Posted by 4DFM on March 12, 2010 at 19:52:09:
Blake Patton To Retire From WJJO
[as posted on fmqb.com March 12, 2010]
After more than 30 years in the industry, WJJO/Madison MD and midday legend Blake Patton will be retiring in May. PD Randy Hawke stated, "Blake is one of the founders of the Active Rock format. WJJO is his creation. His passion and character has been the driving force of this station. It is with heavy hearts that all of us at JJO bid him a fond farewell. Rest assured my friend, this station is your legacy and we do not take lightly the job of you passing it off to all of us. We will carry on. We owe it to you."
Hawke jokingly added, "I still have not figured out how he made it in radio for over 30 years and never learned how to daypart a song in selector."
Patton has penned an open letter to the industry, which reads as follows:
Dear Industry Brothers and Sisters,
The time has come for me to take my headphones and retreat to my studio at home. May 14, 2010 will be my last day on-air at WJJO. I'm retiring from full time radio. I've had a glorious ride over the last 35 years. I've done start-ups, turnarounds, overnights, mornings, nights and everything in between. I could write a book... and maybe I will... but the time to leave full time is now. Here's where I need your help. I have a very nice voice studio that I need to utilize more. I need your help with contacts and auditions. I'm certainly not asking for anything outright simply because we have known each other for so long or because I feel I am owed anything by anyone. What I would like to do is get your help in getting auditions for just about anything concerning voice work. My passion is with narration, training videos, commercials and even voice-mail. I don't do imitations or characters. If you think my voice would work as a station voice for someone you know I'm going to ask for the opportunity to contact them and audition for that as well. Soon I will call on many of you for help and send you my demos and more information.
But, for now, I just wanted to let you know that a change is a comin'. We need to work out details for music calls too but the glory of this being my decision is that we have some time and no one has to be afraid of offending anyone or doing the usual uncomfortable dance when someone leaves our circle. I appreciate our relationship over the years so very much. I will truly miss our day to day interaction.
My gratitude is profound.
Sincerely,
Blake D. Patton