An Open Letter to Hal
Dear Halloran-
I was shocked (like everyone else in this town) to hear about your exit from KBZT. It was only two months ago when we celebrated KBZT’s 7th anniversary and I proclaimed you and Garett the best PD/MD combo in the country. I meant it then and I mean it now. In my mind, I could never imagine KBZT without the both of you. This station was borne out of a shared vision of two radio professionals who wanted to push the alt rock radio genre to new levels. You did this with inspired radio programming that really helped change the alt rock landscape into something that even a music lover could appreciate. And while I didn’t always agree with your programming choices, I always felt that I could support you and the station because you *got it*. To me, you weren’t someone I just heard coming out of my radio, you were a person that I saw around town, that I could talk to (read: give you crap) and someone I respected deeply. You have given me moments to remember - like not trying to lose my shit when you introduced me to Lol Tolhurst from the Cure at a Nada Surf show or even my coup d’etat where Garett had to call the back line to tell us to stop fighting on air or when you would play The Lovemakers on the Dog Dare because of our heated discussions of whether or not they suck. These are experiences I would never have without you being on the radio. It makes me weepy and nostalgic to think of these things - like when I realize I will miss when you play a song twice in a row because you love it so much. Who does that? Um, yeah, that would be Hal. You are one of a kind. And I will miss you on KBZT.
PJ Harvey - This Mess We're In
