Time to move on from ESPN NH

It's time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It's time to move on, it's time to get going   - Tom Petty 

Radio stations are sold everyday. When you are in the business, you see the names of radio hosts, GMs, salesmen etc. who are let go seemingly daily when a new ownership group takes over. It’s never fun when it’s your name getting called but it happens to nearly all of us who decide to pursue this career. 

As of Friday, April 11^th at 5:01 pm, the same time I posted this note to my blog, I officially was removed as General Manager and afternoon show host of ESPN New Hampshire by the new management group of the station.  

I am announcing this because many of you have asked on social media, via text, email etc. why I was no longer on the air and what happened. It’s been a weird few weeks and I wanted to keep it quiet until it became official.

I will admit that I did not see this coming, the way it went down I mean. I was ready to move on from ESPN New Hampshire after 3 years but I thought it would be on my terms. This move could be a blessing in disguise because the feedback from the industry has been awesome but it's always a little scary when it happens. 

Luckily, I’ve been through buyouts before and know you can’t do much about it, but this was different because I’ve never been management before. Legally, I can’t say much, but if you know me, you know how I feel about this decision. 

What I can tell you is that I chose to remove myself from the show on March 26^th when I was told that the radio station had entered into an agreement with a group that wanted to replace me. I was given the option to stay on the air until the deal went final today but I thought it was best to remove myself right away as both host and GM.

In hindsight, I’m sorry that I didn’t say goodbye to the show’s audience that had enjoyed what I put on for the past 3 years. I left right away because as the General Manager, I felt like my staff needed a clean break as soon as possible. My presence would have made things very awkward and I knew my staff would be freaking out enough at the news of my removal.

You should know that the people that I worked for at ESPN NH took good care of my family and me. We will be fine and in fact, I’ve basically been on a paid vacation since I left. Really not a bad gig if you ask me.

Some will use this news as a way to attack my family or me. That's fine.  I understand the world today and the industry I work in but I am very proud of what I did in New Hampshire. I drove the renaming, rebranding, and relaunch of the radio station. I added programming, new play-by-play agreements, and grew the station as the number 1 sales person, programmer, afternoon show host, and General Manager. My staff was awesome and went above and beyond daily to make the station a success. 

Radio is a competitive business but I know that I still love the medium the same as I did back in 1995 when this journey began.This is just another chance to make myself into a better host.

Below is a demo of my work … I do need a new gig now after all :). Feel free to share the video with anyone.

Thanks to the audience of ESPN NH for a really fun ride. I came home 3 years ago. Since then, I’ve met my wife, got married, and will welcome our first child into the world in July. It's been awesome and I don't regret leaving KXnO in Des Moines for home one bit. 

Hopefully, my daughter will get to hear her dad on the radio again very soon.