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Craig Carton Gets The Headlines, But Norm Hitzges Deserves The Big Celebration

Nearly every headline in the radio industry Thursday was centered around the announcement that WFAN host Craig Carton is departing the station to focus solely on his TV show on FS1. Rightfully so. Craig is a mega-talent, is polarizing, and works in the nation’s top market. But Norm Hitzges deserves as much admiration, and unfortunately due to the timing of his announcement, didn’t get as much as he deserved.

Radio has been alive in Dallas for 102 years, and Norm Hitzges has been on the air for nearly half of them. For 48 years, Norm has been a sports radio constant in the Metroplex, and has long been a favorite of listeners.

I’m sure he’d probably tell you differently, but in 48 years, it doesn’t appear that Hitzges has had any of those “What the hell were you thinking by saying that, Norm?!” moments. There’s not a “controversies” section on his Wikipedia page. If you search the bowels of the internet, you can find a 1990 letter to the editor in the Los Angeles Times where a San Diegan was irritated by his work on ESPN’s MLB coverage. You can find some things on The Ticket’s subreddit that are critical, but nearly all of them are “you can tell he’s a nice guy”, and aren’t nearly filled with the vitriol that accompanies much faceless criticism.

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The Ticket has remained a ratings monster, despite not having the play-by-play rights of the Cowboys, Rangers, or Mavericks. Despite less power in their signal and a less centrally-located stick, in May, the station was the top-rated station in the market. Not the top-rated sports station. The top-rated station. There’s only one way to do that: assembling an all-star lineup, and Norm Hitzges is a cog in that wheel.

I was a little saddened to hear that Norm’s final show would be this coming Friday. The man is a radio legend, and while I would argue that maybe no one should get another yearslong, Angelo Cataldi-like sendoff, Norm Hitzges deserves more than a week.

But I take solace in the notion that it — at least on the surface — appears that it was solely his choice to step aside now and do so with a week’s notice.

I used to be intensely against the notion that some folks — athletes, mostly — should be able to decide when their careers are over. The idea that Derek Jeter or Kobe Bryant could hang on to their careers for too long, to the detriment of their franchises and fan bases, always bothered me. But the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve softened on the stance, and the more I realize that someone like Norm Hitzges should get to ride off into the sunset at their own choosing.

I just wish that Norm got a little bit more of the spotlight on his way out the door. He is the exact opposite of a sports radio hot taker, and something that, in my opinion, more sports radio hosts should aspire to be. Opinionated, but never cruel. Entertaining, but never offensive. Informative, but not a geek.

Unsurprisingly, that doesn’t seem to fit a character so adept at avoiding the headlines, other than for his good works.

A tip of the cap, Norm. You have certainly earned it.

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Garrett Searight
Garrett Searighthttps://barrettmedia.com
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media's News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.

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