Dave Ryan reflects on 33 years on the air at KDWB
Dave Ryan has been a pillar of Minnesota radio for over three decades who last week made the surprise announcement that he will retire from his morning show at KDWB.
Though it seemed like a sudden decision to fans, Ryan said he'd been planning his retirement for several years.
"I love the people who listen to the show but it was kind of like a scale that started to tip," he said. "I love radio, but I also love the idea of going to do other things, and the things that I never had time off to do."
Ryan started his show 33 years ago. In all that time, he said he's never had more than a week off from work. So he's planning on investing more time into his interests: his motorcycle, RV, grandchildren and flying airplanes.
A lot has changed during his time on the air.
"Kids still listen, but they don't listen the same way," Ryan mused. "They'll listen maybe in the car with mom. We do have a lot of young people that listen still, but they're on Spotify, and they're on Apple Music."
Most of the people around him are much younger, but Ryan thinks it helps keep him connected and current.
"I don't try to act like I'm 25, and I think people appreciate that," he said.
But Ryan is adamant that radio helps people connect to each other more than streaming services ever could.
"You are not hearing about somebody who went to the Bruno Mars concert, or who went to the Taylor Swift concert, or who went on a boat ride on the St. Croix. You're not hearing those stories, and that's the great thing about radio. No matter what age you are, is that connection of similar experiences and going 'hey, that person's a lot like me,'" he said.
He'll miss the people he works with and the people he listens to. He'll miss the creative side of radio and the ability to talk about his opinions.
"I tell my wife I'm going to follow her around the kitchen talking about the latest celebrity news because I will need an outlet," he said.
Ryan's played a lot of songs over the last few decades and insists that the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" is the greatest song of all time.
"That is the greatest song of all time, greatest song ever recorded," he said.
