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STORYTELLERS EDITION
Catching Up with Doug “Sluggo” Roberts
April 14th, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
I can’t remember the exact date, but it was the very early ‘90s. I was set to do an overnight shift with my good friend The Swedish Egil. As I sat in the control room waiting on Egil, in through the doors came our Program Director Andy Schoen. He smiled and said, “Jimmy, I gave Egil the night off. We’re going to try out this new guy. Let him run the board, take over if there are any issues, let me know how he does.”
The door opened and in came a 20-some-year-old kid. He looked amped; I recall him having the biggest smile and he had long hair, down to his mid back. I still remember it as if it was yesterday, he said… “Hello fellow human, I’m Doug!”
DOUG THE VERY YOUNG SLUG
We talked for a few minutes about the board and agreed he would do it all himself. Given it was all new to him and his first shift I thought that was ballsy. He podded his mic and introduced himself as “Doug the Slug.” I was like, did I hear that right?
In the next break he called himself the Slug Monstrosity. That made me laugh, and I was amazed how much the listeners loved his name, his delivery and the stories he told about the bands and songs we played that fateful night, he was quite the storyteller. Obviously I told Andy the new guy did good!
Here we are decades later, and a lot has happened in the world of music and radioland since my first encounter with Doug. It’s no secret that KROQ has had its ups and downs, and lately they have resurrected themselves from some dark days to being at the top of the ratings again.
Those of you who follow this Industry Report series know the story that the turnaround had much to do with the return of Kevin Weatherly, Sr. VP of Programming at KROQ. Another key acquisition was bringing on Miles Anzaldo aka “Miles the DJ” as the stations Music Director (MD).
Anzaldo | Weatherly | Roberts
In other radio-related stories we have covered how music truly is the driving force behind any successful radio station. But, it’s the personalities, the voices that bring home the music. The voices who interview our sonic heroes and tell us the stories we love to hear about our favorite bands and songs – it’s the storytellers that make the difference between being a good radio station and being a great one. If you’re really lucky, if you have the right storytellers, you may even earn the moniker of being referred to as world famous.
In the end, music is the great communicator; With the support of Audacy – Weatherly and Anzaldo have put together a solid on-air lineup and delivered music in a way that has put KROQ back at the top. Another truth … when we think of all the iconic stations on the planet, we all have our own opinions of which era was the best. I am happy to report that in the last ratings book, KROQ across-the board had the best ratings ever – that speaks volumes about what’s happening there today.
Their morning show is top notch, the return of Kevin Ryder healed many wounds, add Megan Holiday and the return of fan favorite DJ Doug the Slug – it turned KROQ back into a radio juggernaut.
As I arrived at my old home, Doug greeted me with a handshake and that same familiar welcoming smile. We caught each other up on how we were and how our families are doing. I then asked the big question: How does it feel to be back home? He paused and said it was hard to put into words. You see, Doug has a way to animate his feeling through his smile, and his eyes just light up.
His early days had him at KZZP in Phoenix, a stint at KROQ then after a radio-walkabout journey that saw him behind a mic in New York at the iconic KROCK (WXRK), and back in L.A. at 95.5FM -KLOS – he said it was surreal to be back home. He added that he loves what’s happening at KROQ. He especially loves the direction they are going with music.
The Slug Monstrosity said with a very big smile that he really looks forward to playing new music each and every day and doing segments like the ‘90s at Noon.
I told him one of the things that I have always loved about listening to him was how much joy he had in playing the music and telling stories; he often sounds like a teenager that can’t wait to talk about the coolest music, or band.
He laughed when I mentioned places like Poo-Bah and Tower Records on The Strip. He said he loved those places and when he was a kid in Phoenix, you could always find him at Bill’s, MusicLand or Tower. He loved all the new tunes that came out and he couldn’t get enough of the rock bands.
He told a story of when he was around nine years old. He got stopped by a mall cop because he was carrying about a dozen 45s. Obviously security thought he had stolen them because he couldn’t find his receipt.
He was told that no nine-year-old walks around with a handful of 45s. He was taken back to the record store where they confirmed he bought them and he was a regular. The way he told the story was as if he was reliving it on the spot.
We then turned back to the first time we met, I asked him what it was like for him to be a young dude landing a gig at a place like KROQ. He paused and with a boyish grin he said, “That was really something. The joqs welcomed him he said – Kevin, Bean, Romando and Blade, and Jed… that dude really made me feel like I belonged.” What he liked most about those days was how everyone had an opinion about music and would tell you what they thought.
JED THE FISH
We discussed where the radio industry was today. We both agreed that COVID was a very dark time for everyone, and it was almost a death sentence for radio stations nationwide. But the industry persevered and yes, there were other challenges and some self-inflicted wounds that had to be overcome. KROQ has done a very good job in learning from some of the challenges. Bringing back Kevin Ryder was a big deal; when he spoke about Ryder, and old friends like Jed the Fish, that Doug Roberts smile and energy filled the room.
I said that I thought the station once again had a kick-ass morning show, he agreed and said they are a great team, and he too was extremely happy for them and their ratings numbers. Overall, fans had a reason they were mad at the station, but with a little time and a return to some familiar programing and voices, those changes were the reason listeners needed to come back; they have come back home in droves.
I asked what else he was up to, he said he does a show on the First Wave channel at SiriusXM. He said he works with another old friend, Chris Muckley who puts together some wicked-good programming and pulls out music most people have forgotten about, but still sounds just as good today as it did when we first heard it. He said he really enjoys working with Muckley at Sirius.
Another passion for him is a podcast he does with Kevin Ryder called Three Fourths Human Podcast. The show originally had a third host, Marci Wiser. But with Wiser anchoring mornings at Live105 in San Francisco, she does spot appearances now, and they are very fortunate to have Kat Corbett sitting in.
The show is smart, funny, and just very entertaining. It is available on Patreon, Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Play Podcast – seriously check them out. Lately they have been delving into KROQ history and reliving fantastic memories.
I asked how he has the energy to do all he does. He laughed and said, “I really need to have a passion for anything I do. I really have to like it,” because he emerges himself and is an expert in the subject matter. He doesn’t know any other way to do it and he has paid the price for how he goes about what he does. He finished with, “You just gotta’ really love what you do.”
In the end, it’s good to see good things happen to good people. No matter which shows you like best, Three Fourths Human Podcast, First Wave on Sirius, or middays at The World Famous KROQ, you get the Slug Monstrosity. Any way you slice it, you are getting top notch entertainment from one of the good guys.
You can catch Doug the Slug Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 106.7 FM, KROQ.
TO FOLLOW
SID 260412 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
