Tom Leykis

Tom Leykis started out in radio by winning a contest in 1970 for a one-time radio appearance in Long Island. He did such a good job on the air that they asked him back several times to fill in. In the late 1970s he had his own cable public access program in Manhattan, NY. He got his his first paying radio job as an overnight personality at New York radio station WBAI in 1979. To help make ends meet, he had odd jobs such as a stand up comic, researcher for a CBS late night show, columnist for the SoHo News, and telephone solicitor for real estate investments. He moved to Albany, NY in 1981 to do an evening show five times a week. The station wanted someone controversial, and Leykis was just that. Some listeners sent in angry letters, but his ratings soon earned him the morning drive slot and a position as program director. Tom is known for talking about his personal life on the radio and telling his listeners how he failed four marriages and now advises men NOT to marry women when they are young and to learn from his mistakes. The Tom Leykis Show has topped the ratings in recent years in the key demographic market of 18-49 year old white collar workers in the upper-middle class. However, Leykis states that the callers on his program are not the same as his listeners. He has actually said multiple times that the people that call in and who wait on hold for 30 minutes to talk to Tom live asking obvious questions are usually blue-collar workers who he describe as "losers". The free-for-all subject matter and large crowds leads to a rowdy atmosphere on Friday shows. "Flash Friday" is another significant part of Friday shows. During "Flash Fridays", men are told to turn on the headlights of their cars to indicate that they are Leykis listeners, and women are encouraged to flash their breasts to male listeners. In addition to his weekday show, Leykis began hosting a syndicated weekend show called "The Tasting Room" in February 2005, covering lifestyle topics such as fine wine, spirits, beer, and cigars.