Steve Dahl Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

Steve Dahl

Over the weekend, 70-year-old Chicago radio icon Steve Dahl announced via social media that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. After undergoing an MRI and biopsy, his doctors have recommended radiation therapy as the initial treatment. "It's not a beach party, but it's not as scary and painful as it sounds or as one might imagine," Dahl shared with Axios.

The big picture: Dahl is celebrated as one of the most influential radio personalities in Chicago's history. He kicked off his career at age 23 as a music disc jockey at WDAI in 1978. Following his dismissal during a station format change, he moved to WLUP-FM. 

Dahl is known for pioneering the "shock jock" style, particularly highlighted by his infamous "Disco Demolition Night" at Comiskey Park in 1979. During this event, fans were invited to bring disco records to be destroyed between games, leading to such pandemonium that the White Sox had to forfeit the subsequent game. This event remains one of the most infamous in both baseball and Chicago's cultural history.

Zoom out: Post-Demolition, Dahl co-hosted "The Steve & Garry Show," which was a ratings juggernaut until a contentious split in 1993. He continued his broadcasting career with solo shows on WCKG-FM and WLS-AM, retiring from traditional radio in 2018.

The bottom line: Known for his candidness, Dahl plans to share his cancer journey on his daily podcast, "The Steve Dahl Podcast," even introducing a new promotional offer for subscribers. "If I can encourage men to keep an eye on their own PSA and take some of the mystery and macho shame out of it by sharing my odyssey, then I am happy to do it," he told Axios, humorously adding, "I might see about getting a groovy pillow to sit on while yapping, however."