Ian Punnett, a local broadcaster, novelist, and lecturer, passed away on Thursday after a short illness. The man was 63 years old. The student radio station Wildcat 91.9 FM at Kansas State University was run by Punnett, who was also the faculty advisor.
He began his tenure at Kansas State in 2018 in the role of associate professor in the A.Q. Miller School of Communication and Media. Smethers, the former director of the A.Q. Miller School, was a colleague of Punnett’s.
“First of all this news hits us very hard. Ian Punnett was a ray of sunshine. He brought such a professional quality into the classroom. It was his efforts that really put that radio station in the national spotlight. Ian was a man who could teach so many things, everything from media history to media law to our basic introductory course. His talents on the faculty will be missed, but what we’ve really lost is a quality human being,” he said.
The 2023 Intercollegiate Broadcasting Awards, which took place in New York City in February, honored Wildcat 91.9 FM, which Punnett had led, as the nation’s Best College/University Radio Station for schools with more than 10,000 students.
Punnett was a multi-talented individual who worked at K-State, Coast to Coast AM, News Radio KMAN, and his podcast Vaudeville for the Frightened. He also hosted overnights on KMAN. On Friday afternoon, Lisa Lyon, executive producer of Coast to Coast AM, made the following statement.
“I’ve had the privilege of producing for Ian these past 24 years, and I will miss our friendship and the professional collaboration. Every conversation behind the scenes was as lively and entertaining and everything we strive for on the air. Ian was great radio personified.”
His 35-year tenure in the industry included time spent hosting hard rock morning shows on stations including WGST in Atlanta and WGN in Chicago in the ’90s. At KTMY in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he and his wife co-hosted a morning show.
As of October, Punnett had become a Hall of Fame member of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. His two boys and wife Margery will carry on his legacy. A funeral service is still planned.
For up-to-the-minute information about other people’s deaths, including obituaries, autopsy reports, and causes of death, visit lakecountyfloridanews.com.
A number of other famous people’s deaths occurred due to the following:
- Caleb Swanigan Cause of Death: How did American Rapper Die?
- Mike Williams Cause of Death: What Really Happened to Mike Williams?
