Longtime Columbus morning radio voice is leaving the airwaves. Here’s what’s next.
Scott Miller, who has been on Columbus radio for 44 years, including the past 21 on WDAK’s “The Valley’s Morning News,” has left the station as part of owner iHeartRadio’s mass layoffs.
Miller, however, will continue as the voice of Columbus State University sports. Instead of those broadcasts being on the radio, they are now only on the university’s YouTube channel, CougarSportsTV, where CSU fans can get video and audio of home games and audio of road games on their computers and smartphones.
“I’m thrilled to be continuing the association with Columbus State,” Miller, who has done play-by-play for CSU sports for 43 years, told the Ledger-Enquirer.
He has been inducted into the CSU and Chattahoochee Valley sports halls of fame.
As for leaving the WDAK’s morning program, which he co-hosted with Wes Carroll, Miller chuckled and said, “It’s been kind of nice not to have the alarm clock set at 4:30 a.m.”
Then he added, “I will miss the people I saw and worked with each day.”
Miller, 65, doesn’t plan to retire from broadcasting CSU games anytime soon.
“As long as the good Lord keeps me healthy,” he said, “I still enjoy it as much as ever and everything associated with it.”
Chuck Thompson, the iHeartRadio market president, wasn’t reached for comment before this story’s deadline.
Another longtime Columbus newscaster who recently left the local airwaves put Miller’s impact in perspective.
Chuck Leonard, who retired in December after 38 years at WTVM, told the L-E, “His dedication is to be applauded and is a wonderful legacy. It’s a shame his radio career ended the way it did.”
Leonard praised MIller’s chemistry with Carroll, who remains on “The Valley’s Morning News” at WDAK.
“He and Wes Carroll were fun to listen to,” Leonard said. “They played off each other well, with Scott as the ultimate straight man.”
For the past 15 years, Shawn Cruzen, executive director of the Columbus State University Coca-Cola Space Science Center, has been a weekly guest on the show, sharing the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.
“This is not your normal fare for morning radio, but with Scott’s guidance, we were able to grow the segment into appointment radio for many listeners in the region,” Cruzen told the L-E. “I learned so much about broadcasting and building a dedicated radio audience from Scott. He embodies the highest levels of talent, experience and professionalism. I wish him well in all of his future endeavors.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 4:09 PM.
