing for WRIF Detroit and WAPP New York, and programming WRXL Richmond VA.
Minnesota Rock Radio Vet, John Lassman, joins ‘Tri-County Broadcasting’ as Host of ‘The Johnny Rock Show’, weekday mornings 6-10am on ‘Rockin’ 101-WHMH. Lassman will also serve as Tri-County Broadcasting’s Operations Director, starting Monday, March 1st 2021.
John’s long and storied career in radio started in grade school in his hometown of S.E. Minneapolis, eventually leading to the #1 radio market on earth, New York City. It was there, as Promotion Director and producing an album of unsigned bands for WAPP-FM, that he met an unknown New Jersey musician named Jon Bongiovi. Fast forward 35 years and Lassman is being thanked on stage by Jon Bon Jovi at the 2018 Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, then reunited backstage.
Locally, ‘Johnny Rock’ is probably best known for his 2 tours of duty at 92 KQRS. Lassman also served as Marketing Director for WRIF/Detroit as well as Operations/Program Director at 93.7 The EDGE, 104.1 JACK FM and 93X, Minneapolis/St. Paul. John has also programmed XL-102/Richmond, Virginia, WYRK/WJYE/JACK FM, Buffalo, New York and VP of East Coast Programing/Townsquare Media. Lassman most recently served as On-Air Executive Producer for The Tom Barnard Morning Show.
John added, “I’ve admired Tri-County Broadcasting, Rockin 101 and it’s talented team for many years. Joining Owner and ‘TCB’ Gary Hoppe, long time Program Director, Tim Ryan, both who can be found working late into the evenings, plus, the talented staff, both on and off air, and the chance to join this wonderful community, added up to a no brainer. I’m looking forward to building ‘The Johnny Rock Show’ into a local and self-deprecating morning radio institution for St. Cloud and the surrounding areas. Speaking of “Institutions,” Power Radio’s ‘The Chucker’ was just released from a local one and will be joining me at ‘The Red House That Rocks’. The Johnny Rock Show will have exclusive interviews with hard rock heroes and first-hand accounts of my life backstage. It’s going to be a blast. Enough of the negativity. Those types of shows are played out!”
Bon Jovi and ‘The Chucker’ aren’t the only radio reunions for Lassman.
“It’s also a reunion for myself and station consultant Lee Arnold, as we worked together in the late 1980’s. At least, that’s what people say.We have no memory of it, but we’ll take their word for it. Honestly, 1986 to 89 is a blur”.
WHMH Program Director, Tim Ryan, added, “Looking though our long list of applications for our future morning show, one name came up that really caught our attention. Radio veteran John Lassman’s impressive resume rose to the top of the list. Not only does Lassman come highly recommended by many other broadcast professionals, he is also a recognized name in the St. Cloud area from his tenure in the Twin Cities radio market. John has the knowledge and experience of a long radio career and brings a fresh perspective and new ideas not only to Rockin’ 101 but to Tri-County Broadcasting, Inc. as a whole. As we move forward to the start of our new morning show on Rockin’ 101, “The Johnny Rock Show,” John will be an integral part of getting back to the foundation and storied history of our station. Our morning show will be concentrating on the best in today’s Rock Music and John’s brand of fun and entertainment, as we focus on community and the magic that has made Rockin’ 101 the number one rock station for decades. John has a ton of stories to tell and we look forward to hearing them all for years to come. Here’s to a bright future with John “Johnny Rock” Lassman.”
