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Michael L. Sorce (born September 18, 1958), better known by his stage name Don Geronimo, is an
American radio Radio broadcasting in the United States has been used since the early 1920s to distribute news and entertainment to a national audience. In 1923, 1 percent of U.S. households owned at least one radio receiver, while a majority did by 1931 and 75 p ...
personality formerly featured on the nationally syndicated
radio talk show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
''
Don and Mike Show The ''Don and Mike Show'' was an American nationally syndicated radio talk show hosted by the shock jocks Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara, which aired from December 1985 through April 11, 2008. The show debuted on WAVA-FM in 1985 as ''The Mornin ...
''.


Career

Geronimo began his career in radio at the age of 13 when he went to work at
Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...
AM station AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmis ...
WINX (now
WLXE WLXE is a radio station broadcasting on 1600 kHz in the medium wave AM band. Its studios and transmitters are located in Rockville, Maryland, and it serves the Washington metropolitan area. WLXE broadcasts music programming in the Spanish l ...
, a Spanish-language music station). He continued working at a variety of local stations, being fired at each for lacking the required FCC broadcaster's license, before forging a license. Geronimo landed what was then his dream job at
WLS-FM WLS-FM (94.7 MHz) is a commercial classic hits radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Cumulus Media, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area, and is the radio home of Dave Fogel. The WLS-FM studios are located at t ...
in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1980s. He then moved to WBBM-FM (B96) to do the evening show. Eventually, he replaced Dick Biondi doing morning drive at the same station. Geronimo returned to the Washington, D.C. area in 1985, doing afternoons at WAVA-FM. He moved to mornings in 1986, replacing ''Charlie & Harrigan''. His partnership with
Mike O'Meara Michael Sean Patrick O'Meara (born June 22, 1959 in Glastonbury, Connecticut) is a podcast personality, the host of '' The Mike O'Meara Show'', previously a nationally syndicated radio show that returned as a podcast. Previously he was the co-ho ...
, co-host of the ''
Don and Mike Show The ''Don and Mike Show'' was an American nationally syndicated radio talk show hosted by the shock jocks Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara, which aired from December 1985 through April 11, 2008. The show debuted on WAVA-FM in 1985 as ''The Mornin ...
'', was forged at WAVA. Their show moved to WJFK-FM in 1991. '' Washington Post'' radio reporter
Marc Fisher Marc Fisher (born December 15, 1958) is a senior editor for ''The Washington Post'', where he writes about national, foreign and local issues. He was previously a ''Post'' enterprise editor, leading a team of writers experimenting with new types ...
features Geronimo in his book ''Something in the Air'', on the rise and fall of radio in the United States. Fisher also conducted an interview with Geronimo prior to his first of three retirements, the first from ''
The Don & Mike Show The ''Don and Mike Show'' was an American nationally syndicated radio talk show hosted by the shock jocks Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara, which aired from December 1985 through April 11, 2008. The show debuted on WAVA-FM in 1985 as ''The Mornin ...
'' in 2008, during which Don spoke out about his frustration with the direction radio has taken following high profile decency events such as the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident. After only two months in retirement, Geronimo announced that he would return to the air on
WOCM WOCM (98.1 FM, "Ocean 98") is an AAA/Rock radio station in the Ocean City, Maryland, area. The radio station's studios are located at Seacrets, a massive restaurant and nightclub campus located along Assawoman Bay in Ocean City. The station fea ...
, a small, independently owned radio station in Ocean City, Maryland. ''Don Geronimo's Rockin' Soul Show'' featured popular music from the '70s and '80s. Geronimo described the show as "music that doesn't suck". After one month on the air at WOCM, Geronimo was fired from the station over creative differences. Don subsequently hosted a mid-morning talk show on WGMD (92.7 FM Rehoboth Beach, Delaware) from June 22, 2009 to October 13, 2009, when he retired for his second time, although he did some fill-in work at Classic Hits WCBS-FM in New York a few days in late November and December 2009. Don Geronimo was named midday host of 1140 The Fan 1140 KHTK (AM), Sacramento effective on Monday, June 21, 2010. The four-hour program was scheduled Monday through Friday, noon to 4 pm local time. On January 27, Geronimo announced that he would be a regular on the TV show ''Good Day Sacramento'', with his first appearance on February 14, 2011. On May 9, 2011, Geronimo announced that his contract with CBS was extended through 2014 and he was named Program Director for 1140 The Fan KHTK. As of July 11, 2011, Geronimo's show moved to the morning drive, 5:30–10 am local time after the "Rise Guys" left for a gig in San Francisco. At the same time, Don also ended his in-studio presence on ''Good Day Sacramento''. He now occasionally contributes to GDS remotely via camera. On July 8, 2013, Geronimo's show moved to the midday slot on KHTK and can now be heard from noon to 3:00 pm local time. As of Friday, October 4, 2013, ''The Don Geronimo Show'' has been replaced by the Jason Ross show on CBS Sports Radio 1140 KHTK. A caller asked what happened, and Jason Ross simply explained, "CBS Sports Radio decided to go in another direction, which is sports. Don Geronimo is still employed by CBS Sports Radio." On October 16, 2013, Don went on the air on KHTK in Sacramento to thank those who supported him during his time in Sacramento. He said he was going to be doing a new project with CBS in the near future and it would be announced via his Twitter feed. On October 23, Don appeared on 106.7 The Fan's ''Lavar and Dukes'' show to announce his return to the station after five years, where he would appear weekdays from 7–10 p.m. local time, Saturdays from 9 a.m.–noon local time, and during Washington Redskins pre/post-game shows as well. On March 1, 2014, Geronimo stated that he would no longer be heard on WJFK anymore. He announced on his Twitter feed that "No one should be shocked I'm not in the plans for CBS/DC. I had opined recently on air how I didn't understand the logic. Now 30 more days." On September 10, 2021, iHeartMedia announced that Sorce will begin hosting the Don Geronimo Show on Washington, D.C. area radio station WBIG 100.3 mornings starting September 23, 2021. The show airs during the 5:30am-10am drive-time slot.


Radio history

Don has worked at the following stations: Geronimo first appeared on air part-time on WINX in Rockville, Maryland in 1971. In November and December 2009, Geronimo filled shifts on WCBS-FM in New York City.


Acting

Don has appeared in ''
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. ''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'', often referred to as just ''Brisco'' or ''Brisco County'', is an American weird western television series created by Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse. It ran for 27 episodes on the Fox network starting i ...
'', '' Babylon 5'' and '' The King of Queens''. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has stated on several occasions on the Don and Mike Show that he and his partner at that time, Mike O'Meara, spoke without authorization during their Babylon 5 taping, which was supposed to have been a non-speaking role for each. Rather than re-shoot the scene, the show's producers arranged for their union memberships. This paved the way for a speaking role on '' The King of Queens'', where he spoke one line, "Lookin' good, Heffernan!" He has also co-hosted with
Marty Bass Marty Bass is a television news personality and Weather forecasting, weather man for CBS News and Stations, CBS-owned WJZ 13 in Baltimore, Maryland. Noted for his strong Accent (sociolinguistics), accent and ebullient personality, Bass is a longti ...
post-game coverage of the Baltimore Ravens games for WJZ-TV (Channel 13).


Personal life


Family

Don's first wife,
Freda Freda may refer to: * Frida (given name), also spelled ''Freda'' * Freda (surname) * Freda (character) from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy * Ford Freda, a motor vehicle introduced in the Japanese market in 1995 * Freda Sandstone, a member of t ...
, died on July 10, 2005, in an automobile accident on
Maryland Route 90 Maryland Route 90 (MD 90) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as the Ocean City Expressway, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 50 in Maryland, U.S. Route 50 (US 50) near Whaleyville, Maryland, Whaleyville to Maryland R ...
near Ocean City, Maryland, where the Sorces had their vacation home. Freda was a frequent contributor to the ''Don and Mike Show'' and her spirited interaction with Don was an integral part of the program. Following her death, Don took a hiatus from the show until August 1, 2005, when he returned to the air with an emotional solo broadcast. Don married Janet Sorce on March 21, 2009, and has one son (Bart Sorce) and one daughter (Amy) from previous marriages. On Friday, October 22, 2010, during the Don Geronimo live stage show Don slipped and fell off the stage. Don suffered head trauma and was admitted to a local hospital and later transferred to ICU.


Controversy

In 1994, Geronimo and his then radio partner
Mike O'Meara Michael Sean Patrick O'Meara (born June 22, 1959 in Glastonbury, Connecticut) is a podcast personality, the host of '' The Mike O'Meara Show'', previously a nationally syndicated radio show that returned as a podcast. Previously he was the co-ho ...
were sued for $35 million by an anonymous University of Maryland student who claimed the pair had violated her privacy and inflicted emotional distress. In May 2007, a Leesburg, Virginia man named Carl Grossman, who had once been a frequent caller to the ''Don and Mike Show'', pleaded guilty to a
misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
charge of stalking. Geronimo had received a letter from the man which contained threats to Geronimo and his family. The judge also issued a lifetime
restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protection or ...
in the case.


Retirements and returns

On February 4, 2008, Don announced his retirement from his radio show to pursue his personal life for a while. His last appearance on the ''Don and Mike Show'' was Friday, April 11, 2008, with Mike O'Meara to continue the show after that (as the '' Mike O'Meara Show''). Don was widely expected to return to radio in some form in the future. After only two months in retirement, Geronimo announced that he would return to the air on
WOCM WOCM (98.1 FM, "Ocean 98") is an AAA/Rock radio station in the Ocean City, Maryland, area. The radio station's studios are located at Seacrets, a massive restaurant and nightclub campus located along Assawoman Bay in Ocean City. The station fea ...
, a small, independently owned radio station in Ocean City, Maryland. ''Don Geronimo's Rockin' Soul Show'' aired weekdays from 1 pm – 3pm featuring popular music from the 1970s and 1980s. After four weeks, Geronimo left the station. In May 2010, Geronimo announced that beginning June 21, he would be returning to KHTK, a station which formerly syndicated the ''Don and Mike Show'', to host a mid-day show. As of Friday, October 4, 2013, ''The Don Geronimo Show'' was replaced by the Jason Ross show on
CBS Sports Radio CBS Sports Radio is a sports radio network that debuted with hourly sports news updates on September 4, 2012, and with 24/7 programming on January 2, 2013. CBS Sports Radio is owned by Paramount Global and distributed by Westwood One. Programmin ...
1140 KHTK. Geronimo would return to the airwaves several days later to explain that KHTK decided to go with all sports programming, but that he would return to a CBS Radio station soon. Don Geronimo returned to WJFK-FM on October 24, 2013. His sports-oriented show aired weekdays from 7– 10 pm and on Saturdays from 9:00 am to noon. Initially, he broadcast the show from a studio at CBS Radio's main building in Sacramento at Commerce Circle, then from a studio at his home in Sacramento when CBS internal politics prevented the show from being done at the company's building. Co-hosts for the show were located at WJFK's studios in
Lanham, Maryland Lanham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2020 United States Census it had a population of 11,282. The New Carrollton station (the terminus of the Washington Metro's Orange Li ...
. While it was intended that Geronimo would move to the Washington area to do the show live at WJFK's studios, this never materialized after frequent preemptions and schedule changes. Geronimo announced on his Twitter feed on March 1, 2014, that he would no longer be heard on WJFK. His last show had been broadcast on February 26, 2014. On April 1, 2014, Geronimo began broadcasting a new show, also titled ''The Don Geronimo Show'', via podcast on the RELM Network. The show airs live weekdays from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm ET. The show is a commercial-free, uncensored, subscription-based podcast that listeners can stream live or download for offline listening after the show airs. The show was announced on Twitter as "the show I always wanted to do." On September 13, 2019, Geronimo broadcast the last show of ''The Don Geronimo Show'' stating the show is currently going on hiatus for other projects. On November 16, 2021, the Don Geronimo Show began broadcasting in the 5:30-10:00 am morning drive-time slot at suburban Washington DC classic rock station
WBIG-FM WBIG-FM (100.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Washington, D.C. It has a classic rock radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are in Rockville, Maryland. WBIG-FM has an effective radiated power ...
, an iHeart affiliate in Rockville MD located two miles from the
station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
where Geronimo began his radio career at age 13.


References


External links


Fans of the Don Geronimo Show

The Don Geronimo Show

Don Geronimo Show
Twitter * * Interview on WUSA-TV 9: {{DEFAULTSORT:Geronimo, Don 1958 births American talk radio hosts Radio personalities from Chicago Radio personalities from Detroit Living people Radio personalities from Los Angeles Place of birth missing (living people) Radio personalities from Maryland Radio personalities from New York City Radio personalities from Pittsburgh Radio personalities from Washington, D.C. Shock jocks