‘The Johnny Dare Show’s’ Closing Love Letter To A City

Radio industry layoffs. We don’t seem as surprised anymore, and that’s not good. Last week’s latest radio reduction-in-force was hosted by Audacy, America’s second largest radio station company. The news generated criticism from analysts and pundits for the next 72 hours and then faded as other stories grabbed our Goldfish-like attention span. 

Dozens of the estimated 200-300 employees on the job-loss list used social media to share the moment and express gratitude to their company, co-workers, bosses, and the audience. That’s a social media benefit in 2025. Twenty years ago, no one outside of your family and friends would know what happened to you until you crossed the street to another radio station.

As I read through the names of people willing to share their dismissal with popular media publications like this one, I had these reactions: “Oh, wow. He was there a long time. Great run.” Or, “No way. That’s a big loss.” Here’s one of my favorite reactions in the multi-job era, “How is this a savings? Those guys were hosting a morning show in one market, an afternoon show in another market and serving as an APD!”

One show caught my eye Friday morning as I read through the updated and curated list of cuts. “The Johnny Dare Show” on Rock 98.9, KQRC Kansas City. This one got the, “Oh, wow. He was there a long time,” response. Yeah, 32 years as the morning show host on the same radio station. That’s four careers in dog-years…or in government-job-years these days.

The last line of the two sentences about the Johnny Dare Show grabbed my attention. The show will get to host one final show tomorrow morning. No other show or talent on the list was allowed to say goodbye as far as I could tell. 

Reading the updated list on Friday morning during my second cup of French Roast, I realized the show had 90 minutes remaining. So, I pulled up the Audacy app and found KQRC. I know the Johnny Dare Show from hearing shared bits and audio through the years, but I never listened to it in its live form.

Based on that experience, I’m sure “The Johnny Dare Show” would be a daily experience if I lived in the Kansas City market and commuted during the morning drive hours. It’s one of those shows where I would get a loud rock song to energize the mind-numbing commute and ask myself, “What are these guys talking about today?”

Yes, I was listening to the final 90 minutes of a heritage show’s existence, so it was the best of the Best Of. However, there was something else that captivated me during Friday’s listening experience besides the oh wow tune from Jackyl. They shared stories and characters I knew nothing about and connected me to an experience. I believed them.

Would the Friday show have been as emotional had they not found out about their downsizing at 9:30 last Thursday morning? Not for the same reasons, but I’m certain there would’ve been something to make me laugh, smile or emotionally agree and disagree. 

Here are three takeaways from my experience with “The Johnny Dare Show:”

1. Act like you’ll win but play the game like you’re behind. 

There’s a common message among the tenured talent who shared their goodbyes. They couldn’t believe the job lasted, 15, 20, or 32 years. And while that’s true in this transient business, I think most people had the internal confidence that they would be in these great jobs as long as they wanted. Believe in yourself because spreadsheets don’t.

• On-Air Goodbyes are rare, but the experience provides clarity and closure. 

“The Johnny Dare Show” got an FCC fine, and they let him have a final show after he was RIF’ed. Do we really think the heritage AC morning show will say something wrong during their goodbye show? 

The goodbye show brings closure and transparency to an audience. You’re asking, “Ron, won’t the farewell show and the downsizing announcement to the audience hurt the radio station’s image?” What’s worse, telling your fans why you’re leaving or evaporating one day?” 

There’s another angle with the goodbye shows: marketing. Kansas City TV news mentioned the cuts and the social media jumped on the farewell  Johnny Dare Show. 

• Understand our purpose in the process. One of Johnny’s final lines caused me to write it down. “This is a closing love letter to a city.” I think he understood the magnitude of those 32 years of entertaining his audience with fun, goodwill, sarcasm, irreverence, charity… and an FCC fine. 

After the closing montage of audio and bits from the show, the VO talent said, “This was the Johnny Dare morning show.” Someone was paying attention to details.