Courtesy St. Louis Post Dispatch

(November 27, 2009) Brian McKenna will become the latest member of the sports-talk radio fraternity to be pushed off the merry-go-round when his run at KSLG ends today. But like many of the others who have ridden the zany carousal multiple times in their career, he's set to jump back on board.

"I want to remain in radio, it's my passion,'' he said, adding he "feels pretty good'' about lining something up soon. "But if I need to go in a different direction, I'm OK with that.''

People in local radio seemingly are sacked more than a Rams quarterback, as McKenna can attest. He has had at least eight broadcasting jobs in the last decade.

"The instability of the business is a turnoff,'' he said. "It's an illness, no doubt about it, but I really do love radio although at times I'm turned off by the business of radio. But is it any different than construction work, where you get laid off?''

THE MOVES

McKenna's latest layoff is the result of insideSTL Enterprises LLC taking control of 1380's airwaves from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays in a deal struck this month. KSLG morning co-host Tim McKernan runs that company, and his goal is to integrate radio programming and personal appearances with its insidestl.com website.

McKenna, working with longtime St. Louis disc jockeys Mark Klose and Vic Porcelli, had been in the 11 a.m-2 p.m. slot until the last hour recently was handed to Mike "Z-Man" Zarrick.

Now McKernan will place Joe Pelusi and Charlie Marlow, who are sidekicks on 1380's morning show, in McKenna's slot, effective Jan. 4. Meanwhile, Evan Makovsky, who has worked at KSLG and KFNS (590 AM), will man the spot in December. Then in January he is expected to move to the 1-2 p.m. slot now held by Zarrick. KFNS general manager John Helmkamp said the role then of Zarrick, a native St. Louisan who has worked in Kansas City, is undetermined. But the fate of McKenna and company is known.

"When insidestl.com took over the 6 a.m.-1 p.m. time period, we wanted to give listeners who liked the (morning show) seven straight hours of that type of radio,'' McKernan said. "So we have two guys associated with (that program) hosting the midday show."

McKernan and McKenna often delve into "guy talk'' (sex, booze, racy talk) more than sports and depending on your view they can be blamed or praised for that approach becoming more prevalent now on local radio than ever.

"It's simple — Joe DeNiro and I started it on 1380'' in 2004, McKenna said. "Tim's taken it to a new level. He definitely got the better of us. I respect what he's done.''

McKenna said he understands the business aspect of losing his job because of the KSLG- McKernan alliance. But he had a problem with the cutback to make room for Zarrick.

"Tim's been successful so I'm sure he has a game plan and I understand that move,'' McKenna said. "But I didn't understand the move when they came in and said, 'somebody's buying your 1-2 o'clock hour.' McKernan has a track record, but when someone comes in who I don't think anybody in St. Louis ever heard of and can buy programming in the middle of the day — when that happened Mark Klose saw the writing on the wall and left.''

Now McKenna and Porcelli are about to be gone, too.

"I was blindsided by it, no doubt about it,'' McKenna said.

A CHARITABLE EXIT

McKenna's going out his own way, by finishing a fund-raising effort he began Wednesday to buy Christmas gifts for the family of Tishara Ingram, 22, who was killed recently by a hit-and-run driver. She left a husband and three children ages 5 or younger.

McKenna usually does an on-air benefit around the holidays, but because he has no job set for December he asked Helmkamp to be allowed to do this for his 1380 farewell. His is the only KSLG local show scheduled today, with syndicated fare airing the rest of the time because of the day-after-Thanksgiving slowdown.

"It's a way to turn a negative into a positive,'' he said. "We were going to do it (near Christmas), so we made it work now.''

And in a related matter he said if he does end up having to make a career change, he'd like to work for a charity. Several of his family members have been involved in careers that help others.

"I really enjoy that,'' he said. "It means a lot to me.''

And he's philosophical about his latest job-searching trek.

"Am I scared?'' he asked. "Yes, because there are so many other people out there looking for work. (But) I'll be OK no matter what because I have my faith, my family and my friends.

"And it's not like I haven't been down that road before.''

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