Hopefully, he's staying in town.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/UPDATE/607270447

Popular air personality John Mason is gone from the airwaves of WDMK-FM (105.9), where he held down the afternoon slot for the past year, after giving up mornings to the syndicated Tom Joyner show.

Mason's contract with the Radio One-owned station ends Friday.

Attorney Henry Baskin, who represents Mason, said the longtime Detroit favorite's contract had a noncompete clause in it, which means Mason will probably be off the air for at least a month or two.

WDMK operations manager Graham "Skip" Dillard says the parting was mutual. "He had some things that he definitely wanted to do, and we respected that. … We left on good terms. In fact, we offered some additional opportunities to him, although we don't know what he's got planned."

But was it good terms? Dillard admitted Mason was supposed to work until the end of his contract, which would have been Friday. Instead, Mason's last shift was Wednesday, and the operations manager had to unexpectedly go on the air to cover Mason's Thursday shift.

Mason did not immediately return a reporter's call.