Longtime Top 40 jock turned Conservative Talker Jim Quinn died on Sunday at the age of 82.
Quinn started his career in Ohio at stations including WLYT-FM Cleveland and WING Dayton before first arriving in Pittsburgh in 1967 at 1410 KQV. In July 1968 he would depart for an eight month stint at WIBG Philadelphia before returning in February 1969 until 1973. Quinn then spent time in New York as Program Director of AOR 95.5 WPLJ and hosting nights at 101.9 WPIX-FM followed by time at 1520 WKBW Buffalo. He would then return to Pittsburgh in 1977 first at 1320 WKTQ and then in middays 1250 WTAE. In 1983, Quinn and ‘Banana Don’ Jefferson took over mornings at CHR “B94” WBZZ where he would remain until a sexual harassment lawsuit led to his termination in 1992.
That incident would lead him to take on a Conservative lean and with a return to morning radio at Classic Rock “Magic 97” WRRK in 1993 he would gradually take the show full-on Conservative Talk. He and co-host Rose Tennent would jump to Clear Channel’s “News/Talk 104.7” WPGB upon its launch in January 2004 to anchor “The War Room with Quinn and Rose” in mornings. That show would be syndicated and air on one of Clear Channel’s XM channels during its run until their exit in a contract dispute in November 2013.
Quinn would then launch a subscription streaming WarRoom.com show that would later be carried on a handful of stations including WAVL Apollo PA and WYSL Rochester NY.
Thom Moon 
wtk 
Mike McCoy 
I’m so old I remember when he did nights at WING in Dayton. He was great then. I was always sorry he went so right-wing, but it happens. He was a damned fine air personality, no matter what.
The story I heard was that KQV PD John Rook discovered Quinn when WING came in through KQV’s notoriously bad night signal.
Jim Quinn was one of the quickest, funniest morning guys I ever worked with. Back in ’85, when I was doing middays at B94, Quinn & Banana were everywhere in Pittsburgh—like Primanti Bros. for your ears. They weren’t just another morning zoo; they were the real deal. No gimmicks, no nasty blue humor—just two guys who were naturally funnier than anyone else in that slot. I learned a lot from them about what makes great morning radio: timing, honesty, and knowing how to keep people listening without sounding like you’re trying too hard.
Jim was one of the best to ever crack a mic. A true legend.