Jerry Cesak, best known to listeners as “Jer” from the influential Jeff & Jer Showgram, passed away Sunday at the age of 74. His death was confirmed through social media tributes that quickly drew responses from fans, former colleagues, and figures throughout the radio industry.
For nearly three decades, Cesak co-hosted the Showgram with Jeff & Jer alongside Jeff Detrow at multiple San Diego stations between 1988 and Cesak’s retirement in 2015.
He helped define a style of local morning radio that blended irreverent humor, listener engagement, and community involvement. This occurred at a time when personality-driven shows were central to a station’s identity.
Before arriving in Southern California, Cesak’s path to radio was shaped by performance and storytelling. A Maryland native, he earned a degree in theater from the University of Maryland. This education later informed his on-air presence and comedic timing.
His broadcasting career included stops in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Detroit, where he eventually crossed paths with co-host Jeff Detrow. That partnership would become the foundation of one of San Diego’s most recognizable radio programs.
The show regularly staged large-scale promotions and public events that became part of local radio lore in San Diego. At the same time, Cesak and Detrow used their platform to support charitable causes. Their efforts included benefit concerts for organizations assisting survivors of domestic violence.
After retirement, In 2016, Cesak and Detrow were inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016.
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