Michael Floorwax: Why has the longtime 103.5 The Fox jock been off the air? UPDATE: Will Not Return To Radio Due To Health

[Rob]

From Westword: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword..._fox_radio.php



Michael Floorwax is a radio survivor. Since 1990, Floorwax (real name: Michael Steinke) and his longtime partner, Rick Lewis, have made up one of the metro area's most prominent radio tandems via their morning show at classic-rock outlet 103.5 The Fox. In addition, the pair anchor the Groove Hawgs, a good-time band that's kicked off plenty of major concerts over the years. Now, however, Floorwax is off the air, and no one associated with his program will tell us why, although Lewis has dropped cryptic hints during the show.
Of late, Lewis has been helming the morning program without Floorwax, and over the past week or two, listeners tell us he's addressed his cohort's absence on at least a couple of occasions.

In one such instance, Lewis said Floorwax was going through a rough patch and might not be back for a while. On another, we hear Lewis told the Fox's audience that Floorwax remained in town and apparently wasn't averse to telling fans who ran into him why he was gone -- but no one at the station could do so because of HIPAA.



Floorwax and Rick Lewis, in a 103.5 The Fox publicity shot.

This last reference is to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, whose wide-ranging privacy rules include provisions restricting employers from revealing information about an individual's medical history.
Thus far, neither Lewis nor longtime morning-show producer Kathy Lee have responded to interview requests by Westword. As for Greg Foster, vice president/programming for the Denver branch of Clear Channel, the Fox's owner, he sent the following response via e-mail: "Floorwax is currently taking a personal leave of absence. For privacy reasons, we will not comment further."

This dearth of information has led to a great deal of speculation about Floorwax, a hint or two of which has made it online. Until Floorwax or his colleagues reveal more, we wish him good luck in dealing with whatever medical issues are currently preventing him from cracking wise at 103.5 on the FM dial.

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:



There’s a distinct absence on the Denver radio scene and the mystery remains unsolved. Managers at Clear Channel and The Fox, Denver’s 103.5 FM, still have nothing to say about the disappearance of Michael Floorwax from the KRFX morning show.

“Out of respect for his privacy,” the company has no comment, said Greg Foster, VP-programming for Clear Channel in the Denver market.

Floorwax’s longtime on-air partner Rick Lewis has been doing the show without him since early this year, with producer Kathy Lee (who has not been given a co-host title). The raunchy Lewis & Floorwax morning antics have been a staple of the Denver airwaves since 1990. Floorwax, whose real name is Michael Steinke, was previously known in Denver as a stand-up comic before the pair took off in the ratings and became a nationally syndicated phenom. He also gained a following as lead singer for the band The Groove Hawgs. (They’ve played their usual full schedule of shows and have a couple of shows still to come.)

This from Rick Lewis: “We are still not allowed to publicly say what is going on with him because of standard privacy laws. Bottom line, when Floorwax wants everyone to know what is going on, he will surface. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.”

Regular listeners say occasional comments by Lewis since February have cited HIPPA restrictions — the Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Act — preventing the station’s staff from discussing the situation. For now, the show is officially titled “The Fox Morning Show with Rick Lewis.”

More...

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:



After a 10-month absence, Michael Floorwax (Michael Steinke) offered a statement to listeners, noting he has “struggled with certain medical issues,” and will not return to the job in order to “continue to seek relief.”

He addressed rumors, noting “I did not fall off the wagon” (clean and sober 30 years) and did not quit and was not fired by Clear Channel.

Lewis added “it’s been a difficult time for all of us” * “Hopefully Wax will get to a good place very soon.”

Same town, same timeslot, same station for 24 years with three generations of listeners. Their run really was unusual in radio. To underscore the effect of what Lewis called “the end of an era,” the first caller broke into tears after the announcement.

Since 1990 Lewis & Floorwax have been a morning fixture, offering comedy bits, raunchy talk and some crazy antics. A number of listeners commented that they had raised kids, or been introduced to the station through their fathers, changed jobs and endured life traumas in the company of the show.

Reminiscing, Lewis said the pair “almost got fired a couple of times that first year” (when the attained the No. 1 spot in the ratings, managers relaxed) and he recalled the long tenure of many staffers still with the show.


More...