After nearly 50 years at the station, 1110 KFAB morning host Gary Sadlemyer has announced he is stepping away from the iHeartMedia Omaha news/talk station.
On Wednesday morning, Sadlemyer announces his intention to retire on Friday, December 12th, one day shy of his 49th anniversary of working at the station, and 53 years in radio overall.
“People have been asking me for — no exaggeration — 10 or more years, ‘How long are you going to keep doing this?'” Sadlemyer said. “I’ve been thinking about the general idea of retiring or stepping back for a long time. Our dear departed friend Jack Payne, one of the greatest ever at KFAB, I talked to him several years ago, and it was kind of on my mind. He said, ‘Make sure you’re ready.’ I finally came to the realization over the course of this past year that I think I am. You notice the choice of words, I ‘think’ I am. It took a while.
Gary Sadlemyer added that with the passing of his wife eight years ago, a larger burden on operating his household and his life has made him more interested in retirement, and spending more time with his grandchildren.
“I have a daughter who has three little kids. I have a son who has three little kids. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a call, ‘Dad, let’s do this,’ and I say ‘I can’t. I’m sorry.’ Well, I don’t like that,” he said. “They’re still little, but I want to have more time with them.”
Current late morning host Scott Voorhees is going to move from the 9-11 AM timeslot into morning drive as the replacement for Sadlemyer.
“I’m so thrilled about (Voorhees being named my replacement),” Sadlemyer said. “He’s great, he’s wonderful.”
“I’m excited to join the morning team to continue to make KFAB Omaha’s well-informed, trusted friend with whom you laugh, cry, and get through the day together –the ideals that Gary embodies better than anyone,” Voorhees added in a statement.
Gary Sadlemyer is a member of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, where he was enshrined in 2011.
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