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Mike Kavanagh has died

Long ago, I had the distinction of being the guy who got Mike Kavanaugh out of Springfield, Massachussetts.

Mike was always a beautiful human being. He was our newsman at WHYN, "The Big 56" (back when AM rockers had "news departments"). Mike's dynamic delivery was always the reality check, so to speak, in my rather silly jock shift, and we came to be buddies.

He would grouse, from time to time, about how he wanted to "do more", but he honestly had no clue how to go about looking for something bigger or better (I could never figure out how he'd managed to secure that job!). I explained to him that getting a great aircheck together was the only way to go, and since our airchecking facilities were somewhat ad-hoc, he'd best be served by faking a PERFECT one in the production studios of WHYN. As Mike had zero production skills at the time, I offered to put one together for him. And we did a beauty, together.

Mike found an ad for a morning newsman/sidekick in Richmond, VA, with the late Jim King at the late WLEE (AM). He got the gig, and this is where he was able to develop an on-air "personality", as opposed to being a cold news reader. WLEE started him on the journey that led him to all his newstalk ventures.

I had the pleasure of reuniting, via e-mail, with Mike a few years back. We spoke a few times on the phone, too, and although I had caught him on CNN some years previously and jumped for joy that he had "made it" (incidentally, alongside the man who had trained me on the board in my first DJ gig, Chuck Roberts!), until we spoke I'd had no idea of all that Mike had accomplished since his big move to Atlanta.

Mike was a prince, and a brilliant guy as well. Despite the time and distance that separated us, I'm feeling the loss quite personally. My best thoughts go out to his family and all who were so privileged to know him.


Famous Amos!
NYC
 
I had the honor of working with Mike on many occasions over the years. When I left the radio business and made the transition to the mortgage business, he was extremely helpful in helping to formulate my ideas and strategies.

Over the last year, he included me as his mortgage expert guest on his radio show. He also referred me many deals from his private practice of financial planning.

Like many people I owe so much to the man. He was giving of his time, energy and ideas to many people at no cost.

I was scheduled to his guest last Sunday morning. I found out about his death the night before when one of the WSB employees calling me crying and saying that she felt like she just lost her father.

Naturally, I was shocked and devastated by his death. At 57 years old, he had so much more to give the world.

All of his who knew him feel like we have lost a great friend and mentor.

He was not only mentor in broadcasting but a friend who taught me how to survive and prosper in my post radio career.
 
I never met Mike, but based on listening to his financial show and his long years of news anchoring, I felt like I knew him, and I feel like I have lost a friend. And when someone reaches out and touches you like that, that's the mark of a true radio pro and a great human being.

Atlanta broadcasting has lost a treasure.
 
When Mike was starting wsbhistory.com, he called and asked if I might have any audio I could contribute. Although I never worked at WSB, I was a faithful listener. I had the good fortune to have saved numerous cassettes and a few reels, as well as a commemorative 45 issued at the time of the station's 50th anniversary. I happily burned these collections to CD and sent them to Mike. I figured my contribution was the next best thing to working at White Columns. It was an honor to know Mike and a pleasure to help him.
 
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