Rick Dayton named permanent KDKA Radio afternoon host

Whether it’s television or radio, Rick Dayton loves telling a good story. Now he’ll have another chance to do it on a daily basis.

Entercom Pittsburgh, parent company of KDKA Radio, has announced that Dayton will take over the news and talk station’s coveted afternoon drive slot.

“KDKA Radio Afternoon News hosted by Rick Dayton” officially debuts Monday from 3 to 6 p.m. Dayton had been working as a fill-in host on the program as well as hosting the station’s “Pre-Debate Tailgate” on the evenings of the presidential and vice presidential debates.

At KDKA Radio, Dayton is taking over the time slot recently occupied by Wendy Bell, a controversial and opinionated host who was removed from the air by Entercom in early September after suggesting on her show that park rangers “shoot on sight” people vandalizing public monuments.

Dayton, a Grove City native, returned to his hometown in 2009 to be a morning news anchor for KDKA-TV and was also host of the popular weekly quiz show “Hometown High Q” featuring high school students as contestants.

Last May, CBS, owners of KDKA-TV, announced staff cuts and Dayton was among the casualties. It left many of his devoted followers in shock but he took the dismissal in stride.

“I’ve been fired so many times, it happens,” said Dayton. “That’s just the nature of our business. If you don’t go into it with that understanding, then you’re going to be in for a rude awakening. That’s just the reality of it.”

While he enjoyed many aspects of his decade on Pittsburgh television, Dayton, a self-proclaimed “night owl,” said he doesn’t miss getting up at 2:15 every morning and that his new schedule better suits his circadian rhythm. As for constantly being in front of the camera, Dayton said the glamour of television is not what has motivated him.

“Television was never about me being on television. Television happened to be the way that I went about telling stories, but it wasn’t who I am,” Dayton said. “So, to go to KDKA Radio now and be able to do it on radio, sure you don’t have pictures, but that’s one of the things that I can’t wait to do. To be able to use my voice, to be able to use my contacts, to be able to educate, to be able to inform, to be able to help other Pittsburghers when they have difficulty or trouble, that’s what I’m so excited about.”

Dayton has almost as much radio experience as he does in front of the camera, having worked as sports director for the North Carolina News Network.

“Rick is ingrained in the local community and has a tremendous news reputation in the market,” said Entercom senior vice president and market manager Michael Spacciapolli. “He is a beloved personality who will engage listeners daily with content and information and I’m excited to welcome him to our weekday lineup.”

Though she brought negative publicity to KDKA, Wendy Bell had a significant number of loyal followers. For his part, Dayton, who has accumulated his own large share of fans with his congenial manner as a television news anchor and quizmaster, said he is bringing his own style to the radio airwaves. And he added that he has not been urged to be as provocative as his predecessor.

“In no way has there been any conversation or any direction or anything that says this is what we want, this is what we expect or this is what the show is supposed to sound like,” Dayton said. “They have come to me and said you are a very well respected journalist and we love the fact that you love to listen to people.

“While it’s a radio program and my name is going to be on it, my job is to listen to the people of Pittsburgh and share their concerns. One day it may be about medicine, one day it may be about politics, one day it might be about education, and I can’t wait to talk about all those things.”