WTMJ’s Charlie Sykes will step away from his daily radio show, Midday with Charlie Sykes, and his weekly television show on TODAY'S TMJ4, Sunday Insight, at the end of 2016. Sykes has been doing a daily show on WTMJ for 23 years. Beginning in January, current midday host Jeff Wagner will move up to 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. with a new show to be announced for 12-3 p.m.
During his time at WTMJ Radio, Sykes has become one of the most well-known talk show hosts in the Midwest and has been a key political voice in Wisconsin. He made headlines the past two years for his coverage of the 2016 presidential elections and his interview with Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. Sykes was also a nominee for 2016 National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for Personality of the Year.
“It has been both a pleasure and honor to work here,” said Sykes. “It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of the momentous changes that have taken place in Wisconsin over the last two decades. This is not a decision that I made either lightly or recently and it was not driven by this year’s political season. I made this decision more than a year ago for both professional and very personal reasons. My father died when he was 63, and I will turn 62 this year, so this year has always been circled on my calendar. Frankly, if I was ever going to make a move, it was now. While I am stepping back from my daily radio duties I intend to remain an active voice. I want to write more, travel more and pursue new opportunities.”
During Sykes’s career at WTMJ, he raised more than one million dollars for Stars and Stripes Honor Flight and supported WTMJ’s Kids2Kids Christmas Program and other station and community initiatives. In addition, he created and served as the editor-in-chief of RightWisconsin.com. Sykes also recently published his eighth book, “Fail U. – The False Promise of Higher Education” and is already at work on his ninth, a look at the future of the conservative movement.
