Ralph Garman is leaving KROQ’s morning show Kevin & Bean after 18 years.
Garman, along with hosts Kevin Ryder and Bean Baxter, announced the news at the start of Thursday’s show, which marked his last day at the Pasadena-based station.
KROQ and the hosts also tweeted the news.
As you just heard on-air, we’re sad to report that @RalphGarman has announced that today is his last day as part of the Kevin & Bean morning show. We’re grateful for all he has done for us and our program, and wish him all the best.
— Kevin & Bean Show (@kevinandbean) November 30, 2017
.@RalphGarman announced that today is his last day with @kevinandbean. It’s a day we hoped would never come. This sucks, but we’re EXTREMELY grateful for the 18 yrs he gave us…he carried us 🙂 https://t.co/HaxfD8hE4A
— Kevin Ryder (@thekevinryder) November 30, 2017
The most uniquely talented man in broadcasting leaves the @KevinAndBean Show today. Thank you @RalphGarman for thousands of laughs over 18 years. You will be missed by all. https://t.co/vSVuuLKaNY
— KROQ’s Bean (@clydetombaugh) November 30, 2017
Garman did not give a reason for his departure, but his friend Kevin Smith, who hosts the Hollywood Babble On podcast and live show with Garman, claimed in a tweet that the move was due to “budget cuts.”
“After giving them 20 years of laughs loyalty & his life, @kroq just shit-canned my Babble brother @RalphGarman because of budget cuts. But worse? They won’t let Ralph say WHY he’s fired on @kevinandbean today!” he wrote.
After giving them 20 years of laughs loyalty & his life, @kroq just shit-canned my Babble brother @RalphGarman because of budget cuts. But worse? They won’t let Ralph say WHY he’s fired on @kevinandbean today! Listen LIVE as Ralph gets K-robbed of his job: https://t.co/ARz7gxkip7 https://t.co/TSplnmiyVV
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) November 30, 2017
Garman retweeted that tweet.
The news was first announced at the top of the 6 a.m. hour, and Garman addressed it again ahead of his “Showbiz Beat” segment just before 7 a.m.
He was moved to tears as he discussed his imminent departure.
Addressing the listeners, Garman said: “For almost two decades, you guys have been there for me, professionally and personally, and I really appreciate it. It’s been great. Thanks so much. I don’t know what I’ll be doing next, but it has been an honor to make you laugh and smile in the morning, on occasion, and I hope that I’ll have the opportunity to do that again somehow, someway, and you’ll be kind enough to support me and to pay attention when I do something.”
He also shot down a Twitter theory that his exit was due to sexual harassment allegations.
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Many listeners reacted to the news on Twitter with emotions ranging from sadness to displeasure to anger.
Garman is the longtime host of Kevin & Bean’s entertainment segment “The Showbiz Beat” in addition to providing a slew of voices for the show, from Donald Trump to Taylor Swift. He also regularly performed imitations of Ryder and Baxter themselves in addition to his jovial mocking of their quirks, from odd tweets (Baxter) to trouble forming cohesive sentences (Ryder). Garman also was (reluctantly) featured in the weekly segment “Wheel O’ Bad Animal Voices.”
Over the years, he has shared details with the audience about his personal life, from his wedding to the loss of his newborn son.
Garman also is an actor with credits on Family Guy (as various voices), Agent Carter, Bones and 10 Items or Less and was host of reality series The Joe Schmo Show. He also had a small part in the Al Pacino film Two for the Money.
An avid comic-book fan, Garman teamed up with Smith for DC Entertainment and Dynamite Entertainment’s Batman ’66 Meets the Green Hornet.
It’s unclear who will take over “Showbiz Beat,” but Kevin & Bean co-host Allie Mac Kay typically fills in when Garman is on vacation.
Over the summer, KROQ got new owners when CBS’ radio division merged with Entercom.
Amid those changes, the station ended its Sunday night program Rodney on the Roq, hosted by longtime station personality Rodney Bingenheimer (another voice that Garman regularly impersonated) for 40 years.
In early 2015, KROQ management fired longtime Kevin & Bean personalities Lisa May and Doc on the Roq (aka Boyd Britton) from the show. May had reported on traffic for years and also become essentially a co-host to Ryder and Baxter, while Britton reported on the day’s news. KROQ brass were widely criticized for their handling of the news on-air — failing to give either a chance to say goodbye to fans — and Garman himself drew criticism for seemingly becoming angry at listeners for their reactions.
Garman continued to be a part of the show through his last day.