John Hines (radio broadcaster)

Hines graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1971 before enrolling Brown College three days later. He began his radio career started in Normal, Illinois, lasting 13 months, three weeks, four days and 37 minutes before quickly returning to Minneapolis to work at WWTC-AM in 1973.[1]

Hines' radio career began to skyrocket when he moved to 15 The Music Station in 1975 and teamed up with longtime Twin Cites broadcaster Charlie Bush. Hines's irreverent humor alongside Bush's newsman gaffing wowed audiences across the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.[2]

When daytime television hosts Steve and Sharon Edelman left KSTP-TV in 1980, the young upstart was tapped by Hubbard Broadcasting as their replacement, hosting "Twin Cities Today" for one year.[3]

"I didn't like shaving and putting on a tie every day," Hines said. "So I thought lets go back to radio as quick as possible."[1]

Hines quickly returned to radio though, and in 1981 he joined Bob Berglund at WLOL-FM[4] in a magical pairing that more than doubled the stations ratings in a year.[5] Over the next 8 years, no one out hustled Hines and Berglund when it came to promotion.

"Fact is, around the Twin Cities, these guys are seen nearly as often as they're heard. They've done broadcasts from the roof of the Metronome, a billboard near Interstate Hwys. 94 and 35W, the beat at Lake Nokomis and from a bus."[6]

Hines stayed in morning drive at WLOL until its eventual sale to Minnesota Public Radio in 1990. He was quickly snatched up by K102,[7] where he was reunited with Charlie Bush. The move ignited the country station, quickly capitpolting it to second in listenership and first in the 25-to-54 demo.[8] Hines continued to work mornings there for almost 17 years while helping to earn a Station of the Year award from the Country Music Association.

In 2006, Hines moved up the dial to sister-station KTLK-FM where he hosted a morning talk show in an effort to bolster the startup station's star power.[9]

John Hines in 2014

Then, after almost two decades at Clear Channel, Hines joined News Radio 830 WCCO in 2010, where he first hosted an evening show. In 2011, Hines replaced John Williams in the midday time slot, where he worked daily broadcasting in 2018.[10]

Hines was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in 2017.[11] Hines was active with many charities throughout his career, including once being buried alive for 48 hours to help raise funds for the Twin Cities Food Shelves. [12] He has been married three times and has two sons.