Public Radio's 'Radio Reader' Show Ending As Dick Estell Retires After 52 Years

Estell in the 80s

DICK ESTELL, longtime host of the nationally syndicated public radio show "RADIO READER,"  is retiring, with the final episode airing TODAY (3/10). ESTELL, whose show is based at MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY News-Talk WKAR-F/EAST LANSING, MI, is 90 years old and has been hosting the show since 1964. With ESTELL unable to continue due to health issues, former WKAR-TV GM BOB PAGE has been reading the remaining chapters of ESTELL's last book, JOHN GRISHAM's "ROGUE LAWYER."

ESTELL, a former Board Chairman of NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, has read almost 1,000 books since taking over the show, which began in 1934 as "THE RADIO READING CIRCLE," from LARRY FRYMIRE in 1964, when ESTELL was WKAR Station Manager. He retired from MSU in 1986 and continued to host the show from his home studio.

Show producer HAL PRENTICE posted at the show's website that ESTELL's illness "has caused serious financial stress" and that contributions and well-wishes can be sent to ESTELL at 1195 Woodwind Trail, HASLETT, MI 48840-8956.

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