Read our original report on DJ Laz's departure from WPOW -- plus Uncle Luke's comments on talking to DJ Laz about quitting Power 96.
Former radio impresario and longtime Power 96 DJ Lazaro Mendez never returned our calls. The "pimp with the limp" did, however, sit down with NBC 6 last night to discuss his shocking, sudden and unexpected departure from the Miami airwaves.
Rocking a casual, nautically-themed shirt and sitting next to his appropriately named fishing vessel, "Off the Air," Mendez opened up about his desire to change, travel, and spin records, admitting that he'd fallen into "this whole morning show announcer thing" unexpectedly.
"I'd been thinking about [this decision] for a minute," Mendez tells WTVJ. "And basically saying, if you want a change in your life, you can't continue to do the same thing. The only way to get change is to change, do something different."
Reiterating what Beasley Broadcast Miami vice president & market manager Joe Bell told us yesterday afternoon, DJ Laz assured the public he and Power 96 did not end on sour terms.
"There are no hard feelings between me and Power 96, none. I just walked in and handed them my resignation letter."
As for Laz's next step, the affable disc jockey and avid fisherman says he's "going to take the boat out for a little while" and spend more time with his family. Mendez also vaguely discussed his small-screen aspirations.
"I've always wanted to explore different options. For me, the possibility of TV -- I would love to be on TV one day -- [and] maybe now that I have more time, I can explore that."
DJ Laz, the next Louis Aguirre? Stay tuned, Miami.
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