After 40 years in commercial radio, I’m going to do my last show this Friday, February 9th.
I’ve known this day was coming for several months, as KTRS has hired someone else to do its 3-6pm show every weekday beginning next week. I was asked if I wanted the job, but I have no interest in going back to work full time.
Having done this for my entire adult life, I know the stress that comes from waking up every day and immediately thinking, “What am I doing to talk about today?” It may not seem like it, but hosting and planning a well-executed, informed, entertaining radio show takes an enormous amount of preparation and brain power. Since moving into semi-retirement a few years ago — working only one or two days a week — I’ve had a lot less of that stress, and have welcomed those mornings when I didn’t have to worry about developing enough content to fill three hours of airtime.
While I would have liked to keep the Friday afternoon show I’ve done for more than five years, I fully understand the station’s desire to have host continuity five days a week. I’m not bitter about that decision or upset with management. In fact, they’ve asked me to consider continuing as a fill-in host on occasion, or perhaps do something else on the air. Nothing has been decided, but if and when it is, you’ll read about it on this site or on my Twitter or Facebook pages (if you’re not following me there, please do). That’s also where you’ll read news about a couple of other projects I’m working on that may go public in the next few weeks.
For my final show, I plan to tell some stories from my career, including 19 years on the air in St. Louis. My special guest will be my brother Seth, the former US Deputy Secretary of Labor, who will share some insights about politics and current events. I’ll also be joined in the KTRS studio by traffic guy Tim Wilund and movie maven Max Foizey. As always, you can test your topical trivia knowledge with my Harris Challenge, and I’ll have a new batch of Knuckleheads In The News®, too.
Then that will be that. Thank you very much for listening.
P.S. I’m not expecting a parade, military or otherwise.