Bryan O’Neal Announces Retirement
KSGN/Riverside PD/mornings Bryan O’Neal announces he will be retiring next month. March 19th will be Bryan’s last day on the air at KSGN.
Bryan joined KSGN in 2006 as MD/afternoon personality, and one month later was promoted to Program Director. Previously Christian Radio stations included KSTL/Spokane, KLOVE, and others.
Bryan reflected on his long radio career for HisAir saying, “Well, the time has come… I’m going to retire from working. 48 years, 3 Months, 18 days, and 4 hours. That represents my entire radio career by the time I do my last shift (that’s the 4 hours). My retirement date is going to be March 19.”
Bryan continued, “Some notable moments… I started in mainstream Top40 radio in 1972. In 1978 I hosted and produced Portland, OR first CCM Radio show on Top 40 62-KGW, 1979 I sat at the kitchen table with my good friend Bob Anthony as we outlined what a fulltime CCM station would be like… (We said we’d NEVER ask for money). Bob started the station in Santa Rosa, from time to time I would provide special music programming and visit the station on vacation to help them in those very early days… That station eventually became KLOVE. In 1994 I became employee #13 at KLOVE after they moved to Sacramento.
“In 1998 I went back to Portland to do Mornings and be PD of another CCM station KPAM.. Pamplin Media. Funny thing here is, KPAM was my first job in 1972, the original KPAM FM-AM had given up those call letter years before but they fit perfectly for Pamplin Broadcasting.”
“In 2001, Bob Anthony had founded his second station/network (Air1) called me to come to Air1. The physical station was going to move to Rocklin and not many of the Portland staff wanted to move so I managed the entire move (in 2002) to the studios they are in now. I was operations director and then became PD. 2005 finds me taking the PD / Morning show in Spokane at Spirit FM (KTSL). That lasted 11 months, it was the wrong fit for me.”
“In 2006 I accepted the Music Director /Afternoons at 89.7 KSGN.. One month later they asked me to be PD… and then nearly 15 years go by … and I’m retiring.”
“What a ride… I’m going to miss it because I still love it. Maybe I can track a weekend show, vacation fill-in… whatever. I’ll be living fulltime in our motorhome with my wife Mary. Oh ya… the motorhome will be a rolling radio studio.”
Regarding the time to retire Bryan says, “I actually had planned and let KSGN know that this would be my last year… Provided my health didn’t make it so that I should retire earlier. So after being hospitalized for COVID-19 I figured now is a good time to go. I’m healthy now and want to get out and travel while I’m in good shape.”
HisAir featured an interview with Bryan in 2010, check it out HERE.
