Director of Broadcasting, Gary Chidester, is Set to Retire

Ira Bowman

Staff

After decades of working courtside and in the classroom, Gary Chidester, the Director of Broadcasting and voice of the Badgers approaches retirement. 

Gary Chidester has been associated with Snow College in some form since 1986 when he started radio play-by-play for Snow College football and basketball. He has spent 25 years as the voice of the Badgers on KMTI in two separate stints going from 1986-2004 and then again from 2018 till 2025. It is only fitting he sets his sights on retirement after providing play-by-play for the best season in Snow College men’s basketball history.

Gary has spent 33 years teaching, 38 years in a variety of roles in the athletic department including play-by-play announcer, Sports Information Director (SID), and official athletics photographer. His first-year teaching started August 1992, in that same year Gary became the part time SID. 

Gary stated he was very proud of accomplishing a couple of things during his time here at Snow, the biggest being the radio station. KAGJ FM Ephraim 88.9 The Kage is the station identification for the radio. 

Snow College radio became the first non-commercial FM broadcasting station in the state of Utah and was on and off the air until 1980 when it shut down. That is until Gary Chidester started it back up in 1993, and the station has been playing music 24/7 ever since. In the Kage’s heyday, roughly 70 students would rotate on and off the air as the station’s DJ, with a student on the air 24/7. 

Another proud part of working at Snow College for Gary was creating SnowTV. Gary started SnowTV in 2009 on YouTube and continues to stream lectures and Snow College football games on the channel. It is the perfect ending for Gary in his last year of SnowTV to be complimented by a member of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletics Association) for having “the best Junior College basketball broadcast in the country.” 

What comes next for the esteemed broadcaster? Gary has many hobbies he looks to spend more time doing in retirement. “A lot of side by side riding, woodworking (picture frames, some furniture) and a YouTube channel with my dog Duke, and call it Adventures with Duke. Duke is an English Cream Golden Retriever.”

Gary Chidester had a great career and helped many students throughout his time here. As one of Gary’s students, I wouldn’t be on the path to reaching my goals if it were not for him, and I know I'm not the only one.