Every Saturday morning from 10am-noon for 10 years, Ike Haislar, founder of Computerease, hosted a radio talk show about all things computers that aired on the local WRYT 1080 AM station. This is an interview with Ike before he passed away in 2019 where he shared memories of hosting his radio show.
Why did you start a radio show?
There wasn’t another show locally or even nationally that covered computers – and businesses were starting to use technology more and more in their day-to-day operations. Our target audience was business professionals who used a single computer and even multi-user networks. We averaged 2,000-3,000 people listening for a specific segment and even had Toshiba, HP and AT&T executives as guests!
What is your best memory of producing this show?
It was just a great experience! We laughed, we had fun and it was enjoyable. We were constantly doing something silly while helping people at the same time.
How has business changed since you started Computerease in 1984?
The biggest change has been our transition from a break-fix company that built and fixed individual computers to an IT managed service provider for small and medium businesses that depend on reliable IT support, data back-ups and cybersecurity solutions. My son, Ryan, is now the Vice President of Computerease and he has worked very hard to serve our local business owners with all of the latest technology advantages and needs. I’m very proud of what he has accomplished!
