Long-time La Crosse talk show host Mike Hayes has died, a few months after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
Hayes was a familiar figure in La Crosse broadcasting for nearly 40 years. The Michigan native had worked on radio in several cities before arriving at WIZM in June of 1986. Hayes had hosted “La Crosse Talk” mornings on WIZM-AM from that time until a few weeks ago, according to the station.
Hayes also carried his show over to the weekends, hosting the “Mike’s Market” buy-and-trade program on WIZM on Saturday mornings. On Thursday mornings, he celebrated his love for cooking on the weekly “Coulee Region Cooks” show.
In a message to fans in September, Hayes publicly revealed his health situation and said he was making plans to get back into the studio. He concluded the message with a familiar line from his program, “Don’t forget to hug your kids.”
