Legendary WFLA radio host says he was 'fired' after learning iHeart was cutting budgets
TAMPA, Fla. - He is arguably the most familiar voice on Tampa Bay radio. Jack Harris has been on the air for more than half a century, but says he was let go by iHeart Radio Wednesday without warning.
"They said that iHeart Radio was going to have to cut their expenses, and so I got dumped," said Harris Thursday.
He says he was called to the boss’s office after his show on Wednesday.
Harris is 81 years old. He first went on the air in this area in 1970. He’s been mostly on 970 WFLA, but he was also part of Q-105’s legendary "Q-Zoo" in the 1980s, and the irreverent "Power Pig" debut later on WFLZ.
2020: Radio host Jack Harris reflects on career, life in Tampa
He also hosted local TV segments, including the popular "Pulse Plus" midday program on WTVT in the 1980s.
In recent decades, Harris’s on-air partnership with the late Tedd Webb endeared them to an audience he hoped to reach Thursday, on the second anniversary of Webb’s death.
"We had all kinds of plans today to celebrate his life, and talk about him and didn't get to do it. The timing was bad," says Harris. "Give me until the end of next week, or at least the end of this week."
Jack Harris brings his humor, personality to his radio listeners
He may be the most recognizable voice in the Tampa Bay area. Jack Harris is a staple in local radio. He is also an author and did the voiceover announcements for Tampa International Airport. You can catch him on AM Tampa Bay weekday morning from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Harris says he has no current plans to take legal action over his termination. His show had been shortened by two hours, running from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. He says he feels good and isn’t ruling out a comeback on another station.
"There’s a possibility out there now," says Harris. "I’ve already been contacted by some people."
iHeart sent FOX 13 News this statement Thursday afternoon:
We appreciate all of Jack’s contributions throughout his five decades as a broadcaster, and in fact, in acknowledgment of his extensive tenure, we had extended having two morning shows in Tampa Bay – the Jack Harris morning show and The Ryan Gorman morning show -- for the last year and a half.
That said, we finally had to make the practical programming decision to focus on one morning show moving forward, and have extended the Ryan Gorman show from 5am-9am as he continues to resonate strongly with our listeners in the Tampa Bay area.
Jack is a local broadcast legend and has been part of the fabric of the Tampa Bay community, and we wanted to celebrate all his contributions with a farewell show, which we did offer to him. While we are disappointed that Jack did not take us up on our original offer to host a formal sendoff on air, we wish him well and feel honored to have had him on air with us for so many years.