After several unsuccessful attempts to land his first radio gig, AMJ was introduced to the overnight DJ at WDKC, a country station in Fort Pierce, Florida. Soaking up everything he could, he soon recorded a new demo and presented it to the station's programming director. June 1989 saw AMJ live on the air for the first time, broadcasting as "Mike James" and manning the overnight slot himself in addition to weekends. Spinning records and playing carts, he caught on quickly to other duties such as switching crystals for satellite broadcasts, and found himself also recording spots and PSAs, as well as training incoming air talent.

In 1990 the station underwent changes in both management and equipment (including a switchover from records to CDs), and AMJ was bumped up to the 10AM-2PM slot. Working in the refurbished studio, AMJ ran contests, had more interaction with listeners, and was responsible for the rather complicated "noon hour", which entailed running the real-time show while recording another from satellite for playback later in the hour. Outfitted in new country duds, AMJ joined his fellow air talent for personal appearances and live remotes. His unconventional sensibilities also started coming to the fore in the form of standard spots he reimagined to make them more interesting. Twice, the station challenged his interpretations and recorded their own version to submit to the clients in question - and twice, the clients chose AMJ's versions. AMJ's unique approach was finally recognized when the station nominated one of his spots for an ADDY Award.

Another change in management saw AMJ returning to the overnight/weekend shift, but with a difference - now the overnight show was comprised of a satellite music show for truckers. Despite once having his name announced on it, this left huge gaps of time with little to do in the overnight hours, so AMJ filled them by recording some of his songs in the production room.

As is typical in radio, by 1991 rumours were swirling that WDKC would either change formats or cease to exist altogether. With the latter becoming increasingly possible, AMJ decided to return to Los Angeles, where he'd lived in the mid-'80s. It was a good move - five days after he boarded a Greyhound, WDKC transmitted its last signal.

 

Because he knew it would be difficult to get a radio job in the US' #2 market with "only" 2 years' experience at a small AM station, AMJ put radio on the backburner for a while. In 1993 he heard of a volunteer radio newsmagazine called IMRU, broadcast on Los Angeles station KPFK. He was curious, but had other fish to fry (including finishing his first book, Undo the Deed). It wasn't until 1996 that AMJ attended a volunteer orientation for the show and was ultimately accepted. Producing segments instead of solely being air talent gave him a chance to gain new skills, as well as brush up on rusty ones. His first segment explored the role of gays in the Old West. He quickly assumed the roles of co-host and continuity writer, as the show had no formal continuity script. AMJ created more segments and even some satire during this period, but getting a chance to be a part of the show's first-ever cross-country remote at the GLAMA Awards in New York was the most unique opportunity yet.

In 1997, the show underwent a much-needed format change that gave it a more solid structure. AMJ continued crafting continuity scripts (and would write over 100 of them during his tenure with the show) as well as anchoring the news in the first weeks. He was then sent on more live remotes and got back to producing segments. "Electric Youth", which provided on-line resources for teens, was picked up by This Way Out, a nationwide sister show also broadcast in several countries, which led to the piece being aired in Sydney, Australia - quite a coup for a guy who started on a country station in Florida! He followed that with an hour-long retrospective of 20 years' worth of IMRU broadcasts, which involved spending weeks listening to archives dating back to 1975. "That Was So 20 Years Ago" ultimately was nominated for Silver Reel and Golden Mike Awards.

Music became part of AMJ's continuity duties in 1998, which he enjoyed because it was like being a DJ again, only this time pulling from his own music collection or selections from the artist(s) being featured that week. But his crowning moment came when he covered the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. AMJ had a chance to interview a string of celebrities including Fran Drescher, Valerie Bertinelli, Howie Mandel, and Larry King. His coverage of the event won him the 1999 Golden Mike Award for Best Entertainment Reporting - an honour he still counts as one of his proudest moments. It led to radio organization FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting) including him on a panel due to his noteworthy contribution to radio.

But all good things come to an end - dissention in the ranks of IMRU prompted AMJ to wrap up his 3-year stint on the show. Still, although AMJ never made a penny working on it, he still considers the experience priceless.