Skip Essick Goin’ Fishin’
• Legendary longtime broadcaster Skip Essick announced his retirement, effective June 30, closing out a successful half-century career as a programmer and General Manager. After a lifetime of climbing the broadcasting ladder from DJ to GM, Essick is currently working for One Putt Broadcasting Fresno as News Director of Oldies 1430 KYNO, Classic Hits KJWL (K-Jewel 105.5) and Classic Rock KJFX (95.7 The Fox).
After getting his foot in the radio door at WCIT/Lima, OH back in the day, Essick landed his first fulltime on-air gig in 1971 at WGRD/Grand Rapids, MI. After a nine-year run there, he accepted his inaugural PD post at WSPD/Toledo, OH. In 1982 Essick returned to Grand Rapids, this time to program WOOD-AM & FM. From 1989-1995 Essick programmed WHAS/Louisville, followed by a year at the helm of the venerable WJR/Detroit.
In 1996 Essick made the big move from programming into management, serving as VP/Market Manager of Clear Channel West Michigan, overseeing 17 stations in the Grand Rapids, Battle Creek and Muskegon markets. After 11 years in that post, Essick headed west to Fresno in 2007, spending the next seven years as Program Director of heritage News-Talk KMJ. From 2014-2016 Essick served as Managing Partner of Compass Broadcasting Fresno, and in 2016, nearly 50 years after he started, One Putt Broadcasting partners John Ostlund and Chris Pacheco hired Essick as News Director. “Nobody says more in fewer words,” Ostlund said of Essick, adding, “We’ll fill the slot, but never replace the man.”
Read more about Essick’s radio adventures by reading his blog, This Is Skip Essick, Signing Off.
