In Memory: Michael Komichak
January 8, 2015
After a remarkable 65 years as host of the Ukrainian Radio Program, Michael Komichak died on December 28 at the age of 95. He hosted the program right up until a few months before his death. The show was a staple on WPIT (730) each Sunday.
Although the lifelong resident of McKees Rocks had been trained as a Radio Engineer as a US Merchant Marine in World War II, he had no training in broadcast radio when he took over the program in July 1950. His program helped to keep the Ukrainian community tied together. Although the concept remained the same over the years, it was never allowed to get stale. Komichak would later become station manager – a position he held from 1975-1992 – and opened the airtime to ethnic programs of all types.
