Not retiring, just relocating. Longtime radio voice leaves the Peoria airwaves

Rick Hirschmann, brand manager for the radio station 93.3 The Drive, came to the Peoria area from his native New Jersey to attend Bradley University … and ended up living and working in the area for 40 years.

Hirschmann initially did not intend to settle in the Peoria area. As his radio career progressed, he expected that he would move on to bigger markets. The fact that he did not land in one of those markets appears to have been a source of neither disappointment nor regret.

“Central Illinois has just been so good to me,” Hirschmann said. “I was lucky enough to have a 40-year career doing what I wanted to do. The area was such a great place to raise kids and keep them grounded with good Midwestern values."

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How he got his start

During his junior and senior years at Bradley, Hirschmann began his radio career with internships at the radio station Rock 106. His internships led to the station offering him a full-time position in 1984.

“The radio bug bit and I have been fortunate enough to follow that bug for 40 years,” wrote Hirschmann in a Wednesday Facebook post announcing his move to Greenville, S.C.

If Hirschmann considers himself lucky that a radio career chose him, many of the local radio personality’s listeners appear to feel the same. As of Thursday afternoon, his farewell post had received 127 responses from listeners and co-workers.

“You have really become a part of the fabric not just of Peoria radio, but Peoria in general,” wrote Dan Turk of Dixon, Ill. “I've enjoyed listening to you and chatting with you at events over the last 40 years.”

Closer to family out east

Hirschmann’s decision to move to South Carolina was largely based on a desire to be closer to family members. His mother lives near Asheville, N.C., which is just 45 miles from Greenville.

“I have other family in that area as well,” he added. “Two of my kids live in Savannah, Ga. “So, it’s time to be closer to a different set of kids.”

Two of Hirschmann’s children will remain in the Peoria area, which Hirschmann said made his decision to relocate “horrifically hard.” His daughter, Meghan Monkemeier of Peoria, is the wife of Concordia Lutheran School principal Andrew Monkemeier. His son, Eli Hirschmann of Morton, works at Rivian Automotive.

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While he currently does not have a job lined up in the Greenville area, Hirschmann emphasized that his move is not a retirement, but a relocation. Some of his favorite memories of the greater Peoria area involved being approached by listeners.

“There were so many shows at the Civic Center and there were so many Riverfront events and promotions and all of those things,” he said. “But all of that really pales in comparison to seeing someone, becoming friends with someone, or just meeting someone who said 'Hey, I remember listening to you back in the 80s on Rock 106,’ or maybe on The Drive. Just to know that I was a part of their lives is important, and I’ll always have good memories of that.”

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria radio personality Rick Hirschmann leaves Peoria for Greenville