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Former Laser 558 DJ, Jonell,  has died

DATELINE  15th December  2021

Former Laser 558 DJ Jonell has died

Jonell (Pernula) was a summer relief presenter on Laser 558 from July to September 1985.

She grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota and graduated from the  Brown Institute for Broadcasting in 1980. Jonell worked at KRSI/KFMX with Tommy Rivers who was instrumental in helping her join the Laser 558 team  as a summer relief DJ.

Afer leavng Laser 558 Jonell returned Minneapolis, joining local station The Cities 97 (KTCZ 97.1). In early 1995, when Cities 97 fired many of its on air staff, Jonell found work for a few months as a bartender and a shop security officer.

in 1996 she joined a new station - Smooth Jazz - where she stayed until 1998 when the new owners made staff (including Jonell) reduntant. She  then joined Metro Traffic Control providing traffic reports for various stations throughout the Greater Twin Cities area.

In November 2002 she was told she would  lose her full-time position with Metro Traffic Control , and  sued the station for gender discrimination, a case she won in 2005, but her career was ruined and she decided to retire from broadcasting.

Jonell died in December 2021.

(Additional information courtesy Pirate Radio Hall of Fame)

(Photo: Offshore Echos Magazine)



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