The HANK-FM Indianapolis afternoon host is calling it quits after over 40 years on the air. HANK-FM PD Fritz Moser tells Radio Ink there is no replacement for a guy like JD. “He’s one of the few people you meet in life and you’re an instant friend. I’m blessed to have worked with him and am thrilled he’ll be sticking around part-time for weekend shows and appearances. While he isn’t hanging up the headphones for good, it will be quite a change not hearing his voice on the way home from work.” Cannon’s last show will be April 28. We spoke to him at length about his successful career and why he’s retiring.
Radio Ink: How long have you worked in radio and at what radio stations?
J.D. Cannon: May 13th will mark my 44th anniversary in radio. I began at WMAD AM-FM Madison, Wisconsin, and spent four years there. Left radio briefly and came back in Nov 1977 to WFMS in Indianapolis. Left the following September for a six-month run at KSO Des Moines. Back to WFMS in February of 1979 and stayed there till April 11, 2011. After sitting out a six-month non-compete, began work with Emmis Communications WLHK Indianapolis and have lived here happily ever after.
Radio Ink: Give us an example or two of your most proud moments in radio?
J.D. Cannon: My most proud moments in radio are my 15 years of hosting “The Giving Tree,” our annual Christmas charity for the needy of Central Indiana. We worked with the Salvation Army and the Target stores of Central Indiana. Live broadcasts daily for two weeks but was it ever fun. Never ever forget some of those emotional moments. Another proud moment was being inducted into the Country DJ Hall of Fame, my mom and dad were still alive and able to attend. Very proud moment!
CANNON WRITES LETTER TO LISTENERS ABOUT HIS RETIREMENT
Radio Ink: What advice could you give to any young broadcasters hoping to have a long and successful career like yours?
J.D. Cannon: To any young broadcaster I would say, be yourself, work hard, and shake as many hands as you can and be nice to people. Listeners remember meeting you and how you treated them more than what you do on the air. Things are tougher for beginners today than they were 44 years ago, just for the fact the radio job market has shrunk. I remain hopefully optomistic about the future of radio. Live radio that is.
Radio Ink: Was radio as fun in recent years as it was when you first started?
J.D. Cannon: Can’t truthfully say that radio is as fun today as it was, say, even a decade ago. Playing vinyl and working with carts, you felt like you were constructing a show and you were! Digital is nice and sounds great but kind of makes it sterile at the same time. It was work, you had to really be on the ball. Sometimes I miss those times, but then again sometimes I really don’t either! It is nice not to have stay in studio till 8 p.m. but still be on the air.
Radio Ink: Why are you retiring?
J.D. Cannon: I’m retiring because I’m old and tired. Well, kind of, anyway. After 44 years it’s time to spend more time at home. Those concerts at 11 p.m. on Friday nights were killing me. Sixteen shows last summer at the outdoor here ate up a lot of weekends. Just need some time to back away. Bob and Fritz have been so kind in letting me hang around part-time, so it’s not a cold-turkey break. Great people to work for!
Radio Ink: What are you going to miss the most ?
J.D. Cannon: What I am going to miss is the listeners. They have been so kind to me through the years. Following from station to station, supporting events, remotes, fundraisers, and keeping me properly fed at the Indiana State Fair. I’ll also miss hearing the new talent first and the daily contact with some great friends here at Hank FM. Radio has been a good life. I said when I first started that I would find a “real” job by the time I was 30. Well thank goodness I never did.
Radio Ink: What are you NOT going to miss?
J.D. Cannon: I’m not going to miss those 11 p.m. Friday night shows and driving to work downtown in the winter.
Reach out to J.D Cannon and congratulate him on a fabulous career in radio [email protected]
