Arnold Over & Out At WEEI/Boston

• It’s the end of an era — and the start of a new one — at Entercom Sports-Talk WEEI/Boston, as Dale Arnold, a fixture on the station since its 1991 launch did his final broadcast as co-host of the Dale & Keefe midday show on Friday. Arnold made the official announcement of his impending retirement at the end of Thursday’s show. As chronicled by Boston.com, Arnold said, “I am going to retire from the radio business… I am not going to be coming back after tomorrow’s show.” He added, “The reason I am doing it this way, telling you today that tomorrow is it, is because I did not want some long, drawn-out Mike Francesa farewell tour.”

Arnold said his decision had been in the works for several weeks. “Some of you know this and some of you don’t,” he said. “My wife had to retire from her employment in September, she’s had some medical issues. And you start thinking about things… You start thinking about, you know, ‘I’d like to spend some more time with her. I’d like to have one full-time job instead of two. I’d like to have summer months to go back to my home state of Maine and enjoy myself more.'” Arnold estimated he has done 29,000 hours of sports-talk radio in his 33-year career in the Boston market. “And I’ve had enough,” he said.

Arnold hold the distinction of being the only person to have called play-by-play for all five of Boston’s pro sports teams — the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Revolution. He will continue in his studio host’s role on NESN’s Bruins broadcasts.

• In a statement, Entercom Regional President Mark Hannon said of Arnold, “No one has the expansive experience covering this town’s sports landscape than Dale Arnold. A consistent presence in middays on WEEI and in the broadcast booth for several teams including the Red Sox and Bruins, Dale has informed and entertained Boston sports fans for three decades. He embodies the spirit of WEEI and his presence on-the-air will be greatly missed. We wish him nothing but the best as he moves into the next stage of his career.”

> Arnold will be succeeded by market vet Andy Gresh… details to follow.