Richard Mattson of Fox Island is best known in the South Sound and Pacific Northwest as radio’s Ric Hansen. He’s made his home on the quiet island, almost living in stealth mode, unobtrusively just outside of Gig Harbor since 1978. Ric and his wife Jackie have one son, Ben, who is 27. You’d never know it, but even in all of that ‘quiet’ on their waterfront property, there’s still a lot going on and perhaps more now than ever. To hear Ric tell it, it is clear to see how everything in his life up to now has led to the fulfillment of his life’s true passion.
Night to Shine
First, a bit more background on Ric’s earlier radio career and how things have come together in his life to have a part in the Night to Shine, a virtual prom event for teens and adults with special needs, on Friday, February 11, 5-8 p.m., in Gig Harbor.
Night to Shine welcomes all with special needs from 14 to 77 from throughout the South Sound. “It’s my favorite night of the year,” says Ric. “It’s an awesome prom night for folks with special needs on Night to Shine! COVID forces us to change things up and do an online visual event. We’re also staging a drive-thru (‘shine-thru’) parade for our honored guests.”
The night is sure to be a blast for those who attend and it’s all free. “Guests will stay in their cars and register,” Ric explains. “There’ll be a DJ providing dance music, a balloon arch, bubbles and a décor station including car décor and flower corsages. Each guest will receive a gift pack that includes Gig Harbor Chocolates, cookies, and a meal-to-go. Then photos with Superman and Superwoman before the grand finale with headlights flashing and horns honking.”
Night to Shine 2022 is a pre-recorded virtual event provided by the Tim Tebow Foundation. It includes a virtual walk down the red carpet, karaoke, dancing, special guests and more, all leading up to the moment when every single honored guest will be crowned as a king or queen of the prom at their local venue, such as the YMCA parking lot in Gig Harbor.
“We are doing everything we can to make them feel loved,” Ric emphasizes. The local effort in Gig Harbor expects 200 guests and up to 350 volunteers, who serve “not as a date or caregiver” per se, but as “an escort or buddy” for the gala for each special guest.
Night to Shine was first held in Gig Harbor in 2018 but was launched nationally in 2014 by the Tim Tebow Foundation as a commitment to celebrating people with special needs. “Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages 14 and older.” Register online at Harbor Christian Center’s Calendar page and look for the HCC app in your favorite app store.
Step Into the Way Back Machine with Ric Hansen
It was in 1976 that Ric Hansen was hired as manager of KTAC in Tacoma. The radio station and its FM counterpart ‘Beautiful Music’ KBRD FM were located on the top floor of the Tacoma Mall Office Building with an unobstructed view of Mount Rainier from the studios.
KTAC was a Top-40 station competing directly against KJR in Seattle. Ric had worked for KJR’s sister station KJRB in Spokane for two-and-a-half years before his bigger break came to return to the Seattle-Tacoma market.
KTAC was home to Chuck Bolland’s sports commentary “That’s the Way the Ball Bounces…” which went on to become syndicated. Chuck was a dynamic radio news director.
Bob Case was ‘The Amazing Zork,’ and Gary Greenberg was ‘The Amazing Stardoz, ‘ both larger-than-life superheroes making costumed public appearances at marketing events, concerts and street fairs for KTAC.
Ric built an on-air lineup of strong radio personalities around the clock. There was a cohesive team spirit among all the behind-the-scenes staffers in sales and marketing that led to making those years memorable not just for Ric but for the vast fan base of avid listeners who would show up in droves at events. “Everybody loved what we were doing,” Ric recalls.
KTAC was at the forefront of community involvement with a presence and commitment to fundraising for charitable causes. Ric Hansen has long held those same values. But things came into sharper focus for him in more recent years.
To this day, Ric Hansen is still held in the highest regard by former employees.
Peter DeVore, aka Peter McLaine, reveals how his radio name came to be. “Ric hired me to work at KTAC, and he is the reason my on-air name ended up as Peter McLaine,” Peter says. “I had been Peter Dee in Coos Bay, Peter McNeil in Albany and Peter Chase in Eugene. I wanted to use Peter McNeil again, but Ric thought there might be a negative subliminal association with McNeil Island Federal Prison. But Ric did like the ‘Mc’ part of an on-air name. So, as we sat at his desk, he’d grab items and shout out, Peter McPencil! No, that won’t work. Peter McStapler! Nix that one. Peter McCoffeeCup. Uh, no. So, I promised Ric I’d go home and page through the phone book to see what I could find. I ended up presenting Peter McLaine to him, and he said yes. Some 40+ years later, that’s still in use by me. I did so enjoy working for Ric and the great staff parties he would throw on Fox Island.”
Maryann Eng, aka Kacie Sommers, recalls, “As I think about Ric, his big ear-to-ear smile comes to mind. I’d pop into his office, he’d be sitting in his P.D. chair, and he always greeted me with a “Rockin’ Ric Hansen” smile! It made me feel good about why I was working there. He was always willing to listen to my air checks and give great tips and advice. I remember fondly when we were in a meeting at KJR, and we were all listening to my segment. Ric said something first (we all had a chance to give input.) He said, “You sure can tell she’s smiling at 3 in the morning and sounds like she’s having fun!” Ric made my day back then! So, yes, it was his smile back then like it still is today! A true friend in my book!”
Grant Broadwell, aka Greg Cook from KTAC, honored Ric by naming his own son after him. “I love the guy! In 1977 he hired me to work weekends and vacation relief at KTAC in Tacoma when I was just starting out in radio. He helped me develop my on-air talents. I later worked in Seattle, San Jose and San Diego. He also became a close friend. My son Trevor’s middle name is Richard. I’m also a fan of Ric’s Amazing Greats podcasts – I loved his conversations with former Seattle Sonic James Donaldson and former Seattle Seahawk Jeff Kemp.”
Amazing Greats Podcast
Ric and Jackie’s son Ben loves the outdoors and has always enjoyed attending summer camp. But Ric had not envisioned it as anything more than an opportunity for Ben to commune with nature. Until one day, Ben called from camp and said he’d like to be baptized. That led, in turn to Ric being rebaptized in 2013 and the unfolding of a whole new path in his life.
Ric explains that in the pandemic era and with the dramatic decrease in demand for the Radio Parties DJ services nationwide, he has been led to refocusing his lifework. “My mission became – as I got deeper and deeper into my spiritual life – that I only want to manage projects that glorify God,” he says. Thus, the podcast Amazing Greats was developed. Celebrity conversations are featured with authors, athletes and others who share their authentic life stories and how their faith in God played an important role in their success and in pulling some of them back from the brink when their world seemed to be closing in on them.
NBA star James Donaldson, author Debbie Macomber, Seattle Seahawks’ Jeff Kemp, business author Ken Blanchard, singer Debbie Boone are recent podcast guests. The Amazing Greats podcasts are free and are available on Apple, Google, iHeart and other platforms including YouTube.
Radio Parties
KPLZ, ‘Z-101.5’, Seattle, was contracting with another DJ company providing DJs for school dances in 1986. Ric had an ‘Ah-ha!’ moment to launch his own independent DJ business as jobs in radio are notoriously unstable. “If it works in Seattle,” he decided. “I can make it work anywhere and run it from here and subcontract” Ric’s DJ enterprise grew from its humble beginning on Fox Island to span the United States. That’s how Radio Parties grew from coast to coast. Baltimore was the first city that hired his company. Ric would travel to cities across the country to meet with local DJs and hire them for school dances, weddings, proms, pool parties, etc. But the pandemic throttled back the demand for music at large event venues.
Ric Hansen’s Radio Journey
“I did nothing in high school, but I had a growing interest and need to be in radio,” Ric recalls. “I had a cousin in radio. I would make (audition) tapes and send them to my cousin. He would evaluate them and send them back. By the time I graduated in 1967, I had sent some tapes out to radio stations in Eastern Washington. I applied everywhere from Colville to the Tri-Cities and Colfax. One was Othello. They called back and asked me to send another tape. And when I graduated from high school, I packed up everything I owned in the backseat of my Volkswagen Bug and left for Othello. After being there three months, I realized that if I didn’t go back to school or get into college, I’d be drafted because the Vietnam War was going on. So, I came back home. I was offered a weekend day job at KRKO in Everett, which I took. I went to Evergreen College for a year. Then I went to Ogden Radio School in Huntington Beach, California, to get my First-Class FCC License. I spent ten weeks in the school, got my license, and KRKO gave me a full-time job.”
Gary Taylor of KJR was helpful and nurturing. He said, “We can give you a job on the weekends. Wait a minute! I have a better idea for you. KJRB Spokane! Go over there and really get an education on how to be an announcer.” The program director from KJRB called and offered Ric a full-time job. “Those were the most amazing times of my radio career,” says Ric. “I was only 19 at the time. I was in heaven!”
“After 2-1/2 years, I got a call from Pat O’Day at KJR for a ‘utility DJ.’ I said sure I’ll do it. I came to KJR, worked the summer of ’72, then at the end of the summer, I had befriended all of the (radio advertising) sales guys, writing ad copy for them. As my job was winding down, the salespeople told Pat O’Day they wanted Ric Hansen to have a full-time position working with my absolute idols, Pat O’Day, Lan Roberts, Norm Gregory, and Gary Shannon. That was the breakthrough moment when you get to Seattle. It was like a dream!”
“All the time, I thought that ‘I must be really talented,’ but later in life, I have come to realize that I am not the most talented guy and that it was simply God’s grace,” says Ric. “It’s only now that I’ve been able to put aside my ego and realize it wasn’t about me at all.” Ric acknowledges that he has “the gift of empathy” and that while he was in high school and all the kids who were going to the class prom, I was the guy who felt that I was inadequate. At the time, it was horrible – absolutely horrible! I remember praying – why – why do I have to go through this? But you know, I think going through that was a God-gift. I learned how to treat other people. The amazing thing about God is that even the bad things that happen are for your good.”
Summary of Ric Hansen’s Radio Career
Ric Hansen’s radio career has included the powerhouse stations, as noted above, and KVI, KJR FM, KPLZ FM – Seattle, KMED Radio, KNBQ FM morning show with Chet Rogers for five years in Tacoma, KTAC Tacoma, KJRB Spokane and KRKO Everett. And that one little unnamed station in Othello where it all began. The Amazing Greats often come from the humblest of beginnings in life.
