‘The most emotional piece of radio I’ve ever done.’ Chris Rieger’s unforgettable tribute to his dad

It’s a little over a month now since Chris Rieger’s dad passed away.

Chris is the Afternoons announcer at outback radio station 2WEB in Bourke, New South Wales and today – on Father’s Day – he is reminded of what was probably the most emotional piece of radio he has done in over 30 years.

In paying tribute to his dad, Chris tells Radio Today “He wasn’t a radio man – he was ex-Navy – but he was super proud of me and when he visited whatever town I was in, he’d happily tell anyone that would listen that his son was on the radio!”

“Just this year I was very blessed to have him in Bourke with mum before his health deteriorated and we had to get him home to Melbourne.”

“He was gutted that he couldn’t stay and be here for my 50^th birthday, but this is no place to be suffering from heart failure. We had to get him home.”

Within weeks, Chris’s dad was in palliative care at Werribee Hospital.

“The day before he passed I wasn’t meant to be working as I wanted some time off but I was asked to do just a couple of hours.”

Chris says it was the toughest day he has faced.

“I knew mum had been streaming 2WEB to him while I was on air as I’d made the decision not go down at that time. I figured there was nothing I could do but wait for the inevitable, plus my siblings were there for support.”

“I decided if I was going to be on air then I’d dedicate the 2 o’clock Theme Train to him.

You can listen to Chris’s opening break above.

“After composing myself I went on to play an hour of the songs I grew up listening to on the radio with him, in particular 3KZ’s Saturday Night Jukebox with Don Lunn.”

Chris’s dad passed away the next morning.

“So, in some way, I’m glad I did that two hours … and I don’t think I would have been able to do that at any other radio station than 2WEB.”