Where’s Skippy? Longtime Fresno radio personality leaves KMJ after 3 years

There were those who thought Frances Echeverria had retired from radio when she stepped away as host of New Rock 104.1’s morning show in 2019.

But she was off of Fresno’s airwaves for just a month before being picked up by KMJ as a voice for the station’s “Afternoon Drive,” co-hosting the call-in talk show alongside Philip Teresi. At that point, she had spent nearly two decades in radio, and said then she hadn’t expected the opportunity.

On Friday afternoon, Echeverria announced her actual retirement from radio, in a final broadcast with KMJ.

“The station has meant more for me personally that I can ever explain,” Echeverria said during the final minutes of the show.

Skip, or Skippy, as she’s known to her audiences, explained the seemingly sudden departure as a lifestyle change, as much as a career one. Echeverria also works as a therapist and is a professor at Fresno State.

“I want to live a life that does not include radio.”

In a post on the website Medium, she wrote about coming to the decision as finally being honest with herself.

“I didn’t want to do radio anymore. It wasn’t that it was bad. In fact, the chemistry with my partner was continually evolving into something better. I had good bosses. I felt like I was making a difference, whatever that means. Working there made me smarter. And yet I was done. Deep in my heart and down in my soul. Done.”

Echeverria was clear there wasn’t another job offer out there and she wasn’t dissatisfied with the gig.

“This has been years in the making. It’s about one story ending and another beginning. I just don’t know the plot yet.”

The station did not reply to questions about possible a replacement or plans for the show moving forward, but for now, it appears Teresi will run the show solo.

On Monday, Echeverria’s name had been removed from the intro bumper and Teresi started the show without mention of Skip’s absence.

The Afternoon Drive can be heard 2-6 p.m. on News Talk 580 and 105.9 KMJ.

This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 3:32 PM.