Northeast Kansas morning radio personality Dave Lewis signed off for the final time Friday. The KMAN host had been a fixture on the morning airwaves for the past 20 years.
Lewis worked his way up through the industry starting as a board operator at KCKS in Concordia, KS before heading to Abilene, KS to head the news department at KABI.
According to KMAN’s website, Lewis credits his broadcasting career to the influence of both his parents. Lewis says his mother was an avid radio listener.
During his time at KMAN, Lewis was honored by the Associated Press for his reporting on the historic Manhattan, KS flooding of 1993, and a local connection to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
Lewis left KMAN in 2005 to be with his wife while she battled breast cancer. His wife ultimately succumbed to cancer shortly after that. He rejoined KMAN exactly 10 years after his wife lost her battle. Upon his return, he served as the program director and morning show host.
In 2019, Lewis became just the third recipient of the hospitality partnership award recognized by Visit Manhattan and the City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“You’ve had a wonderful career in radio,” Greater Manhattan Community Foundation CEO, Vern Hendricks said. “I talk about changing lives and serving people and you do that on a daily basis from your show. It’s hard to know how many people you impact on the radio.”
Manhattan Broadcasting Company President, Rich Wartell called Lewis “an integral part of your community.”
