After being off the air since late December and receiving a heart transplant in February, Hal Jay will return to mornings at Cumulus Media News/Talk 820 WBAP Fort Worth/Dallas on Monday, April 3.
Hal Jay had been absent from the WBAP Morning News after the holidays, and at 6:18 AM on January 16th, he told his listeners why. After suffering two ventricular tachycardia events within a week of each other, doctors at Baylor Scott & White Hospital told Jay, “Your heart is done.”
Hal was placed on the transplant list and told his expected wait would be 2-6 months for a new heart. Fortunately, it didn’t take that long. On February 3rd, Hal Jay received a call informing him a heart had become available and he would be going into surgery that night.
His transplant surgery started at 1:00 AM on February 4th, and by 5:00 AM, he was resting back in his hospital room. Nine days later, Hal climbed into the car with his wife Ann and was able to return home to Fort Worth.
Then, on March 29th, WBAP listeners heard from Hal Jay again, with promos steadily running in rotation – and this time, with the message they’d been waiting for. “I’m coming back!,” his voice exclaimed as listeners were told of his April 3rd return date.
A key member of the WBAP team since 1981, Hal is currently in his 42nd year with Newstalk 820 WBAP.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com