In 2022, MJ played up the fact that his morning show contract with Q105 was coming to an end at the end of the year. He ultimately agreed to a one-year deal that would take him through 2023.
This year, he did mention his looming contract expiration again, but he didn’t quite play it up as much until the last two months or so. On Friday, December 15, the last live show of the year for the crew, MJ revealed that he had agreed to a multiyear contract to remain hosting the MJ Morning Show on Q105. However, the agreement was in principle, and he had not signed any paperwork prior to leaving for Christmas vacation in Colorado. The same thing occurred last year in which he was apparently able to remotely sign the agreement from the ski slopes on his phone.
This time around, Roxanne cautioned MJ about signing his contract before the end of the calendar year. Because “Mercury retrograde” runs through January 1 and is supposedly a period in which bad things can happen, she thought he should wait to put pen to paper until January 2. He basically dismissed this warning as “hocus pocus” like he does for some of Roxanne’s claims.
It’s exciting but also somewhat surprising that MJ would agree to a multiyear deal this time – likely for two or three years – after only inking a one-year extension last year. He has made it clear that he is not happy with the fact that the crew has not received a new studio to work in for over three years after being promised this when he first came to Q105 in 2020. In addition, he doesn’t think the Nielsen ratings accurately and consistently represent the true listenership to the program.
However, it is clear that the station has given him the creative freedom he demands for the show, i.e. essentially phasing out music almost entirely from the broadcast. In addition, advertisers have been extremely happy with the show’s reach and impact on their businesses. This is a big motivating factor for MJ as well who is certainly reaping the benefits of acquiring and retaining these sponsors. He has also mentioned his enjoyment for doing the show with the current crew. Finally, the station must be paying him enough – relative to today’s lesser salaries in the radio industry – to keep him coming back.
Regardless of the reasons, it’s fantastic to know that the MJ Morning Show should continue on the air for at least a few more years.