The Jesse Kelly Show

The Jesse Kelly Show
GenreTalk radio
Running timeWeekdays: 3 hours (ET) (6:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Home stationKPRC, Houston
SyndicatesPremiere Networks
Hosted byAndy Dean (2011–2014)
Joe Pags (2014–2015)
Meghan McCain (2015–2017)
Buck Sexton (2017–2021)
Jesse Kelly (2021–present)
Original releaseAugust 8, 2011 –
present
Websitewww.jessekellyshow.com
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The Jesse Kelly Show (formerly known as America Now and The Buck Sexton Show) is a three-hour early evening conservative talk radio show hosted by Jesse Kelly, and carried by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc. It is broadcast live 6 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays. The show mainly covers politics, and under former hosts, was intended as a broad-audience rundown of the day's news events, including entertainment topics. It airs on its affiliates either live or on tape delay, along with distribution through the iHeartRadio app and podcast providers.

Originally hosted by Andy Dean, America Now debuted on August 8, 2011.[1] Joe Pagliarulo (known as "Joe Pags" and based at WOAI in San Antonio) replaced Dean as interim host beginning August 11, 2014.[2] Pagliarulo ceded hosting duties to Meghan McCain (daughter of Senator John McCain) on July 15, 2015. McCain left the program on January 31, 2017, deciding to focus on television work instead.

Premiere Networks announced on February 1, 2017, that Buck Sexton would become the new host. He began hosting the show on February 6.[3] The show completely abandoned its general audience focus to become a more traditional conservative talk show during his run. In early 2018, the America Now title was removed, and the program was rebranded as The Buck Sexton Show, a title previously used on his radio program with a video simulcast for TheBlaze from 2014 until 2017. Sexton's video simulcast moved to The First TV in October 2019.

On May 27, 2021, Premiere Networks announced that Clay Travis would be teamed with Sexton, and that the two would take over the noon–3 p.m. ET timeslot on June 21, 2021, as The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. The new program serves as the official replacement for The Rush Limbaugh Show, following a transitional period after Rush Limbaugh died on February 17.[4][5][6]

On June 28, 2021, Jesse Kelly took over the timeslot under the title The Jesse Kelly Show. Since 2020, Kelly has been based at KPRC in Houston, a station owned by Premiere Networks parent company iHeartMedia, Inc. He had been in limited syndication through Key Networks.[7]

In a December 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson, he criticized President Biden’s Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Christopher W. Grady further stating that "We don't need a military that's woman-friendly, that's gay-friendly" we need men "who want to sit on a throne of Chinese skulls."[8][9][10]

Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who negotiated a bipartisan border bill on behalf of the Republican caucus over 4 months from November 2023 to February 2024 said on the floor of the Senate in February that a right-wing media personality had told him “flat out—before they knew any of the contents of the bill, any of the content, nothing was out at that point—that told me flat out, ‘If you try to move a bill that solves the border crisis during this presidential year, I will do whatever I can to destroy you, because I do not want you to solve this during the presidential election'" Lankford added, “[They] have been faithful to their promise and have done everything they can to destroy me in the past several weeks.” Jesse Kelly then asserted on X that he was the person who had threatened Lankford, and called Lankford a “eunuch.”[11][12]

In April 2024, Premiere renewed The Jesse Kelly Show into 2027.[13]

  1. ^ Dinges, Gary (August 4, 2011). "New voice of talk radio young, full of energy". Austin American Statesman.
  2. ^ Heil, Emily (July 15, 2015). "Meghan McCain wants to 'drive the national conversation' on news-talk radio show: The senatorial offspring has a new hosting gig". The Washington Post.
  3. ^ "Sexton replaces McCain on America Now". Radio Ink. February 1, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. ^ Steele, Anne (May 27, 2021). "Rush Limbaugh's Radio Show to Be Taken Over by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  5. ^ "Clay Travis & Buck Sexton To Take Over Rush Limbuagh Show". RadioInsight. May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Robertson, Katie (May 27, 2021). "Rush Limbaugh's time slot is being filled as competition for his fans heats up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (June 10, 2021). "Jesse Kelly Show To Join Premiere Networks To Fill Buck Sexton's Slot". RadioInsight. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  8. ^ Wade, Peter (December 18, 2021). "Tucker Carlson and Guest Bash 'Gay-Friendly,' 'Woman-Friendly' Military". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Tucker Carlson guest: Military doesn't need women or gays, just men who want 'throne of Chinese skulls'". news.yahoo.com. December 28, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Media Matters Staff (December 19, 2021). "Fox guest: "We need a military full of Type A men who want to sit on a throne of Chinese skulls"". Media Matters for America. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Baragona, Justin (February 7, 2024). "MAGA Radio Host Says He Threatened GOP Senator over Border Bill Support". The Daily Beast.
  12. ^ https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1755302492189995270 [bare URL]
  13. ^ "Premiere Networks Extends Jesse Kelly". Radio Insight. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.