If you’ve ever found yourself stuck on the 405 at 5:30 PM, chances are you’ve heard a guy laughing about a horse race he just lost or dissecting a police chase with the kind of enthusiasm most people reserve for a Super Bowl touchdown. That’s Tim Conway Jr.
He’s been a fixture of Southern California radio for decades, and honestly, he shouldn't work. In an era where talk radio is often a shouting match of political vitriol, The Tim Conway Jr. Show on KFI AM 640 feels like a backyard BBQ that occasionally gets interrupted by breaking news. It’s chaotic. It’s local. It’s loud.
What Actually Happens During the Show?
People who don't live in Los Angeles might not get it. They think talk radio is either NPR or "angry guy in a basement." Conway is neither. He’s the son of the legendary Carol Burnett Show star Tim Conway, but he didn't follow the sketch comedy path into TV. Instead, he took that "funny bone" DNA and moved it into a medium where you can talk for three hours straight without a script.
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The show, which currently airs Monday through Friday from 4 PM to 7 PM PT, is a weird mix of things. One minute they’re talking about a massive big rig fire in Sylmar—which is a very "LA" thing to care about—and the next, Tim is debating producer Sheron Bellio about the proper way to load a dishwasher.
It’s this "guy talk" vibe that keeps the ratings high. He isn't lecturing you. He’s basically your funniest friend who happens to have a microphone and a direct line to the KFI newsroom.
Why The Tim Conway Jr. Show Isn't Your Average Talk Radio
Most radio hosts stay in their lane. If you’re a "news" guy, you do news. If you’re a "comedy" guy, you do bits. Conway treats the lane lines like they're optional.
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The Famous "Live Mega-Chase" Coverage
You haven't lived in SoCal until you've listened to Tim Conway Jr. narrate a high-speed pursuit. While TV news anchors try to stay professional, Tim is usually losing his mind over the driver's J-turns or the fact that the suspect just pulled into a Taco Bell drive-thru. It’s "event radio." When a chase starts, everyone flips to 640.
The Cast of Characters
The show isn't just Tim. It’s a literal ensemble. You’ve got:
- Sheron Bellio: The Executive Producer who often acts as the "grown-up" in the room, though she gets dragged into the madness more often than not.
- Mark Thompson: The legendary "Great White" who pops in on Tuesdays. Their chemistry is basically two old friends trying to make each other spit out their coffee.
- The "Duke of Sports" Eric Sklar: Because what is LA radio without talking about the Rams or the Dodgers for twenty minutes?
- Regulars like Neil Saavedra: The "Fork Reporter" who brings a food-centric energy that somehow fits perfectly into a show about politics and gambling.
The "Ding-Dong" Culture
Tim calls his listeners "Ding-Dongs." It’s a term of endearment. It’s self-deprecating. It signals that if you take yourself too seriously, this probably isn't the show for you. He talks openly about his "costly love" of gambling at Santa Anita or Del Mar. He doesn't pretend to be a moral authority. He just tells you how much he lost on the fourth race and why the jockey was a "bum."
From KLSX to KFI: A Survival Story
Radio is a brutal business. Stations change formats like people change socks. Conway started out on 97.1 KLSX-FM back in the day, part of the "Free FM" era. He was paired with Brian Whitman for the Conway and Whitman show, which was a legendary run. When KLSX flipped to a music format (Top 40) in 2009, most people thought that was it.
Instead, he made the jump to KFI AM 640 in 2010. That’s a big deal. KFI is a powerhouse. It’s the home of Bill Handel and, historically, some of the biggest names in the industry. Moving into the 4 PM slot was a gamble that paid off. He brought a younger, more irreverent audience to a station that was traditionally seen as a bit more "stodgy."
He’s survived the "pivots" of the digital age too. His "Tim Conway Jr. on Demand" podcast is consistently near the top of the charts for iHeartRadio. People who can't catch him live at 4 PM listen to the "Best Of" segments while they’re at the gym or doing chores.
Dealing with Controversy
It hasn't all been laughs. Like any long-running talk show host, Tim has stepped in it a few times. There was a notable suspension back in 2021 regarding a skit that was labeled as anti-Asian. He apologized, did the time, and came back. It was a moment where the "old school" radio style hit the "new school" reality of media accountability. Whether you think he was treated fairly or not, it's a part of the show's history that shaped how they operate today in 2026.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A lot of critics think the show is just "filler" before the serious evening news. That’s a mistake.
Conway actually has a massive grasp on history. He’ll go on a 15-minute tangent about World War II or the history of Los Angeles architecture that is surprisingly deep. He’s a "history nerd" disguised as a "radio clown." That’s the secret sauce. You come for the jokes about Costco impulse buys, but you stay because he actually knows what he’s talking about when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaks across the sky.
He also does something most hosts are too scared to do: he talks to the "other side." While he has a libertarian-ish slant, he doesn't scream at callers who disagree with him. He’ll let a guy from the "no-cavity club" (as his guest Petros Papadakis often jokes) talk for five minutes just to see where the conversation goes.
How to Get the Most Out of Listening
If you’re new to the "Ding-Dong" lifestyle, don't try to understand the inside jokes all at once. There are years of lore here. Just dive in.
- Listen for the Segments: "What's Happening" is the core. It’s the news of the day, but filtered through the show’s weird lens.
- Follow the Socials: They are huge on YouTube now. Their SpaceX videos and live clips from the studio get millions of views. It adds a visual layer to the "theatre of the mind."
- Don't skip the "Best Of" podcasts: Sometimes the funniest stuff happens in the first ten minutes of the show when they’re just "noodling" around before the first guest.
- Pay attention to the guests: You might hear Jay Leno talking about Cadillac engines one day and a local firefighter talking about saving a man from a heart attack at a pickleball court the next.
The real value of The Tim Conway Jr. Show is that it reminds us that we all live in the same crazy, traffic-clogged city. It’s a community. It’s a mess. It’s loud. And as long as there are police chases and bad bets at the racetrack, Tim Conway Jr. will probably be there to talk us through it.
To truly experience the show's impact, start by subscribing to the Tim Conway Jr. on Demand podcast to catch up on the latest "What's Happening" segments. If you're in Southern California, tune your radio to 640 AM during your afternoon commute to hear the live interaction that makes the show a local legend.