J. P. McCARTHY

J. P. McCarthy was the morning voice of WJR/Detroit for over thirty years. McCarthy’s show was heard in 38 states and was rated number one in Detroit each year he was on the air.

J. P. McCarthy was born on March 22, 1936, in New York City. During his early years in radio, he gained experience at KFAR/Fairbanks and WTAC/Flint, before joining WJR/ Detroit as a staff announcer in 1956 and eventually “morning man” in 1958.

Except for a few years at KGO/San Francisco, McCarthy made WJR his on-air home for the rest of his career. For a number of years, he did both the morning and evening drive-time shows, then settled into the morning slot, as well as a noon-time show.

McCarthy’s unique blend of news, information, sports, entertainment, and interviews made him a legend in Detroit. Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer once attributed McCarthy’s success to making people feel at ease and genuinely caring about what they had to say.

In addition to his on-air excellence, McCarthy was also a civic leader and a significant supporter of local charities.

J. P. McCarthy died on August 16, 1995.

He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1992, the first local broadcaster to be inducted.