Dave Ryan, one of the longest-running hosts in Twin Cities radio history and a respected industry leader, is retiring after 33 years at KDWB/101.3.
Ryan announced plans to retire on the May 13 edition of his show after cautioning that the announcement is not a prank. His last day will be May 22.
“It is time. It is time to move on and see what’s next. It’s one of those things where I never saw it coming to an end, but at the same time I never saw it lasting this long,” Ryan said.
Ryan explained that he made the announcement less than two weeks before his last day because he doesn’t want a long goodbye. He said he told co-hosts Bailey Hess and Vont Leak 10 minutes before the on-air announcement; co-host Jenny Luttenberger was out of the country.
“It was a really hard decision…because this is what I do,” Ryan said, pointing out that he’s only been on vacation for more than a week once during his entire time at KDWB.
Ryan is also known as a mentor, receiving the Kraddick Award at the Morning Show Boot Camp in 2023. His morning show won the Marconi Award for Large Market Personality of the Year in 2011 and 2023.
Announcing his retirement, Ryan said he does not see listeners as a product.
“I have loved the people who listen to this show so much, even if I’ve never met you, if I get a text message or an email from you or a phone call from you, I just love people who listen to the show,” he said.
Ryan said he will continue to cut commercials for iHeartMedia.