Dave Ryan will make his final broadcast on May 22, ending a 33-year run as the voice of The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show on iHeartMedia Minneapolis’s 101.3 KDWB. He will then move into an ambassador role and remain part of the KDWB family.

The announcement closes one of the longest-running morning runs in Twin Cities radio history and sets up a change that listeners will feel immediately, even if the station has not yet said who will lead the morning lineup next.

For Ryan, 46 years in radio have added up to one long conversation with listeners, and he said the bond has meant more than the job itself. “All I can say is ‘Wow!’” he said, adding that he could not have imagined a more incredible experience than the one he has had over the last 33 years at KDWB and across his four decades in radio.

He said having an outlet for fun and creativity has been wonderful, but that the real reward has been the people on the other end of the signal. “Having an outlet for fun and creativity has been wonderful, but it’s the connection with people who listen that has made this all so amazing,” Ryan said. “Being a part of your morning and being welcomed into your life has meant more to me than I can ever express.”

iHeart Minneapolis senior vice president of programming Rich Davis called Ryan a Twin Cities institution and one of the best to ever do it. Davis said Ryan connected with listeners in a way that cannot be manufactured and said his influence helped shape KDWB and the lives of countless listeners who grew up with him.

The handoff leaves a rare opening at a station that has built much of its identity around Ryan’s presence since he joined KDWB in 1993. His final show on May 22 will mark the end of an era, but not his exit from the station. By keeping him in an ambassador role, KDWB is signaling that Ryan’s name will remain tied to the brand even as the morning show moves into whatever comes next.