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***Special thanks to KEEL Radio’s Erin McCarty and Mike Martindale; to Tony Taglavore (shreveportbossierjournal.com) for his excellent 2024 feature story about Larry Ryan, and to Twin Blends: Northwest Louisiana History Hunters’ Facebook page for a few photos in today’s story. I had the pleasure of working as a part-time announcer for Larry Ryan nearly 50 years ago.
During the early 1960’s, Larry Ryan may have heard the phrase “You’re fired!” more times than cartoon’s George Jetson did from his boss, Mr. Spacely.
The young radio announcer had bounced around from one radio market to another in search of a few extra dollars per week.
This 26-year old disk jockey was offered a $25/week raise to move to Shreveport, Louisiana and begin working the evening shift at Top 40 radio station KEEL 710AM in 1964.
For more than 60 years, Shreveport, Bossier City and Ark-La-Tex region have embraced “Lovable” Larry Ryan and his immense radio creativity and talent.
Last Friday, Ryan’s most recent Shreveport radio station employer (which played “The Greatest Hits of All Time” oldies format) abruptly advised him and his morning crew that their long-time popular morning show was being canceled.
Effective immediately.
The FM station was recently acquired by a new owner. They wanted to go in a different direction with their 6-9AM morning show.
Though it had been awhile, Larry Ryan was quite familiar with hearing that line again.
Today, Larry Ryan’s first radio station employer in Shreveport brought him back on the air to provide him with a very dignified way to say, “Good bye” to his legions of loyal radio listeners.
The final hour of Wednesday’s News/Talk 710 KEEL morning show featuring Erin McCarty and Mike Martindale was filled with tributes to the area’s radio broadcasting legend.
Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux and Bossier City mayor Tommy Chandler each read proclamations making it “Larry Ryan Day” in both cities (February 11, 2026).
How did Iowa native Larry Ryan become so beloved in Shreveport, LA?
Larry Ryan is a native of Marshalltown, Iowa – just northeast of Des Moines. After a one year stint at what is now Northern Iowa University, he joined the Air Force. If he thought it was cold in Iowa during the winter, Larry Ryan found himself stationed in frigid Minot, North Dakota. That’s when he knew it was time to leave the Air Force and find a real job.
He would become a radio announcer (DJ, if you prefer) who worked at stations in Iowa, Arkansas, Alabama, and Virginia prior to receiving an offer to work the evening shift at AM powerhouse KEEL Radio in Shreveport. Larry reminded listeners today that he also brought along his long-time girlfriend, Suzy.
They were married in Marshall, Texas upon his arrival in Shreveport. More about Suzy Ryan in a bit.
Larry Ryan’s evening show became a huge hit with the younger audience.
He interacted with callers, had fun doing creative “live” spots for sponsors, and even created funny comedy song features such as “Hide The Booze” (performed to the instrumental version of “The Can-Can Song”).
It wasn’t long before Larry Ryan was promoted to become KEEL’s morning show host.
The 50,000 watt daytime signal of KEEL AM stretches from Texarkana to the north and southward through northeastern Texas and western and central Louisiana down I-49 to Lafayette.
“Lovable” Larry Ryan’s morning show beginning in the mid-1960’s featured Top 40 rock and roll hits along with topics of local interest. Talented radio newsmen like Ken Booth and Scott Hodges, syndicated commentator Paul Harvey, and a very unlikely local weatherman added more flavor to this increasingly popular show.
This morning, Larry recounted that KEEL’s morning newsman Ken Booth did not like being asked to read the weather at the end of his local newscasts. KEEL’s co-located FM affiliate KMBQ was playing automated reel-to-reel tapes of beautiful music. Larry quickly grabbed the FM station’s young audio operator named Ralph Montgomery and said, “Get in here! I want you to come read the weather on the air for me – now!”
Ryan introduced his nervous and totally unprepared 6:05AM weather man to KEEL’s massive audience.
“And now…the effervescent…Mr. Weather!” Ralph Montgomery somehow made it through that first weather forecast and won a 50+year radio co-hosting role alongside of Larry Ryan.
Mr. Weather’s unique sense of humor always seemed to tickle Larry’s funny bone.
It was pure radio magic
Larry Ryan & Mr. Weather became the foundation for KEEL’s incredible radio ratings success for the next decade. KEEL’s morning show captured an unheard-of 50% of the total radio audience as both youngsters and their parents were fans of the show.
Larry became KEEL’s program director and hired a number of extremely talented on-air personalities to work at other times of the day. Howard Clark, Steve Kelly, Tommy Kramer, Ronald F. Montgomery (no relation to Ralph “Mr. Weather” Montgomery) and many others graduated to work at major market radio stations after being mentored by Larry Ryan at KEEL in Shreveport.
Producing a top-notch commercial for clients is very important for radio stations. The creative voice and production talents of Larry Ryan and his team of announcers was in high demand for producing effective commercials on behalf of local, regional and national ad agencies.
Larry’s wife, Suzy, became involved in selling radio advertising for KEEL.
She possessed a sincere belief in the effectiveness of the station’s primary product – especially her husband’s top-rated radio show. Suzy remained laser-focused on business and supported Larry’s creative talent behind the microphone. The duo’s business acumen translated into solid income for their soon-to-be growing family.
After Suzy became pregnant with each of the couple’s two children (Corey and Casey), Larry frequently brought Suzy on the air to talk about how she had been feeling. Their willingness to share such personal details over the air further endeared the couple to thousands of KEEL’s adult listeners.
Larry Ryan played sports in high school and brought his love of sports to Shreveport
Ryan formed the KEEL “Dirty Dribblers” basketball team and the KEEL “Nasty Nine” softball team. The basketball team featured a few of the radio announcers but included legitimate sports talent such as former Northwestern State University basketball player-turned-media advertising specialist Al LeGrand.
The KEEL Dirty Dribblers and Nasty Nine softball teams played dozens of fund-raising games against the teachers and coaches at area schools.
The goodwill resulting from those charity games served to reinforce the personal bond between the radio station’s listeners and “Lovable” Larry Ryan’s radio team.
By 1974, the World Football League had started a new pro football league. This came a few years after the American Football League had successfully merged with the NFL in 1970.
The new WFL franchise located in Houston was already failing in Year #1.
Larry Ryan took to the air expressing his firm belief that Shreveport and Bossier City (with about 350,000 residents) was quite capable of supporting the Houston WFL franchise – assuming it could be moved to Shreveport.
Within weeks of Ryan’s daily on-air encouragement to local businesses and governmental leaders, the WFL’s Houston Texans (that was their name!) moved the franchise to Shreveport midway through the initial football season.
The Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League was born. A local crowd of more than 21,000 attended the Steamer’s first home game against Memphis in September, 1974. Though Shreveport’s attendance remained solid, the WFL folded midway through its second season in 1975 under mounting financial pressures.
Around this time, Larry and Suzy Ryan were offered a chance to buy another local radio station in Shreveport. Unlike KEEL’s 50,000 watt signal, local station KBCL’s signal was just 250 watts and operated on a daytime-only frequency.
The duo took the plunge anyway.
They built a top-notch on-air and sales staff and pursued FCC approval to relocate the radio station onto a frequency with 24-hour capability. Talented on-air personalities like Randy Davis (who enjoyed a long career in New York City), K.C. Daniels, Howard Jennings Hart, and Larry “Charlie” Monk joined the staff.
Current FOX Sports football and basketball broadcaster Tim Brando also worked for Larry Ryan at KBCL prior to moving to a larger radio market and into his future television career.
Though this under-powered AM radio station’s ratings were quite impressive, the inability to obtain a 24-hour operating frequency from the FCC, a declining local employment market, and the rise of FM competition forced the Ryans to return to their radio roots in the early 1980’s.
Bringing it forward
Larry Ryan would work for another 40 years (!) in the Shreveport area at various radio stations. He spent most of the past few decades playing 70’s and 80’s music formats for his faithful listeners.
Ralph “Mr. Weather” Montgomery began a career in another field, but his employer allowed him to work early mornings with his long-time partner, too.
Long-time friend and sales pro Al LeGrand stuck with Larry, too. Al provided sports commentary for Ryan’s morning shows and enjoyed participating in some of the on-air hijinks until retiring several years ago.
LeGrand built a very successful media advertising agency in Shreveport.
Larry’s one-woman dynamo wife, Suzy Ryan, proudly formed her own media advertising agency. She would (of course) provide sales support for Larry’s successful radio programs. The Ryans’ two children would also enter the media business after completing their education.
Sadly, Larry Ryan’s beloved wife and life partner, Suzy, passed away in 2013. Larry has (at least until last Friday) continued to work his morning radio show for a local FM station.
Interviewed two years ago, Larry Ryan (now in his 80’s) knew that his time behind the microphone would eventually come to an end.
In that print interview in 2024, Larry Ryan said, “I’ve done good. I’ve been nationally recognized, which really doesn’t mean that much other than ego. That has never been part of my being. I had fun!”
And so have we! Thank you for six decades of terrific memories, Lovable Larry!