Larry Meiller announces retirement after 58 years on Wisconsin Public Radio

MADISON, Wis. (Dec. 1) – A fixture of Wisconsin radio for nearly six decades, Larry Meiller has announced that he will retire from his Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) program at the end of June 2026.

Meiller has been a daily presence on WPR since 1967 and his call-in talk show is among the most listened-to programs on the statewide radio network. Featuring a mix of Wisconsin-focused subjects and guests, Meiller has welcomed listeners to join in on conversations about the environment, consumer issues, nature, books, gardening, home improvement and more each weekday since creating WPR’s call-centered show format with “The Larry Meiller Show” in 1978.

In addition to his remarkable radio career, Meiller was a professor emeritus in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He retired from his 102-semester teaching career in higher education in 2022.

“As Larry retires, we are so honored to celebrate one of the greatest careers in public radio,” WPR Director Sarah Ashworth said. “It has been a personal pleasure to get to work alongside Larry and listen to the care he has brought to fostering valuable relationships with our listeners across Wisconsin. Larry’s legacy has shaped how WPR interacts with our listeners, and how we strive to include voices from across the state.”

In addition to many accolades he received for his work in radio and higher education, Meiller was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2017.

As he made his announcement on Monday afternoon’s show, Meiller reflected on his career.

“It’s something I’ve been thinking of a long time,” Meiller said. “There are a lot of reasons for it. I have a daughter getting married in July. I have three great daughters and I haven’t had enough time to spend with them. I want to do a little running around with them.”

“We went from a 30-minute farm show almost 60 years ago and took it to a 60-minute show I co-hosted with a few people. In 1978, WPR Director Jack Mitchell came to me and said he was thinking of putting together a call-in talk show. I thought about it for a bit and I said I want to keep an Extension-aspect to it, and have fun with it. I want to do shows that are useful to people in their daily life – health shows, garden shows, environment and outdoor shows — everyday kind of shows that touch on topics we’re all interested in here in Wisconsin.”

“So I got started in 1978 with an hour call-in show. Then we went to 90 minutes. Then two hours. I’m not going any higher,” Meiller laughed.

“I wondered how many shows I’ve done in 59 years. You do the math and I believe I’ve hosted more than 13,670 shows over my time with somewhere-in-the-neighborhood of 27,000 topics, 30-35,000 guest experts and about 350,000 calls and emails since I started.

“The guests, the callers and the emailers are the stars of this show,” Meiller added. “I’ve had a lot of fun with it, and it’s been a real treat for a long, long time.”

Ahead of Meiller’s retirement on June 30, 2026, WPR will celebrate his extraordinary career with a series of events across Wisconsin, including live broadcasts at PBS Wisconsin’s Garden and Green Living Expo in February and the annual Bayfield in Bloom event in May. Full details will be shared for these and other events at wpr.org.

Meiller’s legacy will continue to inspire these same kinds of conversations as his mid-day show’s timeslot will be replaced by another WPR-produced show that shares his commitment to practical advice and engaging conversations.

“The Larry Meiller Show” airs weekdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the WPR News network across Wisconsin and streaming online at wpr.org and on the WPR app. Daily show archives can be heard online at wpr.org/shows/larry-meiller-show.

About Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin are services of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Media division and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Together, they serve communities statewide through trusted journalism, educational programming, and Wisconsin storytelling – on air, online, and in person through live events, freely accessible to all, and powered by community support. wpr.org

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.