Starting in October WYPR won't be the same. Dan Rodricks, host of the popular show Midday, has given his notice of resignation to WYPR. His last show will be Oct. 2. Rodricks still intends to be behind a microphone, though.
The plan is to develop a podcast for the Baltimore Sun starting with three one-hour podcasts per week. According to Rodricks, the show would be styled very much like Midday in choice of topics and guests, but with more "attitude."
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| Dan in his spot in studio 1 at WYPR |
Rodricks, through his Sun column and through his radio show, is a fixture of information and opinion in Baltimore and across Maryland. Midday is a two hour daily radio talk show and successor of the Marc Steiner show which at the same hour had provided a venue for local information before. The exact circumstances of Steiner's sudden departure were never made public. Steiner now hosts a show at Morgan's public radio station.
During the last two years I have become a regular contributor at Midday on matters of urban design and transportation. I have found Dan to be very talented behind the microphone. With a quiet and calm professional attitude and a pleasant voice he seemed to be born for radio. He was always well informed and still left his guests plenty of space. He treated everybody with respect but kept belligerous or disrespectful callers at bay. He always seemed to love his topic, no matter what is was given the very diverse range that is testimony to his broad set of interest and knowledge.
Although the reasons for his departure are not public at this point, Rodricks did indicate at times that he felt he did not have access to the kind of resources he would have liked, for example for on-site radio shows or stronger staff support in preparing his shows which appeared to become an issue after his producer Nikki Gamer left the station.
Although the reasons for his departure are not public at this point, Rodricks did indicate at times that he felt he did not have access to the kind of resources he would have liked, for example for on-site radio shows or stronger staff support in preparing his shows which appeared to become an issue after his producer Nikki Gamer left the station.
His daily presence on the air will be sorely missed. As one listener wrote to him:
I was very sad to read today that you will be leaving Midday on WYPR. I am a relatively new resident of Baltimore, having moved here about a year ago, and your program has been a cornerstone of my acclimation. Your daily voice will be missed.
Let's hope for Baltimore and the region that Dan's voice will remain on the air. One way or another.
He had plenty of support. He was not an easy employee to work with.
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