Jimmy Chunga
Script error: No such module "Draft topics".
Script error: No such module "AfC topic".
Brett Lynn Smith (born August 20,1969), known professionally as Jimmy Chunga, is an American actor, radio disc jockey and comedian. He is known for his time as a morning disc-jockey on KENZ "The End" in Salt Lake City, from 1996-2010, 2011-2013[1] and work in films centered around the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, most notably The Singles Ward, The R.M. and Church Ball.
Early life and education[edit]
Chunga, was born and raised in Salt Lake City, graduating from Taylorsville High School. Before getting his start in radio at KXRX in Salt Lake City, Chunga spent a year studying dramatic arts at Southern Utah University in Cedar City.[2]
Career[edit]
Chunga began his career in radio at KXRX aka X96 in Salt Lake City where he was bestowed with his familiar moniker, Jimmy Chunga, a play on words of chimichanga, a popular Tex-Mex dish, by longtime morning disc jockey Bill Allred.
Chunga left X96 to help launch KENZ "107.5 The End" on January 1, 1996 by hosting the weekday morning show. The Chunga Show competed directly with his former mentor's morning show Radio From Hell. Both shows competed for the #1 morning show in Salt Lake City for a number of years..[3] In 2005, because of the popularity of the station and morning show, station owner Citadel Broadcasting, moved the station to the stronger and farther-reaching frequency 101.9 MHz. Despite no longer being at the end of the dial, they retained the name but were known henceforth as "101.9 The End" until the station's final format change in 2013.[3][1]
In April 2010, "The End" switched formats and became a DJ-less station, subsequently laying off Chunga, along with other popular station personalities. This move was done partly due to Citadel's re-emergence from bankruptcy and was extremely unpopular in the Salt Lake market.[4] By December of the same year, the station reverted back to the familiar "101.9 The End" branding and alternative music format, however with a morning show hosted by Cort Johnson.
After working briefly as a weekend disc-jockey for WTKK 96.9 in Boston[5], Chunga returned to his familiar seat in July 2011 to join Cort as host of the morning show. Despite Cort leaving less than two months later, Chunga remained on the morning show until he was permanently laid off in August 2013 when the station switched formats to classic hits and retired "The End" brand for good.[1]
KENZ "The End" Morning Show Co-hosts[edit]
- Marcus (1996-99)
- Mister West (1999-2007)
- Chelsea Earlewine (2007-10)
- Cort Johnson (2011)
- Tysen Webb (2011-13)
Since January 2014, Chunga hosts a semi-weekly podcast with his son, Chandler, and others.[6]
Controversies[edit]
- In November 1999, former co-host, Marcus McCaleb aka "Marcus," filed suit against KENZ alleging he was fired by Citadel Broadcasting, after being accused of being intoxicated and engaging in inappropriate sexual activity with underage girls and participating in a 30-person orgy while on a station sponsored cruise for listeners. McCaleb claimed the accusations to be false and unfounded, while further claiming that Chunga, as well as the promotions director, spread the false accusations to station staff and listeners with malice and intent of damaging his reputation.[7]
- When Mister West left the morning show in 2007 it was purported by fans of the show that his contract was not renewed at the insistence of Chunga. This lead many fan to boycott the station, morning show and Jimmy Chunga.[8]
Filmography[9][edit]
- Species (1995) - Commando (uncredited)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) - Drunk College Student (uncredited)
- The Singles Ward (2002) - Phat Cop
- The R.M. (2003) - Phat Cop
- The Home Teachers (2004) - Phat Cop
- Church Ball (2006) - Referee
- Stalking Santa (2006) - Radio DJ
- Believe (2007) - Radio DJ
- Taking 5 (2007) - Radio DJ
- Heber Holiday (2007) - Hound
- The Singles 2nd Ward (2007) - Phat Cop
- Forever Strong (2008) - Max Griffin
- CTU: Provo (2008) - Senator Douglass
- The Night Before Christmas (2008) - Dad
- Friends for Life (2008) - Ralph
- White on Rice (2009) - Stephens
- Once Upon a Summer (2009) - Officer Tom
- The Yankles (2009) - Greensboro Manager
- Surrogate Valentine (2011) - Radio DJ
- Daylight Savings (2012) - Radio DJ
Personal Life[edit]
Chunga currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife, Shannon, and son, Chandler, and works in the tech industry.[10][2][6]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Piper, Matthew (August 18, 2013). "101.9 The End is finished; Jimmy Chunga laid off - The Salt Lake Tribune". archive.sltrib.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ABOUT US". Radio Ronin. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "FM-107.5, 'The End,' is young-adult favorite". Deseret News. 2001-06-22. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ "Radio dial: 'The End' meets its end". Deseret News. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ "NorthEast Radio Watch by Scott Fybush". www.fybush.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Home". Radio Ronin. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ "Suit sheds light on firing of KENZ disc jockey". Deseret News. 1999-11-10. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ Unknown (2007-12-10). "Blame it on the Turkish Delight: Mister West Boycott". Blame it on the Turkish Delight. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ "Jimmy Chunga". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ↑ "Behind the Scenes of The Hacks with Tom Hatch and Jimmy Chunga – Salt Project". Retrieved 2023-03-13.
This article "Jimmy Chunga" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Jimmy Chunga. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
