ROANOKE, Va. – Wednesday marks a major milestone for a popular local Christmas tradition.
Q99′s Dick Daniels hosted his 30th Christmas Day live broadcast.
He’s on the radio for four hours, taking Christmas song requests from listeners and reading Christmas stories.
He said it is one of his favorite broadcasts of the year.
“I am overwhelmed with phone calls and text messages. They’re requesting songs, they’re asking for stories, and a lot of them are just texting in to say, ‘Merry Christmas. Thanks for being there. You have become part of our Christmas tradition in our family,'" Daniels said.
When asked if he had a favorite memory from the broadcasts, he recounted trying to get his infant son to talk on air.
“When my son was 18 months old, they called in to the station on Christmas morning and our goal was to try and get him to say Merry Christmas. Instead, it came out hey shmayvics,” Daniels said, laughing. “Every year, listeners call in and they’ll say, ‘Hey shmayvics! Have a great day!’”
He plans to keep doing the Christmas Day broadcasts as long as the radio station will let him.