John Mason (announcer)

Last updated

John Mason is the public address announcer for the Detroit Pistons' basketball games at Little Caesars Arena who is best known for nearly twenty years as the host of Mason in The Morning show, which aired on WJLB, and for his colorful introductions, and is credited with coining the popular chant "Deeeeee-troit basketball!" [1] [2] Mason's flamboyant voice has been requested at many sporting events, and he was chosen to serve as the PA announcer at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. He also served as the announcer for the international ALL-STAR game in Cyprus & Turkey in 2005. Mason is very popular with his announcing during nationally televised games. When the NBA on ESPN or the NBA on ABC features a Detroit Pistons home game, both networks put him on TV when he introduces the starting lineups.

Career

Mason is also a radio personality in Detroit, Michigan. He was the host of the extremely popular "Mason in The Morning" on WJLB for 18 years. He was also host of his own radio show on 102.7/105.9 KISS-FM (WDMK). Mason left WDMK in July 2006 as his contract had expired. Mason was offered an intriguing contract from the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team. He declined the offer, saying the Pistons gave him the raw shot to craft his art in their gym. The Pistons have also given Mason the opportunity to serve as PA announcer for an NBA title contender. When Mason replaced longtime Pistons PA announcer Ken Calvert before the start of the 2001-02 NBA season, back when the team still played at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit soon became a perennial contender for the NBA Championship. Mason saw the Pistons win back-to-back NBA Eastern Conference titles in 2004 and 2005, and most notably saw them win the NBA title in 2004, upsetting the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games. From 2003 to 2008, Mason saw his Detroit Pistons make an impressive 6 consecutive appearances in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

Mason independently owns his morning show, MASON RADIO INC. Mason is perhaps the only morning show personality in a major market to own his own show. Mason's morning show is a syndicated program, which can be heard live from Detroit on the 50 thousand watt powerhouse 107.5 WGPR. Mason also won a television Emmy for an entertainment video show (Urban Chartbusters) on the local NBC station WDIV Detroit. Mason has also been an acclaimed motivational speaker in prisons throughout Michigan, and schools and universities in Ohio and Michigan. The Fox network comedy hit, Martin starring Martin Lawrence that ran from 1992 to 1997, was based on the radio career of John Mason and characters such as Gina Waters, Bruh Man, Tommy Strawn, and Sheneneh Jenkins were also loosely based on Mason's friends, as well as characters on his Detroit radio show. The episode was "The Gift Rapper" during the first season and also appeared during the closing credits.

Currently, Mason is the host of the "Mason and Starr Morning Show" along with female co-host Angie Starr on KISS 105.9 FM Detroit. Mason also had a syndicated weekend show entitled "Once Upon a Time in Soul," which he produced and hosted in conjunction with Angie Starr and Tobias Smith. The show featured his famous radio characters and legendary artist stories.

Related Research Articles

WGPR is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, broadcasting an urban contemporary radio format. Owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons, its studios and offices are on East Jefferson Avenue on Detroit's lower eastside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJR</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WJR is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, owned by Cumulus Media, with a news/talk radio format. Most of WJR's broadcast studios, along with its newsroom and offices, are in the Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center area. A tower atop the Fisher Building relays WJR's audio to the transmitter site, and at one time WJR-FM also used this tower. There is an additional satellite studio in the Wintergarden of the GM Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Mahorn</span> American basketball player (born 1958)

Derrick Allen Mahorn is an American former professional basketball player who played power forward and center for the Washington Bullets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently a radio analyst for the Detroit Pistons, works as a co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio, and during the summer is the head coach of the Aliens of the BIG3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. P. McCarthy</span> American radio personality

Joseph Priestley "J.P." McCarthy II was a radio personality best known for his over 30 years of work as the morning man and interviewer on station WJR in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDIV-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Detroit

WDIV-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with NBC. It serves as the flagship broadcast property of the Graham Media Group subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. WDIV-TV maintains studio facilities on West Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, making it the only major television station in the market with offices and studios within the Detroit city limits. Detroit's other television stations are all based in the suburb of Southfield; WDIV's transmitter is, however, located on Greenfield Road in Southfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJBK</span> Fox TV station in Detroit

WJBK is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, serving as the market's Fox network outlet. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on West 9 Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXYZ-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Detroit

WXYZ-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside independent station WMYD. The two stations share studios at Broadcast House on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, where WXYZ-TV's transmitter is also located.

WJLB is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an urban contemporary radio format. Its studios are on Halsted Road in Farmington Hills. In morning drive time, WJLB carries the syndicated Breakfast Club from co-owned WWPR-FM New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDFN</span> Black Information Network radio station in Detroit

WDFN is a commercial AM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an all-news radio format under iHeartRadio's Black Information Network (BIN), targeting Detroit's African-American community. Its studios and offices are on Halsted Road in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXYT-FM</span> Sports radio station in Detroit

WXYT-FM is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, serving Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan. It airs a sports radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its studios and offices are located in the nearby suburb of Southfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXYT (AM)</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WXYT is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a betting-oriented sports radio format known as "The Bet Detroit". Most programming comes from the BetQL Network and Infinity Sports Network. During College football season, WXYT airs live play-by-play from the Central Michigan University Chippewas football team. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan. The studios and offices are on American Drive off 11 Mile Road in Southfield.

WDKL is a contemporary Christian formatted radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation. The station broadcasts with 50,000 watts of power from an antenna located Northeast of the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and Fourteen Mile Road in Clinton Charter Township, Macomb County, Michigan, and directs its signal mainly toward the north and east to avoid interfering with WWWW-FM in Ann Arbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMGC-FM</span> Classic hip hop radio station in Detroit

WMGC-FM is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan. It is owned and operated by the Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a classic hip hop radio format. WMGC-FM broadcasts with 50,000 watts of effective radiated power (ERP) from a transmitter tower co-located with its studios and offices off Radio Plaza in the Ferndale section of Royal Oak Charter Township in Oakland County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMXD</span> Radio station in Detroit

WMXD is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station operates with 45,000 watts of power from an antenna located on the Cadillac Tower building in downtown Detroit. The studios and offices were housed for years at Detroit's Penobscot Building until November 2009, when they were moved to the Clear Channel Communications, studios in Farmington Hills.

WDMK is a commercial FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, it broadcasts an urban adult contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMUZ (AM)</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WMUZ is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Taylor, Michigan, and serving the Metro Detroit radio market. Owned by Crawford Broadcasting, the station has a Christian talk and teaching format. Religious hosts heard on WMUZ include David Jeremiah, Joyce Meyer, Alistair Begg, Chuck Swindoll and Adrian Rogers. The studios and offices are located near Burt Road and Capitol Avenue in the Weatherby section of Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDTK</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WDTK is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, and known as "The Patriot." It broadcasts a conservative talk radio format and is owned by Salem Communications. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan, shared with sister station 1500 WLQV.

Paul Keels is the current play-by-play announcer for Ohio State University's football and men's basketball teams for WBNS Radio and the Ohio State Sports Network.

Matt Shepard is an American sportscaster. Shepard was the television play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tigers on Bally Sports Detroit from 2019 to 2023. He has also covered professional, collegiate and high school sports on both television and radio in Metro Detroit since the 1990s.

References

  1. ↑ Stone, Mike; Regner, Art (2008). The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists . Running Press. p.  173. ISBN   9780786741717 . Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "PISTONS: Pistons Audio". NBA.com . 23 September 2006. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.