Episode Details

On this episode of Circling The Drain, the three J’s sit down with Marconi Award–winning talk host and former WTN program director Dan Mandis for a deep dive into his 30+ years in radio.  

From cutting his teeth at legendary KFI in Los Angeles with Dr. Laura, to building syndication the hard way, to steering SuperTalk 99.7 WTN through the loss of Phil Valentine, Dan opens up about the highs, lows, and realities of a life behind the mic.  

You’ll hear how he:  

- Went from board-op and traffic guy in LA to hosting major-market and national shows  

- Helped grow Dr. Laura’s show station by station before syndication was “plug-and-play”  

- Transitioned from producer to host and program director across LA, New York, Dallas, Fort Wayne, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Nashville  

- Dealt with overnights, early mornings, burnout, and moving his family all over the country  

- Survived industry cutbacks, never technically got “fired,” and kept landing on his feet  

- Navigated the aftermath of Phil Valentine’s passing and kept WTN strong  

- Embraced video, editing, and streaming as an “old radio guy” and why he thinks you must if you’re on air today  

- Sees podcasting and radio converging and where the next generation of talent will come from  

Plus:  

- War stories about unscreened open lines on “America at Night”  

- A hilariously off-the-rails interview with Van Halen’s former manager Noel Monk  

- Dr. Laura’s tough-love style, how she sounds exactly the same today, and what Dan learned from her as a broadcaster and as a human  

- A candid look at conservative talk, Rush, Glenn Beck, and how digging into issues changed Dan’s politics  

- The power of theater of the mind, why storytelling still wins, and how Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley are doing it in country music today  

If you love radio, podcasting, broadcasting history, or just great stories from people who’ve “been there and done that,” this episode is loaded.  

Timed highlights (chapter markers):  

3:00 Dan’s favorite market: why a smaller station in Fort Wayne was the most fun  

4:05 How Dan actually got his start in radio in Los Angeles  

4:55 Early days at KFI: producer, board-op, traffic, and the Dr. Laura connection  

6:40 Building Dr. Laura’s syndication station by station, the “old-school” way  

7:35 Moving from behind the scenes to PD and host in Colorado Springs, Fort Wayne, Denver, and beyond  

9:11 Starting in 1987 and what fascinated Dan about “behind the glass” radio  

7:55–9:30 Classic “old days of radio” stories: smoking in studios and nude ballet in the control room  

9:44 Why Dan left music radio and embraced talk: “I was a terrible disc jockey”  

9:53 Growing up on LA talk radio in the back seat of a smoke-filled car  

10:40 Learning production, call screening, and board-op skills at powerhouse KFI  

11:59 The rush of live talk, callers, and flying without a net  

12:17 Working mornings, spontaneity, and regretting what you said on-air  

14:15 Discovering open lines on “America at Night” and the terror of unscreened calls  

15:37 Yelling on-air after 30 years of being the “non-yeller” host  

15:55 Has Dan ever been fired? Downsizing vs. “real” firing debate  

16:43 Radio careers, layoffs, and never being unemployed more than 3 weeks  

17:06 Moving markets with a family and the toll it takes at home  

18:39 How constant moves impacted Dan’s kids and what they gained from it  

19:13 Paying dues and why young would-be hosts need patience  

19:41 From radio to podcasting: Dan’s show “Mostly Peaceful with Dan and Chris and Matt”  

20:01 Why Dan still believes in radio even while podcasting  

20:18 Missing radio so much it hurts: Johnny’s story of stepping