Radio News Anchor Dirk Van Retires

Dirk Van

Westwood One announced July 22, 2015 that after 35 years, longtime First Light host and Westwood One News anchor Dirk Van would retire from the network onThursday, July 30.

Van leaves with a legacy of accomplishments and awards, including 26 years as the original and only host of the long-running early weekday morning First Light program.  He also hosts The Week in Review news program and has anchored morning drive newscasts throughout his successful career.  First Light, airing Monday to Friday, 5:00 am. - 6:00 am ET, is the news-talk show providing in-depth coverage of the top stories of the day with on-scene reports, actualities, and analysis, as well as interviews with top celebrities and newsmakers.

Van said, “Radio is all about people, and I’ve had the great fortune to work with the best in the business, following in the footsteps of my father, Lyle Van---a radio legend at NBC and WOR—and others greats like Lou Adler, Nick Verbitsky, Tom O’Brien, Ron Nessen, and Bart Tessler.  Hosting our morning magazine, ‘First Light,’ has been an amazing experience and has allowed me to work with talented broadcasters for more than a quarter century.  Talking to listeners on a daily basis has kept me grounded, and hopefully provided a window into what America is thinking. And to think—we started way back when talk radio was ‘new.’  Helping to create an exciting, new product, Westwood One News, has been especially rewarding, and being a part of its success is a great way to cap a career.  And talk about ‘sailing off into the sunset’---that’s exactly what I plan to do, with my beautiful wife, Paula, who has put up with those agonizing broadcasters’ hours all these years.  To all my friends at Westwood One, thank you!”

Van traded a career in physical anthropology for broadcast journalism in 1978 when he became news director of WGCH, Greenwich, CT. He graduated to the "Big Apple" as a reporter for WCBS and then news director of WHN, which was acquired by Westwood One.  Throughout his news career, Van has been honored with numerous awards, including the International Radio Festival’s “Personality of the Year” award, an Edward R Murrow award, and an Ohio State award.

Westwood One News afternoon drive anchor Evan Haning will be succeeding Van as host of First Light and as the morning drive anchor for Westwood One News as of August 11, 2015.  Haning has been on the air in Washington, DC for more than 30 years.  For nearly a decade, he was a reporter and anchor for WTOP, one of the leading all news stations in the country.  More recently, he anchored afternoon drive for CBS's WNEW-FM and has also worked at WRC-AM.  Haning also previously was the regular guest host for First Light.