My radio career has come to an end. Unless I spend some latter years getting back into the business simply for something to do in my retirement, this is probably it. I’ve accepted the job of executive director of communications with the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. This is a fantastic opportunity for me. It’s not a decision I made lightly. The GCISD is a great school system with superb leadership and staff and I’m fortunate they found me worthy of joining the team.
I’m also very lucky that Cumulus Media has allowed me to finish out my two weeks notice. Often when a person gives notice in the radio business, that person is told to go ahead and pack it up and move on. I get the rare radio experience of penning my goodbye.
I want this to be more of a tribute to the fine folks I’ve worked with for some two decades than it being all about me. First and foremost I have to thank Freda Ross, my assistant news director. I’ve often said that she is the heart of the news department and I’ve always meant it. Any success I had was because of her.
I have to thank my predecessor Dan Potter, who gave me my first part-time job as morning news producer. Current operations manager Tyler Cox gave me my first full-time job at WBAP. Several years later I succeeded Dan as news director. Bob Shomper was the PD at that time and I thank him for the opportunity. I had great upper management support along the way, first with Keri Korzeniewski and then Pete Dits and lastly with Dan Bennett.
I got to work with radio legends like the great Hal Jay and Dick Siegel. There was Don Harris and Jimmy Stewart. I did news during Randy Galloway’s show and during the Mark Davis Show, becoming friends with Mark and the great technical wizard and funniest guy I know Sean Chastain.
There have been many great reporters and anchors along the way. I have had the pleasure of working with the immortal Jim Ryan who is now with ABC Radio. Mark Watkins was a legendary talent. I always felt strange being his boss. Amy Chodroff, Dave Williams, Carla Marion, Marlee McCormick, Sandra Gonzalez, Gary Daniels, Bob Leonard and Eric Bushman who kept pestering me until I hired him. My greatest sorrow and most joyous moments as a manager surrounded reporter Alan Scaia, who almost died in a horrible wreck. To see him hospitalized for so long unable to communicate to his return to the airwaves is something I will never forget. There are newcomers like Robbie Hoy – a former WBAP intern – and Marna Davis and Mickey Briggs whom I’m glad to have gotten to know. Matt Stoker came into the fold when Cumulus bought us from Disney/ABC. Emil Moffatt went from being a sports guy to a great overnight newsperson. I was sad to see him leave for another gig.
I worked with producers like John Pendolino and Doug Helton and Kristin Thrower. And so many board operators and literally hundreds of interns. I know I am forgetting many and for that I’m sorry. Please know I appreciate all of you who have played a part in my career.
I got my radio start at KCLE in my hometown of Cleburne. I interned there while in college at Texas Wesleyan University under news director Larry Cooke. I later succeeded Larry as news director following my graduation. I had a stint as news director at KYXS/KJSA in Mineral Wells owned by the Snyder family. I was a correspondent with the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram for a few years along the way. And I worked as a producer and anchor at USA Radio Network in Dallas. I worked alongside talented professionals all along the way.
All these people made my job easy. They made me look good. My philosophy has been to hire good people and get out of their way. I made my mistakes as a manager along the way and to anybody I’ve wronged I sincerely apologize.
I got to cover the biggest of stories like space shuttle crashes, earthquakes, political conventions, horrible mass murders, plane crashes, fires and all the blood and guts stories one could ever want and then some. I got to tell fun stories and stories of inspiration. Being a reporter allowed me to do a lot of cool stuff along the way like flying with the Blue Angels and driving NASCAR cars and getting backstage to interview film, music and stage stars. I interviewed presidents and governors and senators and everybody in between.
It’s been a great ride. I’m thankful to you the listener for putting up with me all these years. Now it’s time for a new challenge and new rewards and experiences. I’m ready to go, but will always cherish my time at the legendary WBAP and KLIF.
That’s what I’m thinking.
Rick Hadley
24/7 News
