Rydell first gained notoriety in radio in
Spokane, Washington, with following gigs in KXYQ and KMJK in
Portland, Oregon, then a two-year stint in
Cleveland at
WNCX. Rydell was the anchor on morning show that launched
Mike Trivisonno and Todd Brandt into radio fame. In 1990 and moved to
Anchorage, Alaska. There, he was hired at a relatively new station,
KBFX. Various stations had floundered at the 100.5 frequency in Anchorage for over a decade before it was relaunched as KBFX, playing a
classic rock format. Rydell spent a number of years during the early and mid-1990s as KBFX's morning show host, the last several years with co-host Jackie Purcell, the weather director for Anchorage television station
KTUU. Being fired in 1996, Rydell suddenly found himself out of work. He spent several years away from Anchorage and away from radio, mostly working in construction. He returned to Anchorage and made the transition to talk radio in 2001, following the retirement of
KENI's longtime morning host Dick Lobdell. Rydell previously simulcast his show to
Fairbanks station
KFBX, as well as contributed commentaries to the station's newscasts. Amongst Rydell's awards for his various radio programs, he was named "Best Morning Show" by
The Oregonian in 1988, "Best Comedy Series" in 1994, "Best Radio Show" in 2005, and "Most Uniquely Alaskan Radio Show" in 2006 by the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Rydell himself was named Alaska
Republican Man of the Year for 2004 by the
Republican Party of Alaska. In 2012 Rydell was referred to as an "All-Time Great Local Host" during the Conclave Learning Conference in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. He retired from radio in December 2018 after accepting a position in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game offered him by the governor. ==Bibliography==