Why was Joe Colborn fired from B96? Joan Esposito's lawsuit explored following death of the radio personality

Retired DJ and radio personality Joe Colborn, better known as the one-half of the duo, “Eddie & JoBo,” died on November 24 at the age of 70, according to NBC Chicago and CBS News reports. The details surrounding his demise have not been revealed.

JoBo’s former employer, B96, paid tribute to the late host. Their Facebook post, uploaded on Monday, read:

“B96 remembers and honors a legend — Joe ‘JoBo’ Bohannon. As half of the iconic Eddie & JoBo morning show, JoBo helped make this station what it is today. For years, he and Eddie brought laughter, energy, and real Chicago spirit to our airwaves. We celebrate his legacy — because once a part of B96, always a part of B96.”

The caption was accompanied by seven images of Joe Colborn and his partner, Eddie Volkman, from their time together at the Chicago-based radio station, WBBM-FM.

Joe Colborn, who was nicknamed Bohannon, was fired from B96 on the grounds of “gross misconduct” in 1994 after he was sued for defamation by ex-NBC 5 television news anchor Joan Esposito.

Although Eddie Volkman was not held responsible nor directly named in the lawsuit, he, too, was terminated from the radio station after his six-year-long stint. Bohannon joined B96 in 1984 and joined Eddie as a co-host four years later.

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Here’s why Joan Esposito sued Joe Colborn

During one of his March 1993 on-air broadcasts, Joe Colborn told his listeners that he had “what could be the story of a century.” He went on to claim that a local newswoman was “carrying a baby fathered by” one of the Chicago Bulls players.

Six months of silence later, ahead of starting her maternity leave, WMAQ-TV anchor Joan Esposito filed an $8 million libel lawsuit against B96, the parent company CBS Inc., and Joe Colborn at the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, Illinois, saying that the “widespread repetition” of the “baseless and vicious rumor” ruined her career.

While JoBo did not name the female journalist or the NBA player, Esposito’s civil suit claimed that she was the only pregnant news anchor in the Windy City at the time. Reportedly, Joan Esposito lost her husband, Bryan Harwood, to suicide in February 1993, ahead of her pregnancy announcement.

The lawsuit, obtained by UPI, stated that the rumor had:

“substantially harmed Esposito’s broadcast career and reputation in the community, causing her severe emotional distress.”

The plaintiff also held Joe Colborn responsible for her “substantially reduced salary” in her fresh employment contract. Her lawyer, Dan Webb, told the Chicago Tribune:

“It was a rumor that came at people from everywhere. They heard it from four or five independent sources, which eventually led them to believe it to be true.”

Webb added,

“We debated taking this step for a long time. My first advice to Joan was not to give the rumor any extra publicity. But she kept getting phone calls at the station from viewers asking about it, and in the end, she became convinced that she had to face it head-on.”

Meanwhile, Bohannon submitted an affidavit claiming:

“I am unaware of any basis whatsoever for this vicious rumor and deeply regret giving currency to this rumor… I've said some things that have hurt you and I apologize.”

In May 1994, Joe Colborn and his on-air partner Eddit Volkman were fired by B96. At the time, the lawsuit was pending, which later reached an undisclosed settlement.

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Eddie and JoBo returned to B96 in 1996 and continued with their eponymous morning show until November 2008. During their hiatus, they were employed at Q102 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two years later, the duo joined WLS-AM as Saturday night talk show hosts.

Between March 2011 and December 2012, Joe Colborn and his partner hosted the morning show for CBS Radio’s Chicago-based 104.3 K-HITS station. Later, they briefly worked as weekend hosts at WLS-AM before reuniting on B96 in 2024.

While JoBo had retired since then and lived a secluded life in Freeport, Illinois, Eddie continues as the afternoon drive host on WSSR.

Following Joe Colborn's demise, Volkman paid a lengthy tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator on Facebook and recalled JoBo’s “incredible energy, style, and people skills.”