Today with J.

J. Holland with grandson Jackson

On Air Details

Today with J.
Monday-Friday Mornings
6:00AM-8:00AM

Contact J.

On Air
Local (256) 547-1157
Toll Free 1-877-527-0570
Bussiness Line (256) 543-9229 Ext.8219
Fax (256) 543-8777

E-Mail J
jholland@clearchannel.com

About J.

Beginning in 1973 as a reporter for his high school in Dalton, Georgia, J. Holland has been in broadcasting for 34 years now. First at WTTI-AM in Dalton, Holland moved on to college and the campus radio station at Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama in 1975. As program director he worked many jobs including news and sports coverage as well as becoming the voice of the Gamecocks for their highly respected, championship baseball teams.

Also, while in college Holland began working weekends at the pioneering WQEN-FM in Gadsden, eventually landing the highly prized 7pm – 12m slot. From there he worked for several stations mostly in and around Northeast and Central Alabama including Alabama’s largest market – Birmingham as morning host for Clear Channel’s NewsRadio 960 WERC.

While at WGAD-AM in Gadsden, Holland first experienced what would become his true love in radio. It was late January, 1983; Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was in Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Shortly before he was to go on the air at 2pm, news spread that “the Bear” had passed away. As program director, Holland made the decision to use the air time as a memorial to Bryant. Instead of playing the usual formatted contemporary music, Holland began taking calls from those wishing to express their grief at the passing of the Alabama football legend. Many former players called, even a few of Bryant’s close friends and associates in Northeast Alabama were heard from that day. It was Holland’s first time to host a TALK SHOW! But, most importantly, the power of the spoken word deeply impressed him. “We received so many calls! Many were crying on the air and recalling how Bryant did this or that for them. Even after the show, the phones kept ringing,” Holland recalled. Station management received letters of thanks and many requests for tapes of the show. But, the talk format was not to be found in radio except in large metropolitan markets. Years later the format would spread, but for now, Holland had to wait for his destiny. It did, however, strengthen his respect for the medium.

The opportunity finally came for a full-time talk show. Having never forgotten his experience, he jumped at the chance in the early 1990’s. Since then, he has been a true “Talker”– always sticking by his philosophy that, “In order to be a good talker, one must be a good listener!”

Holland is married to Marcia Cromer Holland of Alexander City, Alabama. They celebrated their 29^th wedding anniversary in June, 2007. They have three children, Amanda Leigh or just “Mandy”– 26, who currently is the assistant manager at corporate Verizon Wireless store in Gadsden. Lindsey Marie Holland Henderson – 24 is married to Corey Henderson of Southside. Both Lindsey and Corey are still in school as graduate students studying Physical Therapy. Lindsey as a physical therapy assistant and Corey is working toward becoming a full Physical Therapist. Joseph Preston (Amy) – 21. J. is the very proud Granddaddy of Jackson Preston Holland who is two! His parents are Joseph and Amy Thompson Holland. Both are students at the University of Alabama -Amy in nursing, “JoJo” is in aerospace engineering and both are making the dean’s list regularly. Marcia and J. are very proud of their children’s accomplishments …and expect many more!

J. has been a tireless worker in the community. Volunteering many times to “pay my civic rent” – a concept he learned early in his radio career. He has also run twice for the Alabama Legislature. Although unsuccessful on both occasions in 1994 and 1998, he learned a great deal about politics and the workings of our governmental system. He also learned, the hard way, how important the privilege of voting is. He lost the 1994 election by one vote! Most recently J. was the Communications Director for the Judge Roy Moore for Governor campaign in 2005 – 2006. It was another exceptional learning experience into the inter-workings of hardcore politics.

In his “spare” time, Holland enjoys boating, fishing and trying to live a simple life. Outdoor activities have always been important to him. In fact, while he has gotten away from many of his more time consuming activities like backpacking and camping, Holland says

that there was a time in his younger years that he was either in the woods, on the water, or trying to get there!

He also loved sports, lettering in all four sports his high school senior year. But, he happily replaced his “sports” for those of his children. Now that he can see some of that commitment waning he and Marcia are looking forward to more grandchildren and being “empty nesters” – perhaps even retiring on the Coosa River one day.

But one thing is certain…as long as he has a mic in front of him, Holland will always have something to say; tempered by his many years in the medium he truly loves and always mindful of his first talk show – when he just opened the phone lines and let the listeners tell the story.

Personality Links

JSU Economic Update

Bill Clinton's words to pin the blame for the mortgage crisis on Democrats

Thursday 10-09-2008 6:51pm CT

CLICK HERE

Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam

Thursday 10-09-2008 6:37pm CT

1999 New York Times artical about Fannie Mae

Thursday 10-02-2008 8:26am CT

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

By STEVEN A. HOLMES

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.
The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.
Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.
In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.
''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''
Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.
In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.
''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''
Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.
Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.