KUIC Morning Show host John Young to leave station
(File photo by Matthew Keys/Solano NewsNet)
Editor’s note: On Friday, KUIC and Young reached an agreement to continue his employment at the station. An updated story is available by clicking or tapping here.
Local radio personality John Young is leaving KUIC-FM after more than two decades at the station.
His departure was announced in a press release sent to Solano NewsNet early Tuesday morning.
“It’s been an amazing run, much longer than I ever imagined, and I’m so grateful to the listeners who’ve supported me and allowed me to interject myself into their mornings for the last two decades,” Young said in a statement.
Young stated his radio broadcast career in 1997 at KHYL (101.1 FM) in Sacramento, working for what was then called the “Cool 101.1 Morning Show.” Two years later, he was recruited by KUIC to join its local morning show, which can be widely heard in Solano County and throughout the Sacramento Valley.
For more than 20 years, Young has commuted from his home in Placer County to KUIC’s studios in Vacaville. In a short interview on Tuesday, Young said his departure came amid a desire to serve the community where he lives.
Young also said he wanted to direct his own media fate rather than being asked to leave the station, though there’s no indication things were headed in that direction.
Phil D’Angelo, the senior market manager for KUIC parent company Alpha Media’s Far East Bay region, congratulated Young for his career with the station and said he wished the radio host “nothing but the best of luck going forward in his new endeavor outside our industry.”
“Not only has he done such a fantastic job on-air and on-line, he has also been a great ambassador for KUIC in the hallways and in the community,” D'Angelo said in a statement sent to Solano NewsNet. “John is a friend and will be missed.”
D'Angelo said Young's last day with the station will be October 8. The station has started the recruitment process to look for his replacement.
"Our goal is to continue with a live and local morning show with a continued commitment to our hometown communities," D'Angelo affirmed.
Listeners can still hear Young on the “Planet LP Podcast,” where he and radio colleague Ted Asregadoo take a deep look into rock and soul albums. The podcast is available on a wide variety of streaming audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Young, who is also a licensed therapist, said he will also continue to offer online courses focused on social work through University of Massachusetts Global, an accredited, not-for-profit institution.
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