Condolences: Evan Haning
• Evan Haning, whose 50-year radio career included nearly a decade as an anchor and reporter at WTOP/Washington until 2011, has died at the age of 74 after a long battle with cancer. “He loved working in radio,” Haning’s daughter Amber said of her dad. “WTOP was his favorite job he ever had — he talked about it all the time.”
Born in 1950 in Sydney, IA, Haning’s radio career began in 1970, shortly after graduating from high school in Simi Valley, CA. Haning was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles for the “Boss Radio” boom, and 1973, he joined KRLA/Los Angeles as a disc jockey. He arrived in Washington, DC in 1983 when he joined WJOK, the first all-comedy radio format in the country.
By the mid-’80s, Haning became the Production Director at Talk WWRC/Washington, and from 2015-2018 he hosted the First Light news program, syndicated by Westwood One.
When Haning joined WTOP in the early 2000s, he quickly made the transition from talk to the news format. As a general assignment reporter, Haning covered the news of the day in the field and also anchored newscasts in the studio. “Evan was the consummate radio guy,” said former WTOP News Director Michelle Komes-Dolge. “He was so smart, well-read on every topic, quick on his feet, and with a soothing voice that earned the listener’s respect. He was so thoughtful about his reporting, making sure he hit all the nuances, so his audience understood the story,” Komes-Dolge said. “And yet, personally, just the sweetest and most thoughtful guy ever.”
Haning is survived by his wife Melissa, daughter Amber, son Garrison, and two grandchildren, Matilda and Seneca. A memorial service will be held on December 2, at 11am at St. Rose of Lima Church, in Gaithersburg, MD. More details about Haning’s career can be found at WTOP.com.
