KUAC thanks Susie Hackett for 30 years on air with KUAC FM this month. Susie earned a degree in broadcasting at Syracuse University and worked at a radio/TV station in Philadelphia before moving to Alaska. Susie got her start with KUAC as a volunteer and eventually became an employee. She is the host of Afternoon Concert and the Sunday opera.
“A wonderful perk of doing Afternoon Concert has been being able to meet and interview professional music and theater guests from around the world as they visit and perform for us in Alaska,” Susie said.
“I remember so many KUAC regulars, employees, on-calls, volunteers, most of them fondly. I’m especially pleased when names of long-standing volunteers are read during pledge drives, so I know they’re out there and still listening to KUAC.” Susie enjoys being a radio announcer because it’s not office work. “In fact, it’s not work to me, and there’s no heavy lifting. Also, it’s something I’ve done since I was a teen, and it’s nice to still be able to do it. I will do this as long as I feel useful or until the sound in my headphones tells me it’s time to stop.”
KUAC General Manager Gretchen Gordon said, “Susie’s commitment and dedication throughout her years at KUAC have been stellar. She is patient and understanding while hosting government meetings and she has kept up with technological changes over the years without complaint. Her role in hosting Afternoon Concert and the Sunday opera is appreciated by not only the entire KUAC team, but the thousands of listeners who are soothed by her voice and are able to learn from her vast knowledge of music.”