Oskaloosa Native Gary Wilson Helps Make ‘Hannity’ Possible

Sean Hannity (left) and Oskaloosa's Gary Wilson (right)

by Joe Milledge

When 2.65 million people tune into the Sean Hannity Show today across America, it will have been made possible by local Oskaloosa native Gary Wilson. Wilson is a local broadcast engineer who also engineers for a group of Des Moines stations – and that is where Hannity’s show is broadcast live from Thursday and Friday.

Hannity is in Iowa the remainder of this week for the Republican Straw Poll, yet his show must go on. The Sean Hannity Show is carried on 530 stations as well as XM and Sirius but it is normally broadcast from WABC in New York. With the help of Wilson and some fancy technology, Sean can be live from Des Moines.

“The network sent me some equipment a few weeks ago and told us to have it ready” Wilson said. Typically Wilson spends a day or two every week at Citidel’s group of stations which includes KJJY, KGGO, KHKI but he is also is a local broadcast engineer for several stations.

For 40 years Gary has lived in Oskaloosa and has worked behind the scenes keeping radio stations on the air. “This is a highlight for me” Wilson said. Wilson may have had weeks to get ready, but Sean just had to arrive at the West Des Moines studios a few minutes before the 2PM EST start with his 2 producers. “Sean came in this afternoon – and I didn’t really recognize him – he was in jeans, and a baseball cap – but he is probably one of the nicest people you’d ever meet and spent some time talking to us.”

According to Talkers Magazine, The Sean Hannity Show is the second most listened to nationally syndicated radio show in America with 13.25 million listeners weekly. Sean will have to ditch the cap and jeans for tonight’s Fox News television show – which will also be broadcast live from the Des Moines area.