Career[edit]

Radio career[edit]
Kimmel began working in the radio industry while in high school, hosting a Sunday
night interview show on UNLV's college station, KUNV.[citation needed] While
attending Arizona State University, he became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM
afternoon show hosted by radio personalities Mike Elliott and Kent Voss in Phoenix,
Arizona. In 1989, Kimmel landed his first paying job alongside Voss as morning drive
co-host of The Me and Him Show at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington.[citation
needed]

Ten months later, Kimmel and Voss were fired by KZOK and were fired again a year
later at WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida. Kimmel went on to host his own show at KCMJ
in Palm Springs, California, where he persuaded a young Carson Daly to drop out of
college and become his intern.[citation needed] After a morning stint at KRQQ in
Tucson, Arizona, Kimmel landed at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles. He spent five years as
"Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the Kevin and Bean morning show. During this time he
met and befriended a struggling comedian named Adam Carolla.[17]

Comedy Central[edit]
Kimmel began his television career as the comedic counterpart to Ben Stein on the
game show Win Ben Stein's Money, which began airing on Comedy Central in 1997.
His quick wit and "everyman" personality were counterpoints to Stein's monotonous
vocal style and faux-patrician demeanor. The combination earned the pair an Emmy
award for Best Game Show Host.[18]

In 1999, during his time with Win Ben Stein's Money, Kimmel co-hosted (with
Carolla) and co-produced (with Daniel Kellison), Comedy Central's The Man Show.
[16] Kimmel left Win Ben Stein's Money in 2001 and was replaced by comedian
Nancy Pimental, who was eventually replaced by Kimmel's cousin Sal Iacono. The
Man Show's success allowed Kimmel, Carolla, and Kellison to create and produce,
under the banner Jackhole Productions, Crank Yankers for Comedy Central (on which
Kimmel plays the characters "Elmer Higgins", "Terrence Catheter", "The Nudge",
"Karl Malone" and himself) and later The Andy Milonakis Show for MTV2. Kimmel
also produced and co-wrote the feature film Windy City Heat, which won the
Comedia Award for Best Film at the Montreal Comedy Festival.[19]