John Melendez, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO announcer: Mr. Media Audio Interview

“He’s been great to me thus far,” John (above) tells
us of working with current boss Jay Leno.

Howard Stern: If Jay Leno Doesn’t
Hire ‘Stuttering John’ Back, I Will

Howard Stern has done an about-face in his feud with former underling John Melendez – or has he? While interviewing John April 6 on Mr. Media, host Bob Andelman asked John – who left Howard’s then-terrestrial radio show in 2003 to become Jay Leno’s announcer on The Tonight Show – “Is Jay taking you with him to 10 p.m.?” (Bob, whose interview was cited in the New York Post, was of course referring to Jay’s move to an earlier time slot on NBC this fall.)

“I don’t know yet. I haven’t heard yet,” said John. “But I really do hope that I am.” The next morning, on Howard’s Sirius Satellite show, the King of All Media responded to Bob’s interview with John, saying: “I’m going to make an offer to John right now: If Jay doesn’t hire him back, he can stay in L.A. and ask questions, and we’ll hire him to go to some of those premieres and ask questions again. He can do that. It’s a dollar for every question.”

In February 2008, John said on Adam Carolla’s since-axed radio show that Howard never paid him fairly and didn't fight to keep him when he quit. On his own show a few days later, Howard called John a “no-talent ingrate,” adding: “I didn't have a beef with him before, but I do now. He can go #$%! himself.”