Scott DeLucia, the longtime host of WTAW’s “The Infomaniacs,” announced his retirement Tuesday morning during his show.
His final broadcast will air June 5, ending a nearly 60-year radio career spent almost entirely in the Brazos Valley.DeLucia, 75, made the announcement live on air, consistent with how he has conducted his career.
He started in radio at age 17 and spent the vast majority of his professional life with Bryan Broadcasting, aside from a short stint in television.
For DeLucia, the appeal of local radio has always centered on community connection. “I think it’s all about local,” he said. “This is a locally owned radio station, the owner is right down the hall from me, and that’s good because those owners pay the same taxes, go through the same situations that we do.”
“In media, you have to edit quite often,” he said. “We tried very hard not to.”
Bryan Broadcasting owner and CEO Bill Hicks, who has known DeLucia most of his life, called him more of a friend and associate than an employee.
“He became the centerpiece of our local news and information focus,” Hicks said, “and he’s been doing it for 37 years almost seamlessly.”
Hicks noted that DeLucia helped shape the station after it shifted to a news-talk format in 1990. He also jokingly highlighted one longtime trait: “He’s always late. He’s late to every show, he’s late to every meeting, he’s going to be late to his own funeral.”
At 75, DeLucia said the timing feels right. He and his wife plan to travel and enjoy a slower pace, starting with no more 4:20 a.m. wake-ups.