WFIT DJ Todd Kennedy to retire after 25-year college-radio career at Florida Tech
From 1983 to 1989, Todd Kennedy managed Record Bar, a long-defunct music store inside Melbourne Square mall. And he sold newly released European import singles and records to WFIT-FM radio personnel who would "swoop in and buy them all."
Thanks to those musical connections, Kennedy — who had logged college radio DJ experience hosting alternative and reggae shows while attending Springfield College near Boston — landed an obscure WFIT gig.
He hit the airwaves as a volunteer graveyard-shift DJ from 3 to 6 a.m., playing "avant-garde classical music" from composers like Philip Glass, John Cage and John Adams.
"I mean, it was weird stuff. But at 3 a.m., I figured, 'This will be good,' " Kennedy recalled, laughing.
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Kennedy left WFIT in 1989 to open Jazz Waves, an independent music store specializing in jazz, blues, folk and world-music CDs and tapes in the La Galerie arcade in downtown Melbourne.
But the music aficionado was hired by WFIT as director of operations in 1997, kicking off a quarter-century career. Kennedy has served as program director since 2004 and hosted his signature four-hour weekday radio show, Sound Waves, since 2006.
Friday, the 63-year-old Melbourne Beach resident will retire after 25 years at the radio station. But he will continue to host Sound Waves "for the foreseeable future, until a transition is in place," according to his retirement letter that he posted Wednesday on Facebook.
“I love it. But I wanted to go out with my head held high," Kennedy said, wearing a gray "All Things Considered" T-shirt inside the WFIT broadcast center.
"I’m still healthy. I want to travel some more. And I have 10 surfboards at my house that I want to ride some more," Kennedy said.
"I’ve taken WFIT to a stable place, a good place. Now it’s time to open the door and let the next generation come in," he said.
WFIT-FM 89.5 is the Florida Institute of Technology's NPR-affiliate public radio station. Initially broadcasting from the basement of Roberts Hall — a student dorm off Country Club Drive — the station moved into its modern 5,000-square-foot headquarters in 2012.
"To consider where we came from, it’s been a remarkable journey. I helped us grow from a tiny 10 watt station located in a dark, dingy basement to a state-of-the-art broadcast center with five on-air studios and a recording studio equipped for live broadcasts of local and national acts," Kennedy wrote in his retirement letter.
Sound Waves' 2006 debut happened in tandem with WFIT dumping its daytime programming lineup of smooth jazz in favor of AAA (adult album alternative) radio.
Considered a spinoff of album-oriented rock, AAA "tends toward the fringe of mainstream pop and rock as well as many other music genres such as indie rock, alternative rock, jazz, electronic, folk, blues, world and roots music," the WFIT website says.
“He was really the driving force that brought AAA to WFIT. And he refined the sound and researched it, and found a niche and really expanded it and grew with it," said Terri Wright, WFIT's general manager since 1998.
"So we are appreciative to him for the fact that we're still here, and we're still doing well. We still have community support. And there are folks out there that love him," Wright said.
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With the sonic variety of Sound Waves, which airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kennedy said he wanted to "take all the best parts of WFIT and make it a format." He said anybody can stream music today on Spotify or Pandora, but he strives to add context and help listeners "connect the dots" between artists.
"I love exploring music — and the passion is to share it with people. I feel like an archaeologist digging up things: 'Ah, this is a unique find. Listen to this. This is really interesting,' " he said.
Since announcing his retirement, Kennedy has been unearthing some of his favorite live studio sessions during Sound Waves. During Friday's show, Kennedy replayed an April 2019 session with The Savants of Soul from Gainesville and a December 2018 session with Zeddemore, a Melbourne alternative rock band.
Tuesday, he replayed an April 2015 studio session with Jacie and the Knick-Knacks, a Melbourne indie rock band.
Kennedy also recalled memorable past interviews with Wyclef Jean, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule, SOJA, G. Love and Beebs and Her Moneymakers.
In February, Michael W. Lowe marked his 50th year on Central Florida's radio airwaves by hosting an anniversary afternoon show on 98.5 The Beach.
Lowe kicked off his broadcast career at WEZY-AM (Cocoa) and went on to work for an array of 18 radio stations. He teamed up with Timmy Vee during the 1990s and early 2000s co-hosting WA1A's No. 1-rated Mike and Tim in the Morning show.
“I understand transitioning. If you've been there 25 years, they love to keep you around. And I wish him well," Lowe said of Kennedy's WFIT tenure.
"As far as disc jockeys staying at stations a long time, that doesn't happen much anymore, unfortunately," Lowe said.
Kennedy said it was "a dream come true" moving from the basement of Roberts Hall into WFIT's broadcast center.
"I am so fortunate to have been able to a career here for 25 years at one radio station. That doesn't happen often," Kennedy said.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: WFIT DJ Todd Kennedy to retire after 25-year career in Melbourne
