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When Jim first started in the polka business back in 1987, he never expected to be involved with Internet Radio. "When I first started out in polkas, I was having a hard time trying to learn Lil’ Wally songs. Radio was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t expect I would last very long in this business.", Jim once remarked.
However, when one day he got an opportunity to tag along with his friend and mentor: Bill Gula to a taping of his POLKAMANIA show which aired on WCEV 1450AM at the time, Jim was intrigued. He was fascinated by polka radio, and dreamed of having his own show someday. However, financial limitations kept his dream of having his own show…….well……a dream.
That would eventually change. In September of 2000, Jim got a call from Bill informing him about a new website that streamed polka shows on the Internet. It was called 247Polkaheaven.com. Intrigued by such a prospect, Jim e-mailed the Program Director and offered a concept of a new show, and put together a pilot which he submitted.
Two weeks passed, and Jim heard nothing from the Program Director, until one day he received an e-mail telling him that his "pilot" aired over WELW in Cleveland. Jim nearly fell off his couch!
"Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" debuted on 247Polkaheaven.com Tuesday, October 17, 2000. It originally aired as a one hour program on Tuesday nights at 10:00pm Eastern Time. The program aired with a format of the best hit polka music with less talk and all English language vocals so that listeners can understand the words to all the songs. It soon became a popular show with listeners.
However, while listeners liked the format of all English vocals, many bandleaders did not, and withheld sending their new CD releases to his show. Despite that, Jim’s program continued on, however his show would be involuntarily silenced in a dispute over Internet Radio royalties, forcing 247PolkaHeaven.com and virtually every Internet streaming site to go dark in August of 2002.
The Internet Radio royalty controversy was resolved (abeit temporarily) by Congress in November of 2002, and 247PolkaHeaven.com returned to the air on January 11, 2003. "Chainsaw's Polka Madhouse" returned to the air four days later on January 15th. The show moved to a new time slot on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm Eastern Time. However, new federal regulations forced 247 to start charging it’s IJ’s for airtime. Fortunately, Jim was able to pick up a sponsor to offset this new fee.
Around the same time, Jim received an e-mail from his long time friend: Jack Baciewski, who met Jim while he was playing with the King: Stas Golonka at a CT gig back in 1990. It just so happened that Jim was looking at the IJ directory when he noticed that Jack had a show on 247. Jim decided to e-mail Jack to see if he would remember him. Jack e-mailed Jim back & offered an invitation to join a new Internet polka streaming site he was starting up called: "The Polka Jammer Network".
At the time, the Polka Jammer Network was webcasting in mono and had a limited capability. However, the prospect of having a 2 hour show with freedom to experiment with format and content was too good to refuse. Jim accepted Jack’s offer, but decided to use a different name for this program. Jim would call this show: "The Artistic Firestorm".
"The Artistic Firestorm" debuted as a two hour program on the Polka Jammer Network Saturday, January 4, 2003. The format expanded on the popular "Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" program on 247, adding Polish vocals and live music in an exciting "Top-40" style presentation. Being that this program was "experimental", Jim did not openly advertise this new program. However, many people, especially polka musicians quietly began to tune in.
In July of 2003, Jim was instrumental in helping the Polka Jammer Network achieve something that he believed polka music should be heard in: STEREO. "The Artistic Firestorm" became the first program to air on the Polka Jammer Network in STEREO.
In 2003, "Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" on 247PolkaHeaven.com was his flagship show, while "The Artistic Firestorm" on the Jammer was his "experimental" show. However, by the end of that year, the format of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” had evolved to a point where it was no longer compatible with the format of 247PolkaHeaven.com. In addition, Jim was becoming frustrated with a general lack of support from the station’s management. As a result, Jim made a painful decision to leave 247PolkaHeaven.com. The final edition of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” on 247Polkaheaven.com aired Wednesday, February 25, 2004.
Jim combined the formats of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” and “The Artistic Firestorm” into an exciting “Top-40” presentation. Jim kept the name: “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse”, and added Polish vocals, as well as listener requests and dedications.
Jim kept the Jammer running behind the scenes on a "pro-bono" basis for several years. However, he soon became frustrated that he had put in time, money, & effort without seeing any return on his investment. By the Fall of 2008, that frustration level had come to a head. On October 21, 2008, Polkaman Jack Baciewski resigned from the Polka Jammer Network after 6 years. His final show aired Friday, October 24, 2008. In January of 2009, Jack started a polka oldies network called Polka Legacy. That network lasted until August 30, 2011 when Jack was forced to retire from the polka field due to health issues.
Jim took over all operations of the Polka Jammer Network, and his colleague: Major Mel, was promoted to business manager. Major Mel stayed with the Jammer until health issues forced him to leave in September of 2009, at which point Joni Zychowski Minehart took over his job. That lasted until January 2011.
Today, Jim runs the day to day operations of the network backed up by a Board of Directors. He's currently in the process of converting the Jammer into a 501C3 Not-For-Profit Corporation after learning what he had suspected all along since starting in this business.....over 3/4ths of polka music followers are elderly people on a fixed income.
In October of 2010, Major Mel helped Jim realize a long time dream of hosting a polka show on FM radio. On Sunday, November 7, 2010, Jim launched a "terrestrial" polka show on WERG 90.5FM in Erie, PA. (On the Internet at www.wergfm.com) heard on Sunday afternoons from 4-5pm EST (3-4pm CST).
On March 13, 2011, Jim added an AM station to the roster.....every first (and fifth) Sunday of the month from 8-9am EST (7-8am CST) over WHYP 1370AM in Corry, PA. (on the Internet at www.cool1370online.com).
Jim is also the substitute engineer for the Richie Gomulka Polka Show on WPNA 1490AM in Chicago.
At the end of 2011, Jim became frustrated with a business that limited him to performing primarily with Lil' Wally honky style polka bands for over 21 years. He made a difficult decision to give up playing honky style polka music. Today, he plays in church on Saturday afternoons. During the week, he works part-time at a school music dealer in Aurora, IL as he doesn't get paid to run the PJN.
CHAINSAW'S POLKA MADHOUSE is the Internet & terrestrial radio program that plays the best polka hits of the past & present. Give us a listen.................
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