Jim Rome

And my family and friends would see this and they would see people either really love me or really want to fight me and they would say great offense. I'm like, hey, listen, this is what we signed up for. This is the way this is going to go. This is a show. This is the way I really am for better or for worse. However, I understand that I need to give them a show. It's got to be authentic.

And my family and friends would see this and they would see people either really love me or really want to fight me and they would say great offense. I'm like, hey, listen, this is what we signed up for. This is the way this is going to go. This is a show. This is the way I really am for better or for worse. However, I understand that I need to give them a show. It's got to be authentic.

It's got to be real. I'm not talking out my ass. But I'll tell you what I don't do. I don't come home and talk smack to my wife. I'm not on 24 and 7. I understand the job. So do they really know me? I think if you listen to me every single day in the car for 30 years and radio is such a one-on-one medium, of course they think they know me. But do you really, really know me?

It's got to be real. I'm not talking out my ass. But I'll tell you what I don't do. I don't come home and talk smack to my wife. I'm not on 24 and 7. I understand the job. So do they really know me? I think if you listen to me every single day in the car for 30 years and radio is such a one-on-one medium, of course they think they know me. But do you really, really know me?

Do you really, really know what's going on in here? What makes me tick? Probably not.

Do you really, really know what's going on in here? What makes me tick? Probably not.

Yeah, no, I think you understand that. What you do, and I admire that a lot, what you do is different than what I do. I've always been, like I'm the last of the Mohicans in the sense that I'm still a single voice. I'm still a single host-driven program, and not because I have some kind of ego or because I need, hey, believe me, I would love to get away from me. I kind of get sick of me.

Yeah, no, I think you understand that. What you do, and I admire that a lot, what you do is different than what I do. I've always been, like I'm the last of the Mohicans in the sense that I'm still a single voice. I'm still a single host-driven program, and not because I have some kind of ego or because I need, hey, believe me, I would love to get away from me. I kind of get sick of me.

I would love to get away from me, but this is kind of the way I've always done it. Now, that doesn't mean it's the way I'm always going to do it, but this is the way I came up. To your point about the audience, Like your show, for instance, you have an ensemble. You have lots of people around you. My ensemble is actually the audience.

I would love to get away from me, but this is kind of the way I've always done it. Now, that doesn't mean it's the way I'm always going to do it, but this is the way I came up. To your point about the audience, Like your show, for instance, you have an ensemble. You have lots of people around you. My ensemble is actually the audience.

I have this culture and I have this ride and die audience with me. Not everybody loves me, but they listen. But I'm telling you, one of the most gratifying things of all is Dude, I've got guys that have been with me 30 years. I mean, 30 years. I can document this. When I first started in local radio in San Diego, they started to call and they're still calling.

I have this culture and I have this ride and die audience with me. Not everybody loves me, but they listen. But I'm telling you, one of the most gratifying things of all is Dude, I've got guys that have been with me 30 years. I mean, 30 years. I can document this. When I first started in local radio in San Diego, they started to call and they're still calling.

Now, on the one hand, from a business standpoint, you don't want to age out that way. I need to find a younger audience, which is part of the reason why I made the move into streaming and fast channels and things like that. But it's, how do you maintain an audience like that? I have a lot of pride in the fact that you have to earn their trust and get them to come back every single day.

Now, on the one hand, from a business standpoint, you don't want to age out that way. I need to find a younger audience, which is part of the reason why I made the move into streaming and fast channels and things like that. But it's, how do you maintain an audience like that? I have a lot of pride in the fact that you have to earn their trust and get them to come back every single day.

And man, they're rabid. They're rabid.

And man, they're rabid. They're rabid.

could have stopped doing any of it 10 years ago and uh or you couldn't not really well not the way you're built both yeah exactly exactly i i don't want to stop doing it because here's my thing i'm not one of those guys who's like that athlete that man they're gonna rip that jersey off my back i'm not they're gonna have to rip that jersey off my back if you were the guy if you were the grim reaper and you came to me today and said hey yo rome you've had a pretty good run but

could have stopped doing any of it 10 years ago and uh or you couldn't not really well not the way you're built both yeah exactly exactly i i don't want to stop doing it because here's my thing i'm not one of those guys who's like that athlete that man they're gonna rip that jersey off my back i'm not they're gonna have to rip that jersey off my back if you were the guy if you were the grim reaper and you came to me today and said hey yo rome you've had a pretty good run but

We pretty much don't give a damn what you have to say about anything anymore. I'd be like, hey, Dan, it's been a hell of a run. Believe me, I did way better than I would have ever thought that I would have ever done. If I walked off, if I walked out of here today and never, ever appeared on any show ever again, I won. I did better than I would have thought.

We pretty much don't give a damn what you have to say about anything anymore. I'd be like, hey, Dan, it's been a hell of a run. Believe me, I did way better than I would have ever thought that I would have ever done. If I walked off, if I walked out of here today and never, ever appeared on any show ever again, I won. I did better than I would have thought.