Hometown
Born in Waco, Texas, avoided recruitment by the Branch Davidians; spent formative years in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Missouri.
Been with am1500 since...
1892. No, wait, that's the old guy at the other station. I've been with KSTP since 2002. I think.
Who is your favorite am1500 personality (besides yourself) and why?
I'm partial to Patrick Reusse. He brought me into the KSTP fold and behind all the gruffness (See ya later) is a very generous guy. He's been great to work with at the Strib, and on the air.
Also, I'd like Joe Soucheray if he'd move a little farther to the right, and if he would stop using his show to call for the abolition of all SUVs and boats. Joe: I don't want to ride a bike to work. Give it up.
Share a favorite am1500 moment...
On Sunday Sports Talk, Reusse uttered a sentence that was so heavily laced with Fulda-ese that Brad Lane and I couldn't understand what he was saying. Once we deciphered the sentence, we made fun of him, which Patrick is not used to. He berated us, which put Lane and I among elite company.
Also, the day at the fair Reusse promised to jump on a trampoline. I heard it was funny; I left the area as quickly as possible.
If you weren’t in radio what would you be doing?
I'd be writing a sports column and appearing on FSN whenever possible. Wait...
Use a sports cliché to describe your approach to radio...
I give 110 percent every game. (Translation: I play when I want to play, and I'd like to renegotiate my contract.)
Name some of your pet peeves...
Cliches, airport security, five-legged frogs, the inability of global warming to eliminate Minnesota winters, unethical journalists, smoking, sloppy drunks, the Middle East, Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, Phil Nevin, the tricky parts of the English language, like, you know, participles.
The single best movie ever made is...
Godfathers I & II. Or Lord of the Rings. Or Diner. Or Citizen Kane. Or Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Or The Little Mermaid. (Hey, I'm not sure where I'd be today if I hadn't played that movie for my kids 2,000 times. Great babysitter.)
List some of your personal heroes... Brad Lane, Tommy Mischke, The Rookie, people who need people...My sister, who had to raise her girls alone while her husband was overseas. Anyone who's a good parent. Teachers who find a way to connect with kids. Writers who elevate their craft and profession. Coaches who win with class. As a kid, I thought I idolized Brooks Robinson and Roger Staubach. I still consider them to be admirable men, but you can't be in my business and think of athletes as heroes.
What’s your Cylinder Index?
Is that a sexual question? Hey, don't ask, don't tell.
What was your first car and how much did you pay for it?
It was a blue Rabbit, and I believe Volkswagen gave me $50 to drive it.
Name your top 5 musical artists of all time...
Springsteen, Mozart, Milli Vanilli, Weird Al, Springsteen.
(Ok, it's more like Springsteen & the usual suspects _ U2, Who, Stones, Beatles, Van Morrison, although I've become interested in pretty much every genre other than rap. I like Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, Golden Smog, James McMurtry, Los Lobos, new Dylan, old R&B _ especially Al Green _ and any blues guitarist worth his Strat. I like classical music on flights and long drives. If the artist can play guitar or piano and avoid all the cliches about romance and heartbreack, I can listen. I play the guitar, although not very well, which allows me to appreciate people who master the instrument.)
Recommended reading
I love almost everything by John Le Carre, Randy Wayne White, Lee Child, Richard Ford, Robert Harris, Stephen Hunter, Robert Wilson. I went through a kick in college when I read black American Lit, which led me to Toni Morrison and Langston Hughes and Walter Mosley; these days I look for smart action, or historical fiction, or mysteries. Stuff I wish I could write.
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Office Line: 651.647.1500
Name: Jim Souhan 
