PHOENIX, Ariz. – April 15, 2026 – iHeartMedia’s 104.7 KISS-FM Phoenix - The Valley's #1 Hit Music Station - announced today that this month marks the 25^th anniversary of “The Johnjay & Rich Show.” The popular program, which launched on April 9, 2001, on KRQQ in Tucson, continues to demonstrate remarkable staying power. Anchored by their longtime Phoenix flagship 104.7 KISS-FM and underscored by No. 1 rankings in key heritage markets, the program is a consistent Top 3 performer across multiple markets and demos nationwide (Source: Nielsen Audio, MSA, FEB'26 or FA'25, Exact Times, AQH Share and Rank).

Airing Monday through Friday from 5 to 10 a.m. MT, “The Johnjay & Rich Show” is a non-stop blend of pop culture, news and events, welcoming a wide range of music artists, newsmakers and celebrities. Joined on-air by Kyle and Payton, the show is a special brand of “reality radio,” with listeners engaged and interacting with the crew via every form of social media - Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Facebook, YouTube and more.  Their style means humor comes from any and every direction.  

Premiere Networks, a division of iHeartMedia, added “The Johnjay & Rich Show” to its national lineup in 2014 and the program can be heard on 20 stations nationwide in markets including Denver, Colo.; Portland, Oreg., Salt Lake City, Utah; Tucson, Ariz.; Springfield, Mo.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Bakersfield, Calif. The program can also be heard on iHeartRadio, with additional content available via the After Words podcast. 

“I've had the privilege of waking up every day, doing what I love, with some of the most talented people in the industry,” said Van Es. “Through it all, the ups AND the downs, one thing has been consistent: I have not, and I will not ever, see Rich without a shirt on.”

“We are so lucky to be able to do what we love every day with our best friends and the Johnjay and Rich audience,” added Berra. “I'd say, based on Johnjay's life-preserving practice of freezing and replacing his blood regularly, the past 25 years were made possible through the miracle of science.”

“I had the privilege of being with the guys on day one and to be with them on this special day 25 years later is truly amazing,” said Mark Medina, SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia Phoenix. “What they've accomplished over the years is a truly remarkable feat in our business. Their daily commitment to serving their listeners, advertisers, and our community is inspiring. It's been 25 years, but we're still on the front end of what the Johnjay & Rich legacy will be.”

In addition to hosting their daily radio show, Johnjay and Rich are dedicated to helping those less fortunate. The Arizona Broadcasting Hall of Famers and Kidd Kraddick Award honorees created The Johnjay & Rich #LoveUp Foundation, a nonprofit organization that strives to be a force for positive change and impact the lives of children and adults in the community, with a primary focus on improving the quality of life for children living in the foster care system. The Foundation raises funds through the sale of #LoveUp t-shirts and merchandise, as well as private donors, corporate sponsorships and community grants. 

The organization was expanded in 2021 with the creation of The #LovePup Foundation, a 501 c(3) that believes all dogs deserve the best possible home. Its programs focus on placement, 

shelter prevention and community partnerships. #LovePup helped more than 60 dogs find 

forever families in 2025. Plus, #LovePup’s It’s Hip to Chip program microchipped nearly 10,000 dogs last year. Visit loveupfoundation.org for more information.

iHeartMedia is the leading media outlet in the Phoenix market with multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; live events; data; and its digital businesses and platforms, including mobile, social and its own iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service – available across more than 500 platforms and over 2,000 devices including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, televisions and gaming consoles. 

For more information, please visit https://1047kissfm.iheart.com/. 

About Johnjay and Rich

As a child, Johnjay Van Es always dreamed of being on the radio. He applied for an internship at 91X in San Diego in 1990 and eventually started working in sales for a number of radio stations, but he never let go of his lifelong dream to be on the air.  It wasn’t until 1996, after training with the LA-based improv troupe The Groundlings that he would get his first on-air job hosting a morning show on WKRQ in Cincinnati. After just three months on the air, he won the “Best of Cincinnati” award.  After years of dominating the market in Cincinnati, Johnjay moved on to Houston, Texas and made his mark in the Country format.

A St. Louis native, Rich Berra was captivated by radio at 14 during an afternoon bike ride. After stumbling upon a YMCA-owned radio station, KYMC, he’d found his calling in the studio and jumped on board as a part-time employee. By the time he was 17, Rich was running the entire station, while also working a part-time gig that kicked off his career in morning radio. WKBQ recruited Rich to produce morning shows for Big Ron O’Brien and Steve and DC.  In 1991, Rich caught the attention of Dave Shelly and Chainsaw at KGB in San Diego and, like his run in St. Louis, took the show from #10 to #1 in less than a year. After a successful stint in San Diego, the Texas-based Kidd Kraddick Show asked him to join their on-air team. Rich’s stretch on KISS in Dallas produced the highest ratings the station ever had in mornings. Cross-town rival rocker, The Eagle, snatched up Rich next, where he brought #1 ratings in mornings at the station for the first time ever.

A chance meeting in New Orleans found Rich teaming up with Johnjay.  The beginning of The Johnjay and Rich era began in 2001 with their first show airing on KRQQ in Tucson. In 2006, the program moved to its current flagship 104.7 KISS-FM in Phoenix. For more information or to find a station in your area, visit www.johnjayandrich.com. 

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia Phoenix owns and operates 104.7 KISS-FM, 102.5 KNIX, 99.9 KEZ, MIX 96.9, 95.5 The Mountain, NewsTalk 550 KFYI and FOX Sports 910, and is part of iHeartMedia. iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month.  iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast 

publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming

and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

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