Bellevue’s Don Riggs retires after 55 years in radio

Thousands of Northwest radio listeners woke up to Don Riggs’ voice for the last time Friday, April 11.

“Good morning, 5 o’clock at KMPS FM in Seattle – last time I’ll be saying that for a while,” said Riggs, 71, during his final broadcast with the Waking Crew. “I think it seems appropriate my head phones are not working this morning. Time to go.”

After more than a half-century in radio broadcasting, 33 of which were spent at 94.1 KMPS country station, the Bellevue resident has retired. Listeners have made their trek to work over the years between 5-10 a.m. listening to Riggs’ news coverage interspersed with his wit and sarcasm.

His career spans the broadcasting alphabet. He got his start at KLAN radio in Renton, broadcasting during the weekends while he was a Bellevue High School student. He also worked at KUOW, KFKF and KIRO, to name a few.

Friday morning, song requests poured in from listeners who wanted to dedicate one last song to Riggs. They ranged from the sentimental “Last of a Dying Breed” by Neil McCoy, to songs more suited to Riggs’ sense of humor, such as “Take This Job and Shove it” and “Hit the Road Jack.”

Becky Brenner, KMPS program director who has worked with Riggs for 27 years, dedicated Keith Anderson’s “Somebody Needs a Hug.”

“When I first started working here, no matter how bad your morning was, he always gave everybody a hug when they came to work,” she said.

In recent years, Riggs has still doled out hugs, but only when they are welcome.

“Because I don’t want to see the damn video again for those things,” he cracked of the sexual harassment awareness videos.

Brenner said people have really counted on Riggs for their news. That morning, she stood in the studio while the Waking Crew took calls from some of the thousands of listeners who had called in.

“One woman commented that Don’s like the grandpa of the station and it’s like losing our grandpa,” Brenner said. “People have grown up listening to him for 33 years so you have multiple generations and we haven’t even touched the surface of how much the listeners will miss him.”

On the KMPS Web site, one listener posted: “I’ve made the trek from Maple Valley to Redmond for close to 20 years with you and Waking Crew by my side. Will miss your voice every day – it’s an old friend.”

“I was on my way to work on 9/11/2001,” another listener posted. “Your calm voice in the beginning of what came to be horrific news was the anchor to keep people calm and that is the true measure of what it is to be a newsman. I will never forget your voice that morning.”

Listeners have also counted on Riggs for answers to local history.

He served 15 years on the Sammamish Community Council as well as the Bellevue Convention Center Authority board for six years.

“The name ‘Meydenbauer Center’ is pretty much mine. I just liked the sound of it,” Riggs said of the name he chose for the convention center.

A morning person only by necessity, Riggs said he will not miss setting his alarm clock for 3 a.m. to do his wake-up show by 5 a.m.

What will he miss the most?

He gets quiet.

“You know, it’s really an awfully good job,” he says. “You sit around and do this kind of crap and get paid half-way decent and no heavy lifting.”

But seriously, he says, he’s going to miss his talented crew he’s worked beside for years. He will also miss the drive from the Eastside to Seattle and the serene Lake Union view.

He looks forward to putting a few miles on his motor home and taking weekend trips with wife, Maria. He will also spend time with his grandchildren.

Stephen Killbreath will be Diggs’ interim replacement.

Broadcaster Ichabod Caine, who has done the Waking Crew with Riggs for 20 years, said if he’s learned one thing from Riggs, it’s this: never take yourself seriously.

“I mean we have thrown him under the bicycle about his age, about Bellevue, about being a drunkard – and he never stops laughing at himself,” Caine said on air during the final broadcast.

“I’m bringing home wine, by the way, dear,” Riggs said to his wife.

Carrie Wood can be reached at cwood@reporternewspapers.com or 425-453-4290.