Mornings just aren’t the same for many faithful listeners of 93.7 BOB-FM now that Eric “Morning Guy” Worden is gone.
Worden, a well-known disc jockey who has graced Hampton Roads’ airwaves for more than 30 years, was let go from the station on Oct. 15. Worden was told that was his last day with Sinclair Communications immediately following the conclusion of his energetic, quirky, spontaneous and, of course, music-filled program.
His wife, Julianne, general sales manager and program director for Sinclair’s WNIS and WTAR stations, learned moments before her husband that she too was required to take early retirement.
Both considered rainmakers, the Wordens each brought in the numbers they needed for listeners and advertisers. The cuts were strictly budgetary and not personal or performance-based, said Bob Sinclair Jr., general manager of the company’s five Norfolk stations.
“This was not a decision made lightly or easily,” he said. “I would definitely say it was the toughest day/week of my professional life for sure.”
The Wordens and office manager Julinda Britt, the company’s first hire in 1977 by the late Bob Sinclair Sr., were the only staff in Norfolk given the early retirement. A handful of employees were also let go in Texas, Sinclair said.
Sinclair Communications includes News/Talk 790 WNIS, 93.7 BOB-FM, US 106.1, 96X and Talk Radio 850 AM/96.5 FM WTAR in Hampton Roads and nine radio stations in Austin, Texas, managed under Waterloo Media.
“Business is tough for media, all media,” Sinclair said. “It’s been tough since 2020 when the pandemic happened and it affected a lot of advertising.”
Moving forward, the company plans to continue to put out the best product it can on the air, Sinclair said.
Eric Worden, who is engrained in the fabric of local radio, said he and his wife — along with his followers — were shocked.
“The good Lord will take care of us,” Worden said when he broke the news during a Facebook livestream.
“It’s part of life and a lot of people these days are losing their gigs for whatever reason,” he said. “As for the various chapters, I have to say those including 93.7 were the best. The frequency flows through my veins.”
Worden spent a total of 51 years on various airwaves from the West Coast to the East Coast.
His journey into radio began when he followed in his late father’s footsteps — announcing for him as a teenager for KRSB in his hometown of Roseburg, Oregon.
He entered the Hampton Roads market in 1993 at WKOC 93.7 The Coast, followed by a brief stint at 106.9 The Fox. He then became one of the first voices on the air at 94.9 The Point. He returned to Sinclair when they revived The Coast and later transitioned it to BOB-FM. He worked at WXTG-FM The Tide for several years until returning again to BOB in 2018.
He also developed a following through his daily Facebook livestreams that included down-to-earth shenanigans such as an electric car race with prizes, a shuttlecock toss to raise money for the nonprofit Paint Pink, and an ever-growing listener “Legoland.”
For Julianne Worden, Sinclair has been the only job — and “home” — she’s devoted her time, energy and love to for the past 37 years. Her journey with the company began in 1988, and she worked her way up through sales.
“I’ve had the most amazing career, met so many phenomenal people — including all the biggest names in talk radio — and had the opportunity to do so many things,” she said. “I’ve worked for a company that I loved from Day 1. It has been a family.”
With a boatload of thanks to the Sinclair family, the Wordens are appreciative of their tenure. “This has been a great run,” he said.
The couple — married for a decade — also have the station to thank for their love story that started when they met there 16 years ago. And they are equally thankful they have one another to lean on while the landscape changes around them.
“We love radio and we are radio people,” he said. “There are fewer and fewer of us left.”
The world of radio is changing, particularly with artificial intelligence-powered content displacing jobs and younger demographics tuning in to streaming and podcasts.
The core of radio’s strength still lies in its personality and local connection, and that can’t yet be replicated by an algorithm, said entertainment analyst Laura Fisher at MIDiA Research. The medium is built on trust and companionship, where the presenter acts as a familiar voice that provides context, shares stories and creates a sense of community.
And while he wasn’t afforded the opportunity to bid farewell on air, Worden said he would’ve wrapped it up with his favorite songs and a heartfelt thank-you to the community. The outpouring of support continues to warm the couple’s hearts.
Hampton Roads will continue hearing from the Wordens in the future — whether it’s Eric’s guitar art, their voiceover gigs through Studio Center, his “PopUp Radio” podcast, or whatever is yet to come.
“We’ll keep rockin’ it,” he said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com
