Spreading his love of music and voice across La Porte County during his morning show, Dennis Siddall is more than the voice behind the mic. He is currently the General Manager of Spoon River Media LLC, and one of his favorite things about working in radio is the joy he brings his listeners.
“My favorite thing is the morning show and being on the air,” Siddall said. “I like trying to entertain the listeners and coming up with different ideas each day to help them get up and laugh and put that smile on their face.”
After graduating from Knox Community High School, Siddall and his wife moved to Valparaiso where he was working at a warehouse for Midland Groceries. After four years, it shut down, and that was the push for him to go back to school. Siddall then went to Columbia College Chicago’s School of Broadcasting to start his dream. It was a journey for Siddall to get into that booth but his love of entertainment started way before, and it’s the same love that has kept him across the sound waves for the last 34 years.
“Listening to WLS as a kid to Larry Lujack, John Records Landecker, Fred Winston, and Tommy Edwards, I thought these guys get to play music and only work four hours a day, and that's what got me going,” Siddall said. “The local radio station's general manager came in on career day in high school to talk about the radio. I thought that was the neatest job.”
Other than waking up La Porte with a smile, Siddall likes to extend that positive energy to more than just his listeners. For the past 23 years, Siddall has been doing an annual Roof Sit to raise money for underprivileged children around the holiday season. The fundraiser helps between 600 and 800 children each year, which is no small feat. The Roof Sit was an idea that sprouted one evening after talking to his friend, Andy Shawl, at the La Porte County Fair.
“I wanted to do something for kids. I've always coached kids in various sports, including my own, and I've helped out whenever possible, so this was perfect for me,” said Siddall. “That evening, we met with members of the La Porte Jaycees, talked for an hour, then went back to talk to the station owners and the rest is history.”
Over the past several years, the La Porte Jaycees disbanded, but that didn’t stop Siddall and his community from giving back. After the La Porte Jaycees ended, the La Porte County Association of Realtors partnered with the radio station to keep Roof Sit going. Siddall said that his community is one of the most generous and makes everything he does worth it.
“We keep going because the community keeps giving, which allows us to take the underprivileged children Christmas shopping every year,” Siddall said. “The biggest value is seeing kids getting necessities like underwear, pajamas, socks, shoes, or a winter jacket; you would be amazed at how many kids on the night that we go shopping don't have any of that stuff. They're just thrilled about it, and it just puts the biggest smile on my face. To me, that’s what this is about, and that gives me the biggest pleasure.”
When he isn’t waking up La Porte or in the booth, Siddall likes to enjoy time with his wife and their children because that is his number one priority for him. He is celebrating his 40th anniversary this upcoming summer with a trip to Europe. He also loves keeping the tradition of things he did with his children alive with his grandchildren. Aside from the tremendous love he has for his family, he also enjoys sports, photography, and he even started a YouTube channel.
You can hear Dennis every morning on air from Spoon River Media LLC, or be on the lookout for next year’s Roof Sit.