Mathew Blades has announced he will step down from co-hosting mornings at iHeartMedia Hot AC “Mix 96.9” KMXP Phoenix following his show on Friday, December 10.
Blades, who took a leave of absence in July following a panic attack, made the announcement on Monday morning to co-host Priscilla Ornelas. Blades intends to shift into helping others with their mental-health.
In a letter posted to the station’s website, Blades wrote, “I’m writing to announce that my journey here is coming to an end very soon. As I write this letter I’m not sure what I will do next. I’m almost done writing my book. I’ll continue my high paying job as a youth hockey coach, but am also working on a passion project for mental and spiritual health. A movement we’ll call #LearnFromPeopleWhoLivedIt. I’ve also enrolled in speakers school so that I can fine tune my skills to deliver the message that healed me three months ago in that retreat. You are not broken. There is nothing wrong with you. You just have yet to step into your life’s purpose. I’m committed to those words now, and must step into a new chapter of my life to fulfill them.
After starting his career at KCLD St. Cloud MN, Blades had brief stints at KCHX Midland TX and WJET-FM Erie PA before joining CHR turned Modern AC “Z104” WWZZ Washington DC for nights in 1998. After four years in Washington, Blades would then host nights at “Mix 93.3” KMXV Kansas City, return to WWZZ as morning host, afternoons at Country “92.5 The Wolf” KWOF Denver and mornings at Hot AC 94.5 WKTI Milwaukee prior to joining KMXP in 2010. Blades also had been tracking nights at “Cities 97.1” KTCZ Minneapolis.