Atlantic City Weekly

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Classic rock fans who loved them a decade ago were delighted earlier this year when the radio morning show team “Joe and Scott” reunited for weekday broadcasts on 100.7 WZXL. Joe Ciapanna, the team’s “straight man,” and Scott Friedman, the wisecracking partner, are back indeed, garnering great ratings and having a ball.

You’re both college grads, with careers in traditional industries as well as radio. What led you to radio?

Scott: I’ve been totally into it since I was young. I grew up on guys like John DeBella and the Morning Zoo, Terry the Motormouth, and Barsky, of course. When Billy Joel’s concert album from Russia came out — we still had vinyl records — I actually called up [the late] Ed Sciaky [pronounced Shock-ee] on WYSP and got him to play part of it backwards. My high school was one of the few with a morning-type show, and at college, I did the morning show.

Joe: When I was a high school junior, WKRP in Cincinnati was popular, and it looked like a lot of fun. When I went on a field trip to the Glassboro State College radio station, I knew then and there I wanted to go into radio.

You split for (over) nine years. What caused the hiatus?

Scott: First time around, I was about 23 years old, with several gigs already behind me, and my dream was a market like New York or Philadelphia. Then I met my first wife, got married, had a kid, and separated — all in the same second. I made a decision that I wouldn’t leave my son. I remarried and had more kids. I never got tired of broadcasting, but I needed more money to support a family and I started selling real estate. Ultimately I went into real estate coaching and speaking, and a home-based wellness business with my wife. Joe and I maintained a good relationship, and now it’s like we’re back home. And with second careers, we’re not needy about the job, or using it as a steppingstone. We’re professionals who happen to be good at doing a radio show, and really enjoy it.

Joe: It’s all about balance. Radio is not necessarily a secure profession. Stations can be sold; ratings can drop; formats can change. Having a job in a more secure field as well really balances out the experience.

You’ve still got that unique chemistry.

Scott: On air, we haven’t changed one bit. We didn’t know each other before our first gig, but we fit like a glove chemistry-wise, and still do. But as individuals, we’ve definitely changed: I’m more mature, and Joe just got older.

Joe: When we first met in 1995, just talking with Scott, I could tell we’d work well together. We’re pretty much total opposites, so it’s all about balance. He’s more of an extrovert and I’m more of an introvert. In the beginning, we were both trying to outdo one another, but finally it was just a matter of me understanding how it worked better with me as a straightman.

All this maturing — could features like ‘Naked Lady Thursday’ be imperiled?

Scott: Some of the topics we talk about now are different, but the biggest joke about Naked Lady Thursdays always has been that the most graphic thing we do is use the word “naked.” I am definitely aware now that, say, my wife’s listening, or wondering if the kids should or shouldn’t be listening. But in the end, it doesn’t get in the way of our humor, because we’ve always been about pushing the envelope, and never about being gross and shocking.

Joe: The key is just being yourself. The tremendous changes each of us experienced only make this more exciting. We’ve both learned to believe in ourselves, and about teamwork, and that’s very positive. At first, it was more about ourselves, while this time around, it’s about the listeners and the advertisers, and we both have ended up very involved in our communities now. So change didn’t create limitations; it was dynamic.

Scott: We were celebrity bartenders for the [Greater Atlantic City] Chamber of Commerce, and we’d love doing more fundraisers. We go to Chamber meetings every month. I don’t consider myself a celebrity, but if my name works to get one extra person out then I’m all for it.