Ian Punnett
Encyclopedia
Case Ian Punnett (born March 3, 1960 in Wilmette, Illinois
) is an American radio broadcaster
.
Punnett hosts a morning show, Ian and Margery, with his wife on KTMY
in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and is the regular Saturday night host of the widely syndicated paranormal-themed Coast to Coast AM
, created by Art Bell
.
where he was a student columnist for the Daily Illini
. After college, under the pseudonym
"Ian Case" (his first and middle names transposed), he co-hosted rock morning radio shows on WXLP
in the Quad Cities
called Ian Case and the Coach and then Ian Case and The Duke with Mike "The Duke" Donegan on then-rock music station WKDF
in Nashville, Tennessee
in the early-to-mid-1990s. In between his Quad Cities stints, Punnett was also morning man on WMJY
in Long Branch, New Jersey
.
Punnett went on to talk radio
at WGN
in Chicago in 1994, then went to Atlanta, Georgia
in 1997 to host a nightly talk show on WGST under his real name, Ian Punnett. He returned to the WKDF morning show in 1998, though he remained in Atlanta and broadcast the show from his home studio (while co-host Mike "Duke" Donegan broadcast from the station's Nashville studio). Punnett would occasionally slip up and announce his real name instead of the pseudonym, which inadvertently became a running gag. That show's run came to an end in early 1999, shortly before WKDF switched to a country music
format.
In Minneapolis-St. Paul, Punnett hosts the morning show (6-10 am) on KTMY
-FM. The show is known as Ian & Margery, and is co-hosted by his wife, Margery (a former TV producer who has worked for CNN
as well as for The Oprah Winfrey Show
) who does her part of the show from a studio in their home while getting their two teenage boys off to school. Punnett has a Masters of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary
in Atlanta, and has been ordained a Deacon
in the Episcopal Church. Since 1998, Punnett has intermittently hosted Coast to Coast AM
.
On August 1, 2007, Punnett helped report the Minneapolis bridge collapse on CNN
.
. In April 2000, Punnett became the regular Sunday-night host for Coast to Coast. He was the first person other than Art Bell to be "given" a night of the week in his or her name. In December, 2001, Punnett left Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett to do mornings in the Twin Cities for Hubbard Broadcasting and to concentrate on finishing seminary. His replacement for Sunday nights was George Noory
who would eventually take over the entire show when Art Bell retired again a few years later. Although Punnett occasionally acted as a guest host, he did not rejoin Coast to Coast AM on a full-time basis until June 2005 when Art Bell, who had been doing the two weekend shifts again, announced that he wanted to host just one night a week in order to spend more time traveling with his wife, Ramona. Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett once again returned to the weekly line-up, this time on Saturdays.
On January 21, 2006, after the death of Ramona Bell, Punnett announced that Art Bell
, the creator and original host of Coast to Coast AM would be returning from retirement to host each Saturday and Sunday night. Punnett then moved to Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett, a new, four hour program, on January 28, 2006. The new show occupied a slot (6 pm-10 pm PST/9 pm-1 am EST), the same period that previously broadcast repeats of older Coast to Coast AM episodes (Coast to Coast AM begins at 1 am ET/10 pm PT). Many existing Coast to Coast AM affiliates automatically carried Punnett's new program from its first night, and in subsequent months several new affiliates came on board. As of June 2007, its affiliate count stood around 200. Since his affiliation with C2CAM (especially during his tenure with Coast to Coast Live), Punnett developed a loyal following of his own. He always opened the show with the "reminder" to "hostile invading aliens" hovering just beyond Earth's atmosphere to "eat the Canadians first", saying they are "much tastier" than Americans. After the retirement of Art Bell
in July 2007, Coast to Coast Live was discontinued, with Punnett once again becoming host of the Saturday night edition of C2CAM. Show episodes with themes pertaining to cryptozoology
or government conspiracies (favorite subjects of Coast to Coast AM) are generally designated to Punnett and slotted for Saturday nights.
, he expressed support for the United States Military and, like Art Bell
, does not believe in the 9/11 truth movement
or (like both Art and George Noory
) the theory that Osama Bin Laden died years before the Navy Seal raid, defending the United States Government to a caller who claimed that the Navy Seal operation that allegedly killed Bin Laden was a coverup.
, Punnett held many jobs before beginning his new career as a morning disc-jockey at a local radio station. According to a radio industry executive, Ian's zaniness was inspired by people like: Wolfman Jack
, Soupy Sales
and Howard Stern
. His ratings went through the roof, and his general manager loved Punnett. Punnett would do skits, tell jokes and would sing along with the records he played. After five years, Punnett decided to enroll in a seminary and eventually host Coast to Coast AM
.
In 2010, Punnett also published a children's book, Dizzy the Mutt with the Propeller Butt. His second children's picture book Jackula the Vampire Dog was published in 2011.
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
) is an American radio broadcaster
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
.
Punnett hosts a morning show, Ian and Margery, with his wife on KTMY
KTMY
KTMY is a radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. The station is owned and operated by Hubbard Broadcasting, and airs a non-political, female-oriented talk format branded as "My Talk 107.1."...
in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and is the regular Saturday night host of the widely syndicated paranormal-themed Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, created by Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
.
Life
Punnett graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
where he was a student columnist for the Daily Illini
Daily Illini
The Daily Illini, commonly known as the DI, is an independent, student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1871...
. After college, under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Ian Case" (his first and middle names transposed), he co-hosted rock morning radio shows on WXLP
WXLP
WXLP is a Quad Cities area commercial Classic Hits radio station, licensed to Moline, Illinois. The station is owned by Cumulus Media, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa ....
in the Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
called Ian Case and the Coach and then Ian Case and The Duke with Mike "The Duke" Donegan on then-rock music station WKDF
WKDF
WKDF is a Country music radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 103.3 MHz from Nashville, Tennessee. WKDF is owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in the early-to-mid-1990s. In between his Quad Cities stints, Punnett was also morning man on WMJY
WWZY
WWZY/WBHX is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Neptune, New Jersey, referred to as "107.1 The Breeze" and "99.7 The Breeze"....
in Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
.
Punnett went on to talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
at WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
in Chicago in 1994, then went to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in 1997 to host a nightly talk show on WGST under his real name, Ian Punnett. He returned to the WKDF morning show in 1998, though he remained in Atlanta and broadcast the show from his home studio (while co-host Mike "Duke" Donegan broadcast from the station's Nashville studio). Punnett would occasionally slip up and announce his real name instead of the pseudonym, which inadvertently became a running gag. That show's run came to an end in early 1999, shortly before WKDF switched to a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format.
In Minneapolis-St. Paul, Punnett hosts the morning show (6-10 am) on KTMY
KTMY
KTMY is a radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. The station is owned and operated by Hubbard Broadcasting, and airs a non-political, female-oriented talk format branded as "My Talk 107.1."...
-FM. The show is known as Ian & Margery, and is co-hosted by his wife, Margery (a former TV producer who has worked for CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
as well as for The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
) who does her part of the show from a studio in their home while getting their two teenage boys off to school. Punnett has a Masters of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
in Atlanta, and has been ordained a Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Episcopal Church. Since 1998, Punnett has intermittently hosted Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
.
On August 1, 2007, Punnett helped report the Minneapolis bridge collapse on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
.
Coast to Coast AM
In 1998, Punnett began occasionally hosting Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
. In April 2000, Punnett became the regular Sunday-night host for Coast to Coast. He was the first person other than Art Bell to be "given" a night of the week in his or her name. In December, 2001, Punnett left Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett to do mornings in the Twin Cities for Hubbard Broadcasting and to concentrate on finishing seminary. His replacement for Sunday nights was George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
who would eventually take over the entire show when Art Bell retired again a few years later. Although Punnett occasionally acted as a guest host, he did not rejoin Coast to Coast AM on a full-time basis until June 2005 when Art Bell, who had been doing the two weekend shifts again, announced that he wanted to host just one night a week in order to spend more time traveling with his wife, Ramona. Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett once again returned to the weekly line-up, this time on Saturdays.
On January 21, 2006, after the death of Ramona Bell, Punnett announced that Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
, the creator and original host of Coast to Coast AM would be returning from retirement to host each Saturday and Sunday night. Punnett then moved to Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett, a new, four hour program, on January 28, 2006. The new show occupied a slot (6 pm-10 pm PST/9 pm-1 am EST), the same period that previously broadcast repeats of older Coast to Coast AM episodes (Coast to Coast AM begins at 1 am ET/10 pm PT). Many existing Coast to Coast AM affiliates automatically carried Punnett's new program from its first night, and in subsequent months several new affiliates came on board. As of June 2007, its affiliate count stood around 200. Since his affiliation with C2CAM (especially during his tenure with Coast to Coast Live), Punnett developed a loyal following of his own. He always opened the show with the "reminder" to "hostile invading aliens" hovering just beyond Earth's atmosphere to "eat the Canadians first", saying they are "much tastier" than Americans. After the retirement of Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
in July 2007, Coast to Coast Live was discontinued, with Punnett once again becoming host of the Saturday night edition of C2CAM. Show episodes with themes pertaining to cryptozoology
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
or government conspiracies (favorite subjects of Coast to Coast AM) are generally designated to Punnett and slotted for Saturday nights.
Political views
Punnett rarely discusses his political views, however, on an August 13, 2011 episode of Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, he expressed support for the United States Military and, like Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
, does not believe in the 9/11 truth movement
9/11 Truth Movement
9/11 Truth movement is a collective name for loosely affiliated organizations and individuals who question the accepted account of the September 11, 2001, attacks....
or (like both Art and George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
) the theory that Osama Bin Laden died years before the Navy Seal raid, defending the United States Government to a caller who claimed that the Navy Seal operation that allegedly killed Bin Laden was a coverup.
Personal life
Prior to becoming a father, pastor and host for Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, Punnett held many jobs before beginning his new career as a morning disc-jockey at a local radio station. According to a radio industry executive, Ian's zaniness was inspired by people like: Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
, Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his...
and Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. His ratings went through the roof, and his general manager loved Punnett. Punnett would do skits, tell jokes and would sing along with the records he played. After five years, Punnett decided to enroll in a seminary and eventually host Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
.
In 2010, Punnett also published a children's book, Dizzy the Mutt with the Propeller Butt. His second children's picture book Jackula the Vampire Dog was published in 2011.