Boston Radio: After 'Rough Year' Matty Siegel Signs-Off

Matty Siegel Retires

Matt Siegel, host of the longtime “Matty in the Morning” show on WXKS 107.9 FM KISS 108 FM, told listeners Tuesday that he’s retiring, ending a four-decade run during which he amassed an enormous following but also, of late, stirred controversy with impolitic remarks on gender issues, reports The Boston Globe.

“As of now, I am retired,” Siegel said in a prerecorded message to listeners that aired shortly after 8 a.m. “I’m leaving KISS 108 and starting my new life as a mediocre golfer. OK, that’s being kind, let me rephrase — I’m starting my new retired life as a lousy golfer. But we decided it was time.”

The abrupt farewell followed two weeks of speculation about Siegel’s future, fueled by his unexplained absence from the morning show he’d hosted since 1981. In his statement, Siegel, who’s 72, cited recent health challenges and a diminished enthusiasm for the job and all that it entails.

“This past year has been a little rough for me,” Siegel said. “I had brain surgery. I had a broken foot. I started getting a little grumpy on the radio, which I hate because all I want to do is make people laugh. That’s my job, just to make people laugh. And I got off target, I guess you would say.”

He said his wife and four children helped steer him toward retirement.

Siegel thanked his colleagues, past and present, as well as his legions of loyal listeners. “Matty in the Morning” has enjoyed consistently high ratings, establishing Siegel as a bona fide legend of Boston radio. A two-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Award for Personality of the Year, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Whether on their way to work or dropping the kids off at school, listeners tuned in faithfully not for the Top 40 format, but to hear Siegel’s amusing banter, a mix of sly humor, snark, and occasional sweetness. “Matty in the Morning” routinely ranked No. 1 among women in the 18-to-49 demographic

“Not in a million years would I have ever thought I would have the following that I have with my silly jokes and my silly interviews,” he said in his message to listeners. “I love you guys.”

In an interview with The Boston Globe after Tuesday’s announcement, Siegel reiterated that he’s retiring because the job “got to be not that fun anymore.” He said the last few years, in particular, have been difficult, personally and professionally.