As George Costanza once said “I knew I had hit my high note so I thanked the crowd and I was gone”.
Being a radio announcer can be a very thankless job with high expectations and low financial returns.
Dean Molberg and my pup Pepsi
The pride of Roblin Dean Molberg went to broadcast school and found a gig in Brandon working for 1150 CKX AM then moved over into CKX TV Sports. This is where Mike Stackhouse and Dean started to create an on air buzz and energy. More than anything Dean had raw talent and passion, two things you can’t buy.
After 11 years at Fan 960 in Calgary covering The Flames and Stampeders and more Molberg had his final broadcast this past Thursday. Molberg told BDNMB “I said this is it at the end of NHL season I am done”.
Fan 960 is owned and operated by Rogers.
Dean AKA Cranky Molberg
Dean, a very below average beer hockey player, wanted to get into the big leagues. So his wife Trish and Deano packed up and moved to Red Deer. But here is where Dean caught the ear of Calgary radio execs at the Fan 960. Just like a young hockey player hoping to get called up to the big team that’s what happened, he was now doing sports for The Fan and started to really find his niche in the marketplace.
Trish Molberg and their family
For the past 11 years Deano has got up at 3 am and left his wife Trish and their kids in bed while he cruised down the Deerfoot in Calgary to work at 4am.
Turn on the microphone and open up the phone lines and let’s see what people think of The Flames or Stamps or Hitmen etc. This is really a dream job for a sports fan that has an opinion.
Dean announced that he would be leaving The Fan a week ago and such heavyweights like Friedman and Lebrun mentioned Dean during their broadcasts that he will be missed. Former Brandon radio alumni Darren Dreger told BDNMB.CA today “Brandon is a great sports city and because of that, it was a perfect launching pad for a number of great broadcasters. The relationships developed among co-workers or those created beyond have shaped my career in many ways. Dean is old school and a classic. And someone who has never forgotten where he came from”.
Local legend, and now Saskatoon Blades coach, Wacey Rabbit told BDNMB that “Boomer” as he was known on the radio as an icon in Calgary and he says sports radio and radio for that fact will never replace him.
The future is unknown, perhaps he will open a used car dealership or a podcast or just take some time off.
Lots of sports media greats have started in Brandon including the Millard brothers and Darren Dreger and you can add Molberg to that Wall of Fame.
Dean Molberg – 1995 CKX TV
