The Buzzman

• Website: https://www.lccommunityradio.org/reelin-in-the-years.html
• Email: rkadzis@gmail.com
• Since: 1974
• DJ Calendar

The Buzzman – KTAL’s ‘Voice of the Rio Grande’

Richard Kadzis, aka “The Buzzman,” has an extensive broadcasting and media career, having worked for 16 networks, news services and stations including Associated Press Audio, ABC Monday Night Football, NPR’s All Things Considered, Pacifica National Radio’s Democracy Now, and WBUR-FM’s Prime Time News in his hometown, Boston.

In 1974 as a student at Connecticut College, he co-founded WCNI-FM, a community radio station still serving New London, CT. “That’s where the Buzzman was born,” Kadzis recalls. “After meeting George Carlin live on the air at WEZE as a DJ before his renowned stand-up comedy years, I caught the radio bug big-time and WCNI was my first chance to live the on-air dream.”

His program, The Altitude Adjustment, for KBUT-FM, community radio serving Crested Butte and Gunnison, CO, earned the Buzzman “Top DJ of the Year” honors in 2017 before joining the KTAL-LP team in Las Cruces to host Tuesday Night Jazz and Reelin’ in the Years (Friday rock n’roll). He also hosts and produces KTAL's "Drive Time Jazz" program, broadcast Monday - Thursday mornings from 7 - 8 AM Mountain.

The Buzzman was dubbed “The Voice of the Rio Grande” by Sonoma Ranch Magazine for working on-air simultaneously at KBUT and KTAL in the summer of 2017, when KTAL went live.

“Despite the major networks and stations I worked for either commercially or under the NPR umbrella,” Kadzis feels strongly about his community radio roots and focus. “There’s nothing like community radio. Let’s be glad for it. We need it.”