Kathie with a K

Getting to talk to my listeners is a big deal for me.  They are the reason I get up in the morning.  When you tune into my show, you have invited me into your home, or your car, just like you would a friend.  If you listen regularly, a bond is formed, and when you call into the show and want to engage in the conversation, it really means a lot to me.  It means that we’ve connected, and that’s why I got into this business in the first place.

Over my many years on the radio, I have met a LOT of people, and every listener that takes time to chat with me when I’m out and about is special to me, but there are some that stand out more than others… and Kathie Keichinger was one of those people.  I just got word this evening that Kathie passed away earlier today from a terrible disease that no one deserves, especially for a character like Kathie.

I first met Kathie through the phone, as she was a regular caller to the show and always had great stuff to add to the conversation, and it was through our many contests that I got to know her personally.  She was just as outgoing in person as she was on the phone. Always boisterous and full of life

The first time we met was at a Rider super-fan contest to win playoff tickets, and she was dressed up in her Roughrider best… dyed green hair, pom-poms, and a Rider green outfit.  Little did I know that was how she always dressed for Rider games, and she got equally glammed up for the PA Raiders as well.  You can understand how she was hard to forget.

Being such an active listener, Kathie won her way into many of our contests over the years, and brought her exuberance to our giveaway parties.  Though she never won ‘The Big Prize’, she was just happy to be there.
“Kathie with a K” she would always say, when she called in, and then I’d have to get her to spell her last name for me.  After a while I could spell it without being reminded, and I got to recognize her voice.
She also made me feel like a winner when she’d show up at the radio station with fresh baking or homemade gelato.  Sometimes she would call or text to just to say hello and let us know that she was enjoying the show.
She came to enter for the Summer Free Ride pretty much everyday for 14 years of the contest, and most times after she entered, she would stand and chat with me about a myriad of things.  I got to know her personally, and considered her more than just a listener… she was a friend.  It was during one of these chats that she told me of her diagnosis, and my heart sank.
Even though she knew what was coming, she kept a positive attitude.  Having lost her ability to talk, she was still a regular texter into the show, having last heard from her on November 1st, joining in the conversation about Halloween, never letting on how bad her condition was.

They teach us in radio school to try and connect with our listeners and make an impact, but what they don’t teach us is that listeners can have an impact on us announcers too.  She lived life with an energy that was refreshing, and I will miss her conversations.  It’s going to be noticeably different on the show without her, and quieter at Roughrider and Raider games too.

While you’re cheering on the Riders and the Raiders this weekend, think of Kathie and cheer extra loud to make up for her absence.