Retiring Twin Cities broadcaster John Hines won't have to juggle reading three books at once much longer.
"I'm retiring because it's time," said Hines, who is leaving WCCO-AM after the Minnesota State Fair. In his 45 years in the market, he was at WWTC-AM, KSTP-TV and radio, WLOL-FM, K102 FM and his partners included Bob "Bergie" Berglund, Susie Jones and the late Charlie Bush. "Charlie was the one who began to teach me how to work with a radio partner; Berglund [did] that even more. Bergie was the perfect radio partner because we thought alike," Hines said of his longest radio partner, whom he spent 10 years with. Bergie's "a great guy, still a great friend to this day. For the most part I was alone on the air but my producers were legitimately partners. First, Kyle Shiely, now at MPR, who made me a better radio broadcaster than I am. We could have a show planned and if the news changed overnight, [Shiely] could reproduce the entire show coming in on the light rail. Dan Cook, the current producer — very, very talented and also one who is tasked with pulling me out of my comfort zone."
If retirement sticks and Hines doesn't end up doing lots of fill-in work at WCCO, where he's worked nine years, he can read books at his own pace. The rainy day we met at his hangout, St. Paul Pool and Yacht Club on the Mississippi River, Hines was juggling three books. Astonishingly, he reads every book, cover to cover, of each author interviewed on his radio show.
"Sometimes I finish [books] too soon because the guest is not coming up for two more weeks. Then you conflate what you read with [another] book and I don't know what I'm talking about — which most people would think I don't," he joked. Because Hines likes to pass along a book in "pristine" condition, he doesn't write notes in them. "I take Post-its and [position them] at certain lines sticking out of the book. Then when I have the author on [a show], I've got this book that looks like it's been fringed, with all these purple and yellow and blue Post-it notes and I'll ask my questions that way."
Q: Why is this the time to retire?
A: I'm really healthy. I'm going to become even more healthy. Now when I get up in the morning rather than get the shower, shave, go to work. I will look at the news online, I will never get away from that. But then I can go back and lay down for an hour and then go to the gym, if I want. I'm going to become annoyingly healthy. I love to ride my bicycle. I had my knee replaced recently. I [can] go out and ride my bicycle for 40 to 50 miles in a day.
Q: You are getting ready for your last State Fair at a radio booth?
A: My 46th State Fair, broadcasting out there from one station or another. Somebody said to me: 'Do you like broadcasting from the State Fair?' Oh yeah, for about the first 15 minutes. No, it's fun.
