Legendary Southern Indiana Broadcaster Hangs Up Headphones After 60 Years in Radio
Most of us will never know what it's like to have a career spanning six decades. Uncle Dave is one of the lucky ones who has been doing what he loves for sixty years. Radio broadcasting hasn't just been a job for Dave Kunkel, it has been his life. The Gibson County community gathered to celebrate Dave's retirement, and share fun stories. Princeton Mayor Wight also presented Dave with the key to the city.
Home Studio
"Before I had a real job at a real radio station, I built a radio station in my room at home out on Route 3 West of Princeton and used to play radio DJ on an Allied Radio broadcaster transmitter serving neighbors up to a half a mile away. This photo is from 1959."
Sixty Years Later - WRAY-WFIE-WVMC/WSAB-WYER-WAOV and back to WRAY
Uncle Dave caught the radio DJ fever when he was in high school. He started working part-time announcing ball games. That would be fun to go back and listen to!
Back in the Day Party DJ
I learned the art of a live DJ party from Uncle Dave. Back then, we had to haul about 800 pounds of equipment, including CDs and multiple players. Now, part DJs have everything on a laptop.
Thank you Uncle Dave
Listeners often ask me what school I went to, and how I got into radio broadcasting. My simple answer is - The School of Uncle Dave. It's true, I applied to simply read news stories, with no prior experience. Dave took me under his wing, and trained me to run the radio board, and basically how to do a live broadcast. In November of 1998, I made my official debut, filling in for Uncle Dave on The Going Home Show.
What's Next?
What do you do after you retire? I'm guessing these things will be at the top of Dave's list:
- Trains - Dave actually used to have a train hobby shop in the Princeton square
- Sullivan Grocery Store - I'm sure we will get the weekly updates from Union
- Gibson County Fair - I'm pretty sure the fair cannot exist without Uncle Dave
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