Dan Ryan's Home for Community Radio
Dan shares what he loves about being a DJ.
Dan Ryan first came to the Media Factory as a guest on Just A Couple of Old Guys TV show. An avid music listener, he became a substitute radio deejay for his friends, and soon began hosting his own shows. Yes SHOWS.
“I’ve been doing this for two years, and the staff here are very supportive. They help you out, whenever you have a problem… I’m not being paid for this, but I’m rewarded every day when I have my show,” Dan shared.
For Dan, radio is a passion and a therapy. As a person with Parkinson’s Disease, Dan has found hosting a show to be good practice for using fine motor skills and speaking loudly, which can be a challenge.
Dan says, “Part of Parkinson’s is that you not only have a tremor, which I have, which makes it a little bit challenging to work the board here, oftentimes your voice is affected, so I have to be mindful of speaking loud enough when I’m on the air.”
Dan spoke with Champlain College Broadcast Television students Akilah Doty and Nicholas Kokonis about his experience as a radio programmer. You can watch the video here:
Known on the air as DJ Diamond Dog Dan, he hosts two shows weekly, and has become a welcome face around the Media Factory. Dan is generous with his time and knowledge, inviting visitors into the radio booth, and volunteering to support new DJs who shadow his show.
“It's always such a pleasure to find Dan in the radio booth and to see him effortlessly slide into "teacher mode" when school groups visit the Media Factory for a tour. He is a valued member of our community and plays some pretty great tunes, too!” says Media Factory Co-Director Jess Wilson.
Thanks to Dan, many other radio programmers have found a home here at the Media Factory. And we want to be a place for learning, creating, and engaging for many years to come.
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You can listen to Choice Cuts Tuesdays from 2PM-4PM and Vinyl Jeopardy Thursdays from 11AM-1PM on 99.3FM WBTV-LP and online at 993wbtv.org.