Saturdays LIVE from 8:00am -10:00am ET (7:00am - 9:00am CT)
1st & 5th Sundays LIVE from 3:00pm - 5:00pm ET (2:00pm - 4:00pm CT)
Remaining Sundays from 3:00pm – 4:00pm ET (2:00pm – 3:00pm CT)
Jim Kucharski first started playing polka music in July of 1987 with the late Joe Walega. Since then, he has performed with many bands over the years, including Gennie O & the Windy City Brass, Stas Golonka, Tony Blazonczyk’s South Side Sounds, CMA, Take Five, The Ampol-Aires, The Good Times, Freeze Dried, & Bill Gula’s Chicago Image. Currently, he performs with Keith Stras & Polka Confetti.
He caught the radio bug in October of 2000 and began airing a show on 247PolkaHeaven.com until February of 2004. During that time, he was approached by Polkaman Jack Baciewski to take part in a new venture he was starting up called the Polka Jammer Network. His first show aired on January 4, 2003. After Polkaman Jack’s departure in October of 2008, Jim took over all operations of the network and became its President, serving in that capacity from 2008 until 2013. Personal & financial issues resulting from the Great Recession forced Jim to leave the Polka Jammer Network in 2014. He returned in January of 2017 as an IJ. On November 8, 2025 after 8 1/2 years on Thursday nights, his show moved to Saturday mornings from 8-10am ET.
In October of 2010, Major Mel Himes helped Jim realize a dream of doing a show on FM radio. He started airing a show on WERG 90.5FM in Erie, PA. (Major Mel passed away in 2024.) His show has been heard on WHYP, WWCB, KCTI & WHRU. In July of 2015, Jim was asked to do the Polish Hour for the Polka Parade on WJYI in Milwaukee, WI (changed to WJOI in April of 2021) with the retirement of Jerry Halkoski.
From 2013 until 2024, Jim didn’t perform polka music on stage until he received a call from Keith Stras in February of that year & managed to pull Jim out of retirement. Jim is also involved in the Music Ministry at the Church of the Holy Apostles in McHenry, IL & has been there since July of 2018, first under Feargal King (2018-2019) and currently under Craig Colson (since August 2020). Prior to that, he served at St. John Fisher in Chicago from July of 2002 until August of 2018 when it’s music director: Mike Carso, retired.
