Story perspectives

Dave Ryan retires from KDWB, joins Hall of Fame

5/14/2026

Summary

Dave Ryan Retires

Dave Ryan announced his retirement from KDWB, with his final shift set for Friday, May 22, 2026.
He will be inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, with the ceremony on Nov. 20, 2026 at the Pavek Museum.
Ryan, whose KDWB tenure began in 1993 and totals 33 years, said he has never taken more than one week of vacation and hopes for longer time off.

Summary

Dave Ryan Mentors

Dave Ryan’s brief elevator chats gave a young intern confidence to pursue radio.
Ryan answered the intern’s in-depth questions about his 4 a.m. show duties, showing approachability.
The intern says Ryan’s thoughtful replies to seemingly inane queries decided his enrollment in broadcasting studies.
The writer recalls hearing Ryan on school bus rides, noting the show defined the Twin Cities radio landscape and that Ryan’s legacy includes mentoring future talent.

Summary

Dave Ryan Honored

Allison Ryan called into Dave Ryan’s May 22 broadcast and said the Twin Cities were proud of his memories.
Lee Valsvik called Ryan an open-book nerd, recalled meeting him over dinner in Lake Elmo, and praised their back-to-back studios for decades as the best radio he’d ever done.
Ryan shouted out KARE 11’s Belinda Jensen on the broadcast, noting they began working in the Twin Cities the same year.

History

Historical Context

The 1996 Telecommunications Act deregulated radio ownership, prompting the FCC to approve massive station consolidation. Clear Channel grew from 40 stations in 1996 to roughly 1,200 by 2003, reshaping U.S. markets. Meanwhile, veteran DJ Dave Ryan’s three-decade KDWB tenure, honored by the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2026, shows local-voice resilience.

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Dave Ryan Retires

Dave Ryan announced his retirement from KDWB, with his final shift set for Friday, May 22, 2026.
He will be inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, with the ceremony on Nov. 20, 2026 at the Pavek Museum.
Ryan, whose KDWB tenure began in 1993 and totals 33 years, said he has never taken more than one week of vacation and hopes for longer time off.

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