Last week marked four years since Vineeta Sawkar was announced as the new morning host on 830 WCCO, a moment that still feels surreal to her.
The Audacy Minneapolis news/talk station handed her the microphone after more than three decades with Dave Lee, a transition that carried weight well beyond a simple lineup change.
“First of all, I cannot believe it’s been four years,” Sawkar said. “Four years just flew by when I think back to that time when I was offered this opportunity to take over at this legendary station from a legend, Dave Lee. He was a wonderful human being, the cornerstone of this radio station. To take over for him, it was exciting and overwhelming.”
That sense of reverence has never faded, even as Sawkar has grown into the role. She remains careful about the language she uses to describe the shift.
“You can’t ever really replace a legend, and even four years later, I don’t ever say that I replaced Dave Lee,” she said. “It is me taking over this mic and doing my thing. That’s what I’ve tried to do these last four years.” What began as a daunting leap has become a daily challenge she still embraces, driven by the energy that comes with morning radio and the unpredictability of live broadcasting.
Sawkar arrived at 830 WCCO with a career rooted largely in television, which made the transition jarring at first.
“My career has been television for most of my life,” she said. “To take on radio, it’s very different, and I’ve enjoyed it. Every day it’s something new, and that’s what I love about this business.”
That learning curve stretched beyond technical differences and into the rhythm of a three-hour daily conversation with Minnesota. Early on, she admits there were moments of doubt.
“I remember when I first started, and I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” she said. “I just wanted to be six months down the road where I really felt good.”
The feeling as if she had found the voice of her morning show didn’t come overnight, however.
“I suppose it took me a year or two to really feel like, ‘Wow, I have ownership of this show,” Sawkar said. “There’s so much to learn in a three-hour show. You have to understand the listeners and the ebbs and flows. I’m constantly learning.”
That evolution has been shaped by her partnership with her producer, Jimmy Erickson, who has spent more than 30 years at the station.
“Jimmy knows the business, knows me, and understands how I can succeed,” said Sawkar. “It’s not Dave Lee’s show anymore. It is mine. It has my stamp and my personality, and I love it.”
That personality shows up in the balance Vineeta Sawkar tries to strike each morning.
“I love the newsy aspects, the sports aspects, and the positive aspects as well,” she said. “I just try to bring some of that to the show every day.”
Listener interaction has become a defining feature. Texts and calls often guide the direction of a segment.
“It really is listener-based,” she said. “We bring in a lot of perspectives from listeners, and sometimes that shapes the ebbs and flows of the show. That’s what I enjoy about it.”
In the four years since she took over the show, Vineeta Sawkar says there wasn’t a singular seminal moment where everything clicked for her, laughing off the idea of an “aha” experience.
“I don’t know if I’ve had that,” she said with a chuckle. “There are days where you think, ‘Wow, this is a really good show.’ There are other days where you think, ‘I could do a lot better’ … I learn from the ones that don’t feel as good,” she said. “There’s always tomorrow with radio.”
The audience reaction has been another lesson in patience. Change, especially in morning radio, is rarely easy. But the 830 WCCO morning host said she’s been lovingly embraced by the legions of listeners.
“You come into people’s homes when they’re waking up and having coffee,” Sawkar said. “It had to be hard to suddenly hear a different voice. When we’re at the Minnesota State Fair and doing live broadcasts, people come up to me and say, ‘You’re not Dave Lee, but you are you, and I like listening to you,’” she said. “That is so uplifting to me.”
Vineeta Sawkar said she’s never set out to mimic her predecessor. And that’s made all the difference.
“I don’t try to be anyone else, and I will never be Dave Lee,” she said. “He is the standard of a legend. I’m just me.”
She compares it to a neighborhood adjusting to change.
“You miss the old neighbor, but you want to get to know the new one,” she said. “I appreciate the listeners who were willing to give me a chance, and they’ve stayed. Maybe some new listeners have joined, too.”
830 WCCO is a heritage brand. It is synonymous with the happenings in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The responsibility of that role weighs on her, particularly during breaking news.
“We are the station of record,” Sawkar said confidently. “When anything happens in this community or this state, people turn to WCCO Radio. I do not take that lightly … There are so many legendary voices besides Dave Lee,” she said. “Every time I step to that mic, I take it very seriously. It’s an honor.”
Four years in, the early alarm clock still stings, but the motivation to produce high-quality, listener-focused radio remains.
“I don’t love the alarm,” Sawkar admitted. “But once I get here, it is so much fun. You never know what’s going to happen. Every day, I feel grateful for this chance to host a show on this legendary station,” she concluded. “I get excited about the future and where we can take it next.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
