A familiar voice to central Minnesota radio listeners is stepping away from the mic after more than 51 years. Bill Dean is set to sign off of KWLM-AM for the last time at the end of April after five decades on Lakeland Broadcasting‘s stations in Willmar.
While stepping back from his broader radio duties, Dean will maintain his connection with listeners through play-by-play commentary for Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa basketball on sister station 106.5 The Train (KLFN).
Dean started with Lakeland at the age of 19, rising to the position of sports director at KWLM in 1982. Beyond sports, Dean has donned various hats at the station, including hosting KWLM’s Morning Brew.
During his announcement on Tuesday, Dean said, “It’s certainly been a lot of fun and personally I could go on, but there’s other things to do too and I guess it’s probably time.”
