One of Pittsburgh radio’s most legendary morning brands is getting a new voice — but in true WDVE fashion, it is not coming from some random consultant-approved talent pipeline three states away.
It is coming from Pittsburgh itself.
iHeartMedia Classic Rock 102.5 WDVE has officially added Tad Wissel to the “Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show,” giving the longtime Pittsburgh personality and creative producer a permanent seat alongside Randy Baumann, Abby Krizner and Mike Prisuta after months of regular appearances on the program. The station confirmed the addition through iHeartMedia channels this week.
And honestly, this feels like one of those moves that makes perfect sense the second you hear it.
Because WDVE has always worked best when it sounds unmistakably Pittsburgh. Not manufactured. Not over-polished. Not loaded with generic radio clichés that could come from any city in America. Pittsburgh listeners can smell fake from a mile away, and DVE’s success over the decades has largely come from understanding exactly who its audience is.
Tad Wissel fits directly into that DNA.
Wissel has been appearing weekly on the morning show for roughly the past six months, quickly building chemistry with the cast while bringing a mix of humor, storytelling and blue-collar Pittsburgh authenticity to the program. Outside radio, he has spent years producing podcasts and content through SLB Radio Productions while also serving as a firefighter in Pittsburgh — which honestly sounds like the kind of résumé only Pittsburgh could fully appreciate.
A firefighter.
A podcaster.
A creative producer.
And now part of one of America’s most iconic rock morning shows.
That is either the most Pittsburgh story ever or the setup to a sitcom somebody should already be pitching to Netflix.
Wissel’s connection to WDVE actually stretches back years. He originally got his start at the station as an intern before building his career elsewhere in media and public service. Now he returns full circle to officially join a morning show that has long been one of the cornerstones of Pittsburgh radio culture.
And if you know anything about WDVE, you know that is not a small deal.
Morning shows in rock radio used to dominate cities all over America. Some still do. But very few stations still maintain the kind of identity WDVE has protected over the years. In Pittsburgh, DVE is not simply another station preset. It is woven into Steelers conversations, bar talk, work trucks, garages and morning commutes across western Pennsylvania.
That is why adding the right personality matters.
Baumann praised Wissel’s ability to jump naturally into the chemistry of the existing show while emphasizing his understanding of Pittsburgh culture and humor — something longtime listeners clearly responded to during his guest appearances.
Wissel also described joining the show as a dream opportunity, noting that he grew up listening to WDVE and always viewed the station as part of Pittsburgh life itself.
And honestly, there is something refreshing about this story in modern radio.
No national syndication rollout.
No corporate rebrand.
No AI-generated morning strategy deck.
Just a local station doubling down on local personality.
In a time when so much of radio feels increasingly centralized and interchangeable, WDVE continues leaning into the exact thing many stations moved away from years ago: community identity.
That matters.
Especially in a city like Pittsburgh where listeners do not just want talent who can “do radio.” They want people who understand the neighborhoods, the attitude, the sports heartbreak, the weather complaints, the construction jokes and why somebody will still passionately argue about the Steelers offensive line while ordering a sandwich at 9 a.m.
Tad Wissel understands that world because he comes from that world.
And now, he officially becomes part of one of the most recognizable morning radio lineups in Pittsburgh history.
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.