Hank Hadley first walked into KCBX in 1988 looking for a job in public radio. He was working at a small, local commercial station, but he rang the KCBX doorbell and asked to look at our national list of public radio job openings. Visit after visit, Hank sat on the couch poring through the listings. It didn't take long, though, before former General Manager Frank Lanzone hired Hank himself as operations manager and on-air host. That hiring marked the beginning of a decades-long partnership for Hank and the station.
Hank died early on August 30 at age 63. He had been under hospice care and spent his last weeks sharing laughs, beers, and memories with close friends.
Though Hank’s official title was Operations Manager, he wore many hats at KCBX. Whether we needed a Wi-Fi password, help with an emergency equipment fix, or just a bit of dry wit on a hectic afternoon, Hank was our guy. For nearly four decades, he was the quiet engine keeping our shows on the air, offering IT support, changing light bulbs, and sitting at the microphone as the familiar local voice of Morning Edition and then All Things Considered.
When Hank first joined the station, he was editing reel-to-reel audio tape with grease pencils and razor blades. Over the years, his role evolved alongside changing technology. He learned and became responsible for a multitude of software programs that keep KCBX going — from our automation system to our program log application. He was patient with us when our computers “broke,” often asking, “Did you reboot?” then troubleshooting if that didn’t work.
Hank was the first person we called late at night or early in the morning if something went wrong with a scheduled show or piece of equipment. He even took time on vacation to remote into station computers to diagnose problems.
Though Hank enjoyed working behind the scenes, listeners knew his resonant baritone voice as a constant companion. From 1988 to 1997, he woke up the Central Coast as the local host of Morning Edition. Hank joked about the “mighty struggle” that took place when his alarm went off, “pitting the joy of sleep against the love of the job.” In 1997, he finally got to sleep in when he transitioned to hosting All Things Considered.
Hank also diligently stewarded many aspects of KCBX’s annual Live Oak Music Festival. For several years, he carried on the tradition of setting up and managing “aKORN Radio,” the festival’s temporary broadcast, while also overseeing the ATM machine and serving on the Live Oak IT team — in between visits to the beer garden.
Hank loved his beer. Elysian Space Dust IPA was a favorite that he savored at local pubs while impressing local trivia teams with his knowledge about The Simpsons or music of the 1980s — especially Oingo Boingo. He was a regular at the Ancient Owl Beer Garden in San Luis Obispo, where his encyclopedic knowledge recently earned him a spot as the inaugural inductee into their Trivia Hall of Fame. And when he wasn’t playing trivia in the community, he played it in daily casual conversation with his office mate of 29 years, KCBX Music Director Neal Losey. Together, they were a formidable trivia force.
Hank’s lasting effect on KCBX, our staff, and our listeners is immeasurable. He kept us rolling along for 38 years, ensuring that every hour of programming made it to the airwaves. We extend our deepest sympathies to all who loved Hank Hadley, and to everyone whose days were uplifted by his steadfast presence and comforting voice, his generosity of time and dedication to the job, and his understated humor with a twinkle in his eye.
