A Dixon radio personality has received a Certificate of Recognition from the Illinois State Senate, honoring him for his 30 years in the business.

Sam Ramirez, program director of Dixon’s WIXN 95.1 and 1460 AM, River Country 101.7, and The Rock 95.7, received the certificate last week from state Sen. Li Arellano, R-Dixon.

“The Illinois Senate of the 104th General Assembly of the State of Illinois acknowledges Sam Ramirez in recognition of 30 years of dedication and service behind the mic at WRCV/WIXN and joins in the commemoration of the effort, dedication and hard work that led to success and further expresses its best wishes for personal happiness and professional achievement,” according to the certificate.

“I feel very honored and humbled by this recognition,” Ramirez said, thanking Arellano for the honor. “Honestly, I didn’t see something like this coming. I just enjoy what I do so much for our local communities but it was nice that someone took the time to acknowledge that at the state level.”

Ramirez said Arellano thanked him for all the years he’s served as a voice in the Sauk Valley community and for the decades he’s served as a positive, uplifting voice.

“Sam is a tremendous asset for our stations and the Sauk Valley community,” said J. Tom Shaw, Shaw Media vice president and chief revenue officer. “I couldn’t be more pleased for him to receive this well-deserved recognition.”

Ramirez, a Sterling native, graduated in 1994 from Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling and was waiting for the detasseling season to begin that summer so he could make a little money alongside the other job he had at Ponderosa. He was looking forward to starting school at Sauk Valley Community College.

At the same time, his mother, Kim, saw an employment ad in the Sterling Gazette’s classified section. The local radio station, WRCV/WIXN, was looking to fill a part-time sports announcer position.

His mother thought he should apply for the radio position. He took his mother’s advice and applied; it turned out to be a move that would forever change his life’s path.

In July 2024, exactly 30 years to the day that he started his first shift at the radio station, Ramirez celebrated the three decades he has spent behind the mic at WRCV/WIXN, where he began working July 11, 1994.

He started out covering Dixon High School basketball, and in August 1995, when he was 18, he was named the station’s sports director.

As for his education, he did start out at Sauk as planned, but ended up dropping out and working full time at the radio station. He went back to Sauk in 2000, graduated, and then went on to Northern Illinois University for two years, still with the intent to become a teacher. It was while taking classes at NIU that he decided that when it came down to it, he could not leave the radio profession.

He landed his own morning show in 2007 on River Country 101.7 and continues to cover school sports for all the stations.

He was promoted to program director in November 2025.