Thursday, March 28, 2024 Mar 28, 2024
73° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Media

Mike Rhyner Returns to Radio With 97.1 The Freak

The godfather of guy sports talk is coming out of retirement.
By |
Image
Photo by Elizabeth Lavin

Mike Rhyner retired in early 2020 after a storied 40-year career in Dallas radio during which he played a huge role in launching The Ticket and creating a radio format that has been copied around the country. Zac Crain profiled Rhyner when he stepped away from the mic. We did a podcast with him, too (recorded in Main Street Garden, because we were just getting accustomed to Covid).

Now, ladies and gentlemen, Rhyner is back. Richie Whitt broke the news on Si.com a week ago. The Eagle is switching formats and rebranding as The Freak, as of 3 p.m. today. Whitt got nearly everything right, missing on only the detail about the new station being a sports talk joint; it’s not. As Rhyner told us on an episode of EarBurner that we recorded before the news broke, The Freak won’t be a sports station. It’s free-form talk, unlike any other station in this market.

Rhyner will hold down the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. shift, with a show called The Downbeat co-hosted by Mike Sirois. Michael Gruber will run the board. (Lots of Mikes, right?) Ben Rogers and Skin Wade, whom I profiled last year, will move to middays and bring Krystina Ray with them. Those two lads deserve much of the credit for this concept. Rhyner calls them “hustlers,” in the best sense of the word. Jeff Cavanaugh will do morning duty. There are other names still in play.

Image

As you can see from the magazine stories we’ve written about some of the folks involved, Zac and I have relationships with these people. Those relationships led to a bit of access. We signed an NDA that allowed us to record this podcast with Rhyner on September 16, on the condition that we hold it until the launch of the new format, which, again, happens today at 3 p.m.

On the podcast, we talked with Rhyner about who convinced him to come out of retirement, how to fix the Cowboys (remember: this conversation took place after the season-opening loss), what made him move out of downtown Dallas after living there for a decade, and why you’re never too old to wing it. Oh, and we talked about jorts. You can listen via the player below, or you can use whatever podcatcher floats your boat.

Author

Tim Rogers

Tim Rogers

View Profile
Tim is the editor of D Magazine, where he has worked since 2001. He won a National Magazine Award in…

Related Articles

Image
Media

Audrey Henvey Named Associate Editor of D CEO

The former Star Local Media news editor will lead commercial real estate coverage for D Magazine’s award-winning business title.
Image
Dallas History

D Magazine’s 50 Greatest Stories: The Tragic End of Architect George Dahl’s Life

Architect George Dahl helped build Dallas. But his final years were marked by turmoil and a legal fight with his family.
Image
Media

D Magazine’s 50 Greatest Stories: The Greatest Bowling Story Ever Told

There is a good chance you won't read anything better this week than "The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever."
Advertisement