One of Hampton Roads radio’s most familiar and beloved voices is receiving an outpouring of support from listeners and colleagues across the region.
Saga Communications Classic Rock 106.9 The Fox (WAFX) has announced that longtime midday host Mike Arlo has entered hospice care following an ongoing medical issue.
In a brief statement posted to the station’s website and social media channels, The Fox shared that Arlo had been recovering at home before his condition worsened. The station asked listeners to keep Arlo and his family in their thoughts and prayers.
For generations of Norfolk-area radio listeners, Mike Arlo has been more than an air personality. He has been one of the defining voices of Hampton Roads radio.
Arlo joined WAFX in February 1996 and has hosted middays on 106.9 The Fox ever since, becoming a fixture of the station’s Classic Rock presentation for nearly three decades.
Before arriving at The Fox, Arlo built his reputation at sister station FM99 WNOR, where his Norfolk radio career began in 1975. He moved into mornings in 1977 and later transitioned to middays, remaining one of the market’s most recognizable personalities throughout the station’s growth and success.
Few broadcasters remain active in a single market for more than 50 years. Even fewer become woven into the fabric of a community the way Arlo has throughout his career.
At 76 years old, his legacy stretches across generations of listeners who grew up hearing his voice on their radios during commutes, workdays, and countless moments in between.
As word of his condition spreads throughout the industry, tributes and well wishes continue to arrive from listeners, former coworkers, and radio professionals who have long admired his contributions to Hampton Roads broadcasting.
Few careers span five decades. Fewer still leave a lasting impact on an entire market. Mike Arlo’s place in Norfolk radio history was secured long ago, and today the radio community joins together in gratitude for a broadcaster whose voice helped soundtrack generations of listeners.