or


[06/13/11 - 09:37 AM]
Veteran Radio Announcer Jim Thornton Is the New Voice of "Wheel of Fortune"
He'll take on the position full-time when the series begins broadcasting its 29th season on September 19.

[via press release from CBS]

VETERAN RADIO ANNOUNCER JIM THORNTON IS THE NEW VOICE OF "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"

CULVER CITY, CA (June 13, 2011) - After an extensive search following the passing of legendary voice Charlie O'Donnell, Wheel of Fortune has selected Jim Thornton to succeed him as the show's announcer. The announcement was made today by the show's Executive Producer, Harry Friedman.

"We are delighted to welcome Jim Thornton into the Wheel of Fortune family," said Friedman. "Jim's rich, friendly voice and engaging personality are a great fit for our show and its tradition."

"This has been a lifelong dream, and to be able to follow in the footsteps of a legend like Charlie O'Donnell is truly humbling," said Thornton. "Being selected as announcer for Wheel of Fortune is a huge honor. Now I just have to make sure I don't call out the answers to the puzzles when my mic is open!"

Fans have already heard Thornton's voice as one of the guest announcers during Season 28, and he will take on the position full-time when Wheel of Fortune begins broadcasting its 29th Season on September 19.

One of the most popular and distinctive voices in Southern California, Thornton has been a part of KNX 1070 Newsradio since 1985 when he provided traffic reports with the syndicated traffic service, "Metro Traffic." He then became a fulltime traffic reporter during morning drive for both KNX and CBS2 News, before taking on his current role as host of the afternoon drive newscast in January 2005."

In his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia, Thornton began his broadcast career in 1983 at WOWK/TV while attending Marshall University. A year later, he moved to California and by 1989, he had his own morning show on Magic 94.3FM in the San Fernando Valley. Then, in 1992, Thornton became a "Hot Country" disc jockey for Westwood One Radio Networks, hosting live music from coast to coast. From 1995 to 1999, he was the voice of Channel 13, KCOP-TV in Los Angeles.

Over the course of his career, Thornton has received numerous broadcasting awards including the Edward R. Murrow award, Golden Mike awards and an Emmy. He also lent his voice to the 2011Oscar Nominated Short Animated Film, Let's Pollute.

Wheel of Fortune viewers may also recognize Thornton's voice from his diverse body of voiceover work including: Disney's Monsters Inc movie, ride and Disney on Ice show; television shows: Celebrity Death Match, The Soup, The Cleveland Show, Rugrats and The Drew Carey Show; National TV and radio campaigns for: Old Spice, Domino's Pizza, Vitamin Water 10, Bacardi, Kraft, Budweiser, Coke NASCAR, Kellogg's Cereal and Starbucks Coffee; video games: Boom Blox 2, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Cars and Mafia II.

Thornton lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Sue, and their son, Sam. He actively supports JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) since his son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2009.

Wheel of Fortune, America's #1 game show, is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Studios International, both units of CBS Corp.





  [june 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· WHEEL OF FORTUNE (SYNDICATION)





[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM]
Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC
The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.

[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host
Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.

[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.