After his discharge, Duggan became a radio announcer for station KCLU in Santa Barbara, California, using the name Tom Goss.
The Chicago Tribune reported that "the station and newspaper offices were swamped with phone calls protesting Duggan's dismissal.
""If Tom Duggan tomorrow would enter politics and run on the Democratic ticket for Mayor of Chicago, his popularity would push him in with a landslide.
On May 11, 1953 Time magazine wrote "In Chicago, TV Sportscaster Tom Duggan has as many detractors among his 250,000 viewers as he has fans, but they all get some sort of kick out of his outspoken opinions.
On his 10:30 p.m. show, he took a few sideswipes at the forthcoming championship Marciano-Walcott fight, which is promoted by Jim Norris and his I.B.C., and due to be televised by NBC.
And, five days later, he was back with a new sponsor and a new vote of confidence, hired to do two half-hour sports shows at $200 each over ABC's station WBKB-TV.
With NBC refusing to rehire him, Duggan accepted a job with ABC as a nightly commentator on WBKB (now WLS-TV).
"[2]"To take advantage of his recognition for his anti-mob stand, ABC proposed that Duggan host a special presentation on Chicago mob boss Tony Accardo, revealing his links with organised crime.
ABC sought the co-operation of the Chicago Crime Commission and state and local law enforcement to compile material and protect Duggan should there be retribution for the show.
Also in 1955, Duggan was sentenced to ten days in jail for contempt of court after commenting on a divorce case being heard by Cook County Judge Daniel A.
Judge Covelli found that Duggan was in contempt of court for making allegations which would reflect poorly on witnesses.
Roger M. Grace wrote in a column, “In retrospect, it appears that Tom Duggan, a colorful and controversial talk show host and commentator in Los Angeles in the 1950s and '60s, had been chased out of Chicago, where he was exposing corruption, by a judge who was himself linked with underworld figures.
"[8]Duggan hosted television shows on KCOP-TV,[9] KTLA and KTTV, and wrote a newspaper column for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
In early 1965 Duggan was hired to do the morning drive show on KBLA-Burbank (1500 AM) as part of the station's new top 40 format, but lasted only a couple of months.
Pallbearers included then Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty and actor Jimmy Durante.