SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A familiar voice you hear introducing each of our newscasts is stepping away from the microphone. Doug Lund has been doing voiceover work for KELOLAND TV ever since he retired from his full-time newsroom duties back in 2006. But now Doug, a member of the South Dakota Broadcasting Hall of Fame, is giving his voice a rest, to focus on his health.

Doug Lund’s voice has resonated with KELOLAND viewers for decades.

“I guess for doing so many different things at KELO, I did do that, and my voice was on all of it. So, that’s really flattering to hear that I’ve been considered the Voice of KELOLAND, and I’m very proud of that,” Doug said.

Doug’s voice was his ticket to a long and successful career at KELOLAND starting in 1975.

“Most people think I was just in there for news. But actually, I was hired to do the voice work for some of the commercials and things, so news came a little while later,” Doug said.

Then Doug became a KELOLAND anchorman. For years, his steady delivery informed viewers who came to rely upon Doug to bring them the news every night.

“I’ve always made sure that honesty was the best policy as far as not trying to do anything fancy with your voice, or your appearance. Look nice, just sound good and sound authoritative, so that’s what I’ve tried to do,” Doug said.

Doug retired from the newsroom in 2006. But he didn’t sign-off completely. He voiced newscast intros and public service announcements and other spots for KELOLAND from the comfort of home.

“I just plugged in my machine back here. It was very easy, not a hard job at all to do,” Doug said.

“Just go in the room and shut the door and we had to be quiet and not run a vacuum or anything,” Doug’s wife Linda said.

This is where Doug did a lot of his voice-overs, right from home. But the equipment was easy to transport and he did a lot of recordings on the road as a kind of working vacation.

“I took my recorder along and I recorded spots in California, Hawaii, Texas, even on a golf trip, a golf weekend. I took it along and recorded some stuff, so that was the beauty of having to do a voice and not a photo, too, or a picture,” Doug said.

But Doug says it’s now time bring that part of his broadcasting career to a close.

“I still consider myself very lucky. I don’t feel bad about retiring at all now, because I’ve had a wonderful go of it,” Doug said.

Doug has been diagnosed with neuropathy in his lower legs, so it’s tougher for him to get around.

“I haven’t been feeling too hot. I’ve been kind of laid-up a little bit, so I’ve gotta get a handle on that before anything else,” Doug said.

“I’d like to see him get better so he can be more mobile and we’re working on that now,” Linda Lund said.

Doug’s wife Linda has been his caregiver.

“We have help coming in, therapists and stuff with his legs and they don’t dare say anything, but eventually, they’ll say I thought that was his voice, when they come into the home. So, he still gets recognized a lot of places,” Linda said.

And as Doug begins his second retirement, that most familiar of voices leaving the airwaves will be accompanied by a deep sense of gratitude that speaks volumes.

“I’ve really adjusted to the fact that I’ve had my day, and it was a wonderful time. But now, let someone else have that same kind of joy,” Doug said.

Surprisingly, Doug tells us that he never thought of himself as having a voice for television, but modestly adds that viewers seemed to have liked it. Doug hopes his second retirement can also lead to more opportunities to travel with Linda.