5 Questions for…

Jon Wiener ’06
On August 1, a new ESPN radio show “Home Cookin’,” hosted by Jon Wiener ’06, premiered on Jackson, Mississippi’s 105.9 The Zone. “Home Cookin’” will feature weekly live tailgate shows; interviews with players and coaches of the New Orleans Saints; local high school wrap-ups and features; and inside reports on Ole Miss, Mississippi State, The University of Southern Mississippi, and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

How did the opportunity to host your own radio show come about?
After Williston, I attended Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and majored in English. As a student I did some sports writing and broadcasting and I even called the “Miracle in Mississippi” play where Trinity used 15 laterals on the final play to beat Millsap College in the SCAC title game. I went to Syracuse University where I received my Master’s Degree in broadcast and digital journalism and got a job at Fox40 Sports in Jackson. This spring I started occasionally filling in on the radio show at 105.9, then in April they pulled me aside and said, “We’re looking for an afternoon show and we think you’re the guy.” I made a pitch to them, and they were interested enough to take it to the next step.

Your show is called “Home Cookin’.” What was the concept behind it?
It’s a really local show all about Mississippi sports, everything from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, high school, to the Saints. What I’m trying to do with my show is really make it all about the local base. It’s going to be a real Southern style show.

Are you worried about filling two hours of airtime?
On television I wrapped up a 30-minute news show with four minutes of sports. On radio it’s not as long as you think because there are commercials, traffic updates, weather updates, newsbreaks, callers, and interviews to fill the time. That said, it’s a commitment, and you have to be really organized and plan ahead. You have to put a lot of things in place, whether they’re weekly segments or daily segments that will take the stress off having to fill two hours. There’s a routine with it.

Do you ever find yourself at a loss for words, and, if so, how do you get out of those situations?
Yeah, all the time. You hope your producer saves you. You stutter and ramble for a few seconds and hope you can save it yourself. That’s the thing, there’s another day, another show, it’s not that dissimilar to a bad workday. When you’re doing a two-hour show five days a week you’re going to make mistakes. Not every show is going to be perfect. You just have to move on and do better and be open about that.

What, do you think, was the best part of your Williston experience?
The friends you make, the relationships that you form there, those are without a doubt the best things I took away. My best friends in life right now are still kids I went to Williston with.

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