In 1989, Dung moved back to the morning show, replacing Marty Cohen.
The latest in a series of shakeups in the Bay Area's morning radio scene takes place today, as KFOG replaces comedian Marty Cohen with M. Dung - who was Cohen's predecessor on the 6-10 a.m. shift.
And KFOG has hired Lon Simmons, the veteran sportscaster who recently left his post as the 49ers' play-by-play announcer, for a twice-weekly interview show during football season.
Cohen was the third morning DJ on Bay Area stations to be dismissed in a month, following Don Bleu (X-100) and Alex Bennett (Live 105). Cohen, who was hired early last year, had no experience as a DJ and, despite substantial promotion, his 18 months at KFOG were marked by disappointing ratings.
Cohen said he was told by general manager Tony Salvadore, " "I always thought you could be a major star; it's just not gonna work here at KFOG.' "
"I know what they're saying," said Cohen, an established stand-up comic in nightclubs and television. "I'm a high-energy comedian, and this is, after all, the official Grateful Dead radio station, and that's the resistance we got from the first day I got there. "What happened to Dung ? What happened to rock and roll?' "
KFOG program director Pat Evans said the move was based on "overwhelming evidence" from listeners and from market research that Dung "is without question the Bay Area's rock radio star personality."
Dung, a 31-year-old Michigan native who joined KFOG in 1982 as an engineer, made his mark on "The Sunday Night Idiot Show," an oldies program in which he reverted to his college radio name and a manic DJ style reminiscent of Wolfman Jack.
Moved to the prime morning slot in 1984, Dung was renamed "M" by management and toned down. Unhappy with both the change in style and the early hours, Dung asked to leave mornings in late 1987.
Now, said Dung , "I'm more prepared to deal with the demands and to deliver what it takes to make it happen." Dung said his marriage in July is a positive factor. "I'm more settled now in my personal life," he said. "It's easier when you have someone wake you up, make you breakfast and kick you out the door."
"Plus," he said, "I missed the buzz of the morning show."
Simmons, a fixture in Bay Area radio since 1958, calls A's games with Bill King on KSFO and, until a blowup last month with KGO general manager Mickey Luckoff, was the 49ers' play-by-play announcer. He will appear on KFOG Friday and Monday mornings with sports director Mike Shumann.
Besides Simmons, Dung will be supported by Shumann and newscaster John Rivers, both held over from the Cohen show.
Replacing Dung in the afternoon-drive slot is Trish Robbins, who moves from middays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Dave Morey, KFOG production director, returns to the air in the mid-day shift.