Thursday, May 31, 2018

Indy Radio: WYXB's Bernie Eagan Sets Retirement

Bernie Eagan
After 37 years on the radio in Indianapolis, Bernie Eagan is hanging up his headphones and retiring, according to a posting at the WIBC 93.1 FM website.

He first started at Emmis Communications in 1981 on Lite Rock 97.1 WENS, which is now Country 97.1 HANK FM.  Bernie’s first day on the air was July 11, 1981, which was one full week after WENS had debuted as an Adult Contemporary format on July 4.  In 2002, he became the morning radio personality on Soft Rock B105.7 and later moved to afternoons.

Eagan’s last day on-air at Soft Rock WYXB B105.7 FM is Friday, July 20.

“It’s not even so much I have a plan for the future, [I] know it’s time,” Eagan says on his decision to retire.

However, if listened to Bernie over the past four decades, you may have never known that he is blind.

 “It doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t add to the show, it doesn’t take away from the show.  If it made a difference, they probably wouldn’t have hired me,” says Eagan who says he keeps the focus on the music, station events, upcoming concerts and things in which his listeners can relate.


Because Eagan has rarely mentioned during his radio show that he is blind, he says his listeners are surprised to find out when they meet him.

His wife Teresa drives him to and from work and helps him to the studio to start his show.  Once she sets up the computer for him, he’s ready to begin working on his show.

“A lot of times she’ll help me with transcribing things.  She’ll read them, I’ll write them down.  When you’re blind, there’s no question there are certain things that somebody has to help you with and she is just great,” says Bernie.

“She’s [also] a much better driver than I am,” says Bernie jokingly about Teresa, whom he married in 1995.

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