Media

Keith Ryan

Year Inducted: 1989

Category: Media

Schools / Organizations:
WKRS Radio
US Cable of Lake County

Biography: Keith Ryan came to the Lake County area from Maine in the spring of 1964 and has broadcast that area’s top sporting events. He served as sports director of the Waukegan radio station WKRS until leaving in 1976, when he joined the Regional Transportation Authority as public relations officer for Lake County. Ryan continued his sportscasting career on a part-time basis until 1981 when he joined US Cable of Lake County. Ryan treasures his broadcast of the 1966 IHSA Regional basketball final pairing Waukegan and North Chicago won by the Warhawks on Rufus Wood’s legendary shot at the buzzer. Also a great memory is his broadcast of the state high school championship baseball game which gave Waukegan its first state baseball title in 1971. High on Ryan’s all-time favorite assignment list was his description of the 1973 IHSA Sectional basketball game in which New Trier defeated Zion-Benton with Billy McKinney in the final two seconds and then continued to the state championship game. In his 25-years as a sportscaster, Ryan never “bad-mouthed” a coach, player or team. Ryan is regarded as one of the most positive sportscasters to broadcast a game.