As professionals in media, we are all expected to be prepared for any breaking news. However, the team at 93 WIBC could never have prepared for losing their beloved traffic reporter, Matt Bair, last month at just 48-years-young.
“Matt was just such a unique individual. I mean, he was, he’s a really humble, kind, extremely talented guy that never, never believed he was as talented as he was and cared deeply about people and took his job really seriously,” the station’s Program Director, David Wood, said.
Matt Bair spent 17 years at WIBC, the last eight of which were on-air. Before making it to the mic, Matt had produced several shows for the station, including The Tony Katz Show, Hammer and Nigel, and the Chicks on the Right.
A 17-Year Career at WIBC
According to Wood, Matt Bair was a good producer, but he truly shined once he moved into the traffic slot.
“He didn’t just do the job,” Wood reminisced. “It became what he was passionate about. And, I mean, he was a true traffic reporter. He always treated it like his beat. He wrote stories for us. He did wraps for us. He managed the traffic social media account for us. And just everything he did was over and above expectations.”
Bair’s unexpected passing in August not only left an empty mic, but also a hole in the hearts of his co-workers and listeners. After announcing his passing, 93 WIBC dedicated a significant amount of airtime to not only remember Matt but also go through the emotions of a sudden loss.
Remembering Matt On the Air
“We had to share what was going on with the audience because Matt was an important member of the WIBC team. And we announced it that afternoon with [Jason] Hammer and Nigel [Laskowski], and Tony [Katz],” Wood said.
“You can make the argument, ‘boy, how long do you want to spend on this?’ Well, we spent all day on it. And you know what? We went back to it throughout the week,” he added, “Everybody had stories that they wanted to share about Matt.”
For Wood, it was not an argument about making good radio; instead, he focused on what our people needed — they needed to be able to talk about it and to share with the audience. “Then the audience obviously had a lot of stuff to share back, and it was some pretty emotional stuff,” Wood recalled of the coverage.
It was a bold move for the Program Director, especially in an industry that isn’t always known for taking care of its people. “Radio One did a phenomenal job through all of this,” Wood said, holding back tears. “Sorry, I get emotional about it. They had counseling there the very next morning. They just were really great.”
The “Supporting Sobriety” Podcast
In addition to his traffic reporting, Matt also had a podcast with WIBC Morning Show anchor Ryan Hedrick called Supporting Sobriety.
“When Ryan came to Anchor Mornings, he was very open about his recovery, and I was like, ‘I want to connect you with Matt.’ The two of them became fast friends, and then came to me with the idea of doing a podcast to help people in recovery,” Wood recalled.
“Matt was so open about his struggles and tried — I mean, it’s like, hey, no one’s perfect. And when there are relapses, those are pause buttons on recovery, not the end of recovery. That was what he would do. He’d begin again, and he really, really worked hard at it. Part of the reason for wanting to do the podcast was that, for both Ryan and Matt, it was the giving back that they felt like they needed to do.”
After some refinement, the pair came up with the mission to not only help people struggling with addiction but also their families. It’s another place where Bair was able to touch the lives of so many people. “We got a lot of feedback, emails, phone calls, and so forth, about how much [Matt] helped people [with the podcast]. Whether it was an addict that heard it and thought about how they had affected their family, or if it was a family that was looking for help to deal with a loved one with addiction, this gave them practical things that they could use.” They’re a finalist for a Marconi for podcast of the year. According to Wood, Ryan will continue the podcast and honor the legacy of his friend.
A Beloved Personality and Hard Worker
Matt Bair’s lasting legacy is more than just being a traffic reporter or podcaster. “He was a true personality. People remember just how funny he could be,” Wood went on to recall.
“We’ve done so many fun videos with him. And he just had such great comedic chops, but at the same time, so humble. And he was a big deal who didn’t seem to know he was a big deal. And I think that made him a bigger deal, because he was just so unaware of how loved he was.”
Bair’s legacy is more than just comedic genius paired with a humble demeanor; he was also a hard worker. “Matt was just always there. We started at about the same time. He started a few months before I did [and he was just] always there.”
His energy filled the studio with life on and off mic, and now the station and the Bair family are planning a celebration of Matt and his life for not only his colleagues, but also Matt’s listeners who loved him dearly.
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