The last regular job I had in radio broadcasting, and journalism, was with Network Indiana in 1983, using the name Larry Mitchell.  The same company owned WIRE, a long-successful AM country music station, and their FM station was WXTZ, a “beautiful music” operation.

The Network Indiana newsroom supplied news content to the statewide network, WIRE and WXTZ.  We anchored the newscasts for WIRE and the Network, but we only supplied news copy we had written to WXTZ.  Seems the management wanted the smooth-voiced announcers they had hired to work on the beautiful music station to read the news.

One of the WXTZ announcers was a young Dave Calabro.  I am not sure whether this was his first gig in broadcasting, but if not, it was one of his first.

You get to know a number of people in the broadcasting business when you work in it as I had for 14 years.  Let’s just say Dave was one of the nice guys and I always pulled for him to succeed in the business.

I had nothing to do with it, but Dave’s career took off.  I recall going to Richmond, Indiana on government business and watching Dave doing sports for a Dayton local TV news program.

It didn’t take long for Dave to return to Indianapolis and become a sports anchor at WTHR.  He also became part of the public address announcing team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something only a small number of people have ever done.  On 500 race day, and lots of other occasions at the world-famous race venue, you will hear Dave’s voice.

Just a few days ago, I learned of Dave Calabro’s retirement at the end of the calendar year.  He will continue to be the PA announcer at IMS, but his everyday job as a sports reporter will be coming to an end.

Congratulations to Dave Calabro on his retirement.  You certainly deserve this after many years of toiling in a very tough business, TV news & sports.