EXCLUSIVE: Blame it on Obama! Radio legend and first African-American nationally syndicated host Tom Joyner getting the boot timed to President's exit from White House

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Legendary syndicated radio host Tom Joyner will soon be signing off the air - but not by choice. 

Daily Mail Online can reveal the 65-year-old entertainment veteran is being forced into an early retirement to not only make room for younger talent but also to coincide with the departure of President Barack Obama from the White House.

The plan is being put into place by radio conglomerate Radio One along with his best friend and former business associate David Kantor, sources claim. 

'They think going with a younger, fresher show is the way to go and the entire plan has been orchestrated by the man who actually launched Tom into syndication originally,' a source tells Daily Mail Online exclusively. 

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Forced out: Tom Joyner is getting the boot from radio show after nearly 22 years 

Pals: Joyner with a then Senator Barack Obama showing his support for the presidential race. Source tells Daily Mail Online Joyner will be out by end of 2016 to lineup with President Obama leaving White House

Joyner started his syndicated radio show The Tom Joyner Morning Show in 1994 with ABC Radio Networks after hosting a morning program in Dallas and an afternoon radio show in Chicago for eight years.

During that time he earned more than seven million frequent-flier miles commuting daily between the two cities. The vigorous travel schedule earned Joyner the nicknames The Fly Jock and The Hardest-Working Man In Radio.

Kantor, then an executive at ABC Radio Networks, came up with the idea to launch Joyner into national syndication.

As the first African-American host in national syndication, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, which featured co-hosts Sybil Wilkes and comedian J. Anthony Brown, became an instant success.

At its peak it aired in upwards of 120 markets and reaching more than 15 million listeners daily. 

The Tom Joyner Morning Show became the number one syndicated urban morning show and one of the most-successful syndicated shows in the history of radio.

'He was like the Muhammad Ali of radio, the greatest of all time. He was a superstar in the Black community and had crossover appeal that made him respected by the mainstream as well,' says the source.

Joyner's status skyrocketed and he instantly became a multimillionaire.

In 2003, he launched Reach Media with Kantor who left ABC Radio Networks to run Joyner's Texas-based media company. 

Betrayal? David Kantor, Joyner's best friend and former business associate, is the man behind the decision to force the radio host into an early retirement, claims source

In November 2004, Radio One acquired a 53% stake in Reach Media for $56.1 million in cash and stock, which gave them ownership rights of The Tom Joyner Morning Show and Joyner's website BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Nearly a year later, in September 2005, comedian Steve Harvey launched his own syndicated radio program The Steve Harvey Morning Show with Premiere Radio Networks and became direct competition for Joyner in many markets. 

Harvey, who starred in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy, had hosted a morning radio program in Los Angeles for Radio One for five years. But he had an explosive parting of ways with the company's founder Cathy Hughes and the company let him go before his contract ended in May 2005. 

Harvey originally approached Joyner and Kantor about syndicating his show nationally after falling out with Radio One, but Kantor told him 'he would never work in syndication' because Harvey had a reputation for 'being difficult and nasty to fans.'

After a short time in syndication, Harvey's morning show became a hit and began to pose a serious threat for Joyner. 

In recent years, with the success of the 58-year-old Harvey's daytime talk show, film projects, bestselling books and his game show Family Feud; the comedian's radio program has eclipsed Joyner's with larger markets and more listeners.

In 2012, Kantor encouraged Joyner to sell more stakes in Reach Media to Radio One, a source tells Daily Mail Online.

In December of that year, Radio One increased its stake to 80% and that decision was something that Joyner would live to regret.

Heartbroken: 'Tom feels it's the ultimate betrayal. It's a slap in the face. The man he took on family vacations, the man he gifted with a Bentley, the man he trusted with everything, and the man he called friend was selling him out to advance himself,' source reveals of David Kantor's decision to give Joyner the boot

Triple threat: : Sybil Wilkes, Tom Joyner and J. Anthony Brown have made up The Tom Joyner Morning Show since 1994 

'While both Tom and David made millions each time a new deal was done with Radio One; Tom had less control of the company he once owned, while David gained more power. 

'Each year they would make Tom lay off long-term employees and comediennes like Miss Dupree and Myra J. 

'It killed Tom to just get rid of the people who had been loyal to him from the beginning, but he had no say in the matter,' the source tells Daily Mail Online.

In 2014, a quiet plan was put into place to phase Joyner out of radio completely by the end of 2016 to lineup with the culmination of the Presidential election and President Obama's departure from the White House.

'Tom's show has always been about community activism, education and social justice and he played a major part in helping President Obama get elected. 

'They felt that the end of Obama's term would be the ideal time for him to also leave,' explains the source.

Joyner - whose current radio contract with Radio One ends in December 2016 - actually learned of his friend Kantor's plan to end his show next year from some radio insiders who tipped him off. 

Those who work in his offices in Dallas say that he's been distraught about it ever since.

'He's always moping around and looking like his world is coming to an end. It's like someone turned the light off in his eyes,' the source says.

'Behind the scenes he is always sad and will tell anyone who'll listen: 'You know they're getting rid of me right? I should have never listened to David and sold that stake to Radio One.'

Competition: Steve Harvey's radio show has eclipsed Joyner's with larger markets and more listeners

On October 19 Radio One announced that Kantor had been named the new CEO of its radio division. 

Insiders speculate that it was Kantor's exit plan for Joyner that helped secure his new top spot.

'Tom feels it's the ultimate betrayal. It's a slap in the face. The man he took on family vacations, the man he gifted with a Bentley, the man he trusted with everything, and the man he called friend was selling him out to advance himself. 

'It's heartbreaking for him,' the source reveals.

Radio One plans to move another syndicated host Russ Parr, 56, into Joyner's time slots in Washington, DC and Baltimore as a replacement test starting in January.

Then throughout the rest of next year, Radio One will start transitioning The Russ Parr Morning Show gradually into other major markets, ultimately by the year's end phasing Joyner out altogether. 

'Tom isn't ready to go and hasn't even made plans for life after radio. Radio is his passion and it's all he knows. 

'There's always a chance of him going to SiriusXM like Howard Stern did, but for now he's still trying to process his show of 22 years ending,' says the source.

Radio has also been the cause of Joyner's strained relationship with his sons Oscar and Thomas Jr.

By his own admission, Joyner was an absentee father during their early years because of his radio commute between Dallas and Chicago. 

He then divorced their mom Dora Chatman Joyner in 1996. 

The radio business also cost Joyner his second marriage to fitness guru Donna Richardson Joyner, whom he quietly divorced in March 2012 after 12 years of marriage.

Today, Joyner's morning show airs in 105 markets and reaches eight million listeners daily. 

Reach Media has now responded to Daily Mail Online saying: 'Any stories that suggest major changes to the Tom Joyner Morning Show are inaccurate.

'Tom Joyner is under contract with Reach Media until the end of 2017. We expect that Reach will continue to syndicate Tom’s show beyond that date and for as long as he would like to be on the air. 

'There has always been refinements and updates to the show as well as market changes due to local conditions and there may be some in the future; but Tom Joyner and the Tom Joyner Morning show continues to be strong and is a daily Party with a Purpose®. 

'Reach is committed to Tom Joyner for the long term who remains committed to radio, his audience and the future.'