The Polka Jammer Network

Click here to e-mail Jim

Click here to visit the "Chainsaw's Polka Madhouse" Website

CHAINSAW’S POLKA MADHOUSE
with Jim Kucharski
airs on  Saturday afternoons
LIVE from 1:00pm – 3:00pm EST
(12:00pm – 2:00pm CST)

Jim Kucharski began playing polka music in July of 1987 with Joe Walega. Since then, he has performed with a number of polka bands through the years, including Gennie O & The Windy City Brass, Stas Golonka, The Ampol-Aires, The Good Times, Take Five, & Freeze Dried. Jim has also filled with bands such as the Downtown Sound, Lil’ Richard, Polka Country Musicians, Jersey Polka Richie, Lil’ Wally, John Gora & Gorale, Stephanie, The Music Company, Jimmy Kilian’s Honky Chicago, Lenny Gomulka & The Chicago Push, and Darryl Weltin’s New Brass Express.  He has recorded on 29 albums to date, including a Christmas 45RPM recording, 2 LIVE albums, and a DVD.

When Jim first started in the polka business back in 1987, he never expected to be involved with Internet Radio. "When I first started out in polkas, I was having a hard time trying to learn Lil’ Wally songs. Radio was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t expect I would last very long in this business.", Jim once remarked.

However, when one day he got an opportunity to tag along with his friend and mentor: Bill Gula to a taping of his POLKAMANIA show which aired on WCEV 1450AM at the time, Jim was intrigued. He was fascinated by polka radio, and dreamed of having his own show someday. However, financial limitations kept his dream of having his own show…….well……a dream.

That would eventually change. In September of 2000, Jim got a call from Bill informing him about a new website that streamed polka shows on the Internet. It was called 247Polkaheaven.com. Intrigued by such a prospect, Jim e-mailed the Program Director and offered a concept of a new show, and put together a pilot which he submitted.

Two weeks passed, and Jim heard nothing from the Program Director, until one day he received an e-mail telling him that his "pilot" aired over WELW in Cleveland. Jim nearly fell off his couch!

"Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" debuted on 247Polkaheaven.com Tuesday, October 17, 2000. It originally aired as a one hour program on Tuesday nights at 10:00pm Eastern Time. The program aired with a format of the best hit polka music with less talk and all English language vocals so that listeners can understand the words to all the songs. It soon became a popular show with listeners.

However, while listeners liked the format of all English vocals, many bandleaders did not, and withheld sending their new CD releases to his show. Despite that, Jim’s program continued on, however his show would be involuntarily silenced in a dispute over Internet Radio royalties, forcing 247PolkaHeaven.com and virtually every Internet streaming site to go dark in August of 2002.

The Internet Radio royalty controversy was resolved by Congress in November of 2002, and 247PolkaHeaven.com returned to the air on January 11, 2003. "Chainsaw's Polka Madhouse" returned to the air four days later on January 15th. The show moved to a new time slot on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm Eastern Time. However, new federal regulations forced 247 to start charging it’s IJs for airtime. Fortunately, Jim was able to pick up a sponsor to offset this new fee.

Around the same time, Jim received an e-mail from his long time friend: Jack Baciewski, who met Jim while he was playing with the King: Stas Golonka at a CT gig back in 1990. Jack offered him an invitation to join a new Internet polka streaming site he was starting up called: "The Polka Jammer Network".

At the time, the Polka Jammer Network was webcasting in mono and had a limited capability. However, the prospect of having a 2 hour show with freedom to experiment with format and content was too good to refuse. Jim accepted Jack’s offer, but decided to use a different name for this program. Jim would call this show: "The Artistic Firestorm".

"The Artistic Firestorm" debuted as a two hour program on The Jammer Network Saturday, January 4, 2003. The format expanded on the popular "Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" program on 247, adding Polish vocals and live music in an exciting "Top-40" style presentation.

Being that this program was "experimental", Jim did not openly advertise this new program. However, many people, especially polka musicians quietly began to tune in.

In the Summer of 2003, Jim was instrumental in helping The Jammer Network achieve something that he believed polka music should be heard in: STEREO.        "The Artistic Firestorm" became the first program to air on the Jammer Network in STEREO.

In 2003, "Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse" on 247PolkaHeaven.com was his flagship show, while "The Artistic Firestorm" on the Jammer was his "experimental" show. However, by the end of that year, the format of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” had evolved to a point where it was no longer compatible with the format of 247PolkaHeaven.com. In addition, Jim was becoming frustrated with a general lack of support from the station’s management. As a result, Jim made a painful decision to leave 247PolkaHeaven.com. The final edition of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” on 247Polkaheaven.com aired Wednesday, February 25, 2004.

Jim combined the formats of “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse” and “The Artistic Firestorm” into an exciting “Top-40” presentation. Jim kept the name:  “Chainsaw’s Polka Madhouse”, and added Polish vocals, as well as listener requests and dedications.  Jim's hard work behind the scenes for the Jammer paid off as he was promoted to Program Director.  

On October 24, 2008, Polkaman Jack Baciewski retired from the Polka Jammer Network after 6 years due to health issues, and Jim took over the day to day operations of the network. By 2010, Jim came to the realization that the network had become too big for him to handle everything by himself, and in January of 2010 he established a Board of Directors. Currently, he’s in the process of converting the PJN to a 501C3 not-for-profit corporation.

In October of 2010, Major Mel helped Jim realize a long time dream of hosting a polka show on FM radio. On Sunday, November 7, 2010, Jim launched a “terrestrial” polka show on WERG 90.5FM in Erie, PA (on the Internet at www.wergfm.com) which airs LIVE on Sunday afternoons from 4-5pm Eastern Time (3-4pm Central).

On March 13, 2011, Jim added an AM station to the roster…..every first (and fifth) Sunday of the month LIVE from 8-9am Eastern Time (7-8am Central) over WHYP 1370AM in Corry, PA.
(On the Internet at www.cool1370online.com)

Jim is also the substitute engineer for the Richie Gomulka WPNA Show in Chicago, IL.

When Jim is not behind the microphone, he works as a repair technician fixing band instruments. In his spare time (what little there is), he enjoys going out to hear LIVE bands, riding his bike, and going out for long walks.

Today, not only he promotes the Polka Jammer Network and his shows on AM & FM radio, he wages a constant battle to gain recognition and respect for Internet Polka Radio. It is Jim's hope that his fight for recognition of the Jammer's existence will not be in vain.

CHAINSAW'S POLKA MADHOUSE is the Internet radio program that plays the best polka hits of the past & present. Give us a listen.................