Longtime morning radio host Ray Dunaway announced Monday he is retiring after 30 years at WTIC-AM in Hartford.
Dunaway returned to Hartford in 1992 to begin his run on the airwaves in Hartford and never left. He said he is approaching his 72nd birthday and decided now is the right time to step away from the microphone.
"I just said 'you know, I want to do some things I haven't been able to do,'" Dunaway said.
What are the things he wants to do? Dunaway says he's fallen in love with Connecticut and especially with Hartford over the past 30 years and wants to take the time to explore and experience areas of the state his busy schedule has kept him from doing all of these years.
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"I love this place. I love Hartford," he said.
Dunaway first came to Hartford to attend Trinity College. From there, he worked all over the country, including Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, and his hometown of Kansas City.
But when he came back to Hartford, he found a city on an upswing, according to Dunaway. In his time in Hartford, he says he has seen great growth in the city, from Front Street to City Place to Riverfront Recapture and Dunkin' Donuts Park.
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"A lot of really good things have happened. I wish people would pay more attention," he said.
Dunaway plans on staying on the morning airwaves for another month before signing off for good, but he's not leaving the area.
"I don't think I'll bail to Florida," he said.
Dunaway said he is grateful for the last 30 years he has spent in Connecticut.
"There are so many things that are so good here, and I'm kind of proud to have been here for this long and had people put up with me this long."
