2009 in radio
Encyclopedia
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.
Events
- January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.
- January: Michael SmerconishMichael SmerconishMichael A. Smerconish is an American radio and television personality, newspaper columnist, author and MSNBC Political Analyst. His talk radio show is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at The Big Talker 1210 AM WPHT. He began his full time radio career in 2002...
, morning host at talk radio WPHTWPHTWPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The...
Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFSWHFSWHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...
in Washington and WORWOR (AM)WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
in New York City. - January 17: Two well known and critically acclaimed Alternative outlets, KDLDKDLDKDLD is a commercial radio station in Santa Monica, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles area on 103.1 FM. KDLE is a commercial radio station in Newport Beach, California, broadcasting to the Orange County area on 103.1 FM....
/Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and WHTG-FMWKMKWKMK and WTHJ are two radio stations simulcasting a country music format. The stations are licensed to Eatontown and Bass River Township, New Jersey, respectively. The station is owned by Press Communications. WKMK's transmitter is located at exit 105 of the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls...
/Eatontown, New JerseyEatontown, New JerseyEatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 12,709.What is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of Ocean Township and...
, flip formats; KDLD to Regional MexicanRegional MexicanRegional Mexican is a radio format for music radio, typically defined to include Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi and Norteña. It is the most popular radio format targeting Hispanic Americans in the United States....
(but its "Indie 103.1" format continues on the internet), WHTG to Top 40 Mainstream. - January 20: Clear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
lays off 1,850 employees, including some of the companies' well known DJs and programmers. - January 20: In a move related to Clear Channel's layoffs, PremierePremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
-operated Fox Sports RadioFox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
merges programming with Los Angeles' KLAC, resulting in the dismissal of FSR personalities Andrew Siciliano, Crystal Fernandez, Craig Shemon, James WashingtonJames WashingtonJames McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
, Ben MallerBen MallerBenjamin "Big Ben" Maller is an American sports radio host, for Fox Sports Radio where he hosts a program on weekend nights, and previously The Third Shift. Maller is also one of the original sports bloggers, with his popular website BenMaller.com, Ben has broken numerous stories over the...
and Karen KayKaren KayKaren Kay is the pen name for Karen Kay Elstner, an American author of historical romance novels. All of her novels feature Native Americans.-Biography:...
, and KLAC host Mychal Thompson. KLAC's program director Don Martin assumes like duties for FSR, replacing Andrew Ashwood, who passed away several months earlier. The Dan Patrick ShowThe Dan Patrick ShowThe Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
is also offered to FSR affiliates for the 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST slot, as KLAC aired it beforehand, and Premiere was managing syndication. The Petros and Money ShowPetros and Money ShowThe Petros and Money Show or "PMS" is KLAC-AM, 's afternoon drive time sports talk radio program, and airs every Monday through Friday from 3pm to 7pm PST...
is syndicated on FSR from KLAC's studios, while incumbent FSR afternoon host Chris Myers is paired with the remaining two-thirds of KLAC's afternoon show, Steve Hartman and Vic "The Brick" Jacobs. - February 2: Mark LevinMark LevinMark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
's show expands from two to three hours. - February 2: Tom KentTom KentTom Kent ,is an American radio personality. As the head of the Tom Kent Radio Network, he hosts 105 hours of classic hits programming each week, which, as of February 2, 2009, is distributed through Cumulus Media Networks.-Biography:Prior to becoming syndicated, Kent worked on the air and in...
joins ABC Radio. - February 10: Muzak Holdings files for Chapter 11.
- February 10: In the wake of Chris Brown's arrest on felony and assault charges by physically assaulting fellow singer RihannaRihannaRobyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
(whom he was also dating), several radio stations, including the syndicated American Top 40American Top 40American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
, announced that they will temporarily stop airing Brown's songs. - February 17: KMVK/DallasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
drops Rhythmic Adult ContemporaryRhythmic Adult ContemporaryRhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
for Spanish Hot AC. They also join KXJM/Portland, Oregon and WMVN/St. Louis in dropping the MOViNMovin' (brand)"Movin'" is a brand name used for a variety of rhythmic AC and top 40 radio stations in numerous broadcast markets in the United States...
format. This flip from MOViN' would be followed the next day by WMUVWMUVWMUV is a commercial radio station located in Brunswick, Georgia, broadcasting to the Jacksonville, Florida area on 100.7 FM. The station airs a Classic Country music format branded as "Country Legends 100.7".-History:...
/JacksonvilleJacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, who flipped to Classic Country. - February 20: In the first of three moves affecting late night televisionLate night televisionLate night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Conan O'BrienConan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
left Late NightLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, with Jimmy FallonJimmy FallonJames Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
taking over with his version of the showLate Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
March 2. In turn, O'Brien has taken The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
June 1, immediately after Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
left the show May 29. To complete the shift, on September 14, Leno will debut as host of The Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
. As of February 20, Leno's Tonight and O'Brien's Late Night were airing radio highlights on Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
. Both shows, with their new hosts, continue to air highlights on the network. - February 20: Pioneering Talk FM outlet KLSXKLSXKAMP-FM 97.1 FM, known on-air as 97.1 AMP Radio, is a Rhythmic Contemporary radio station in Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by CBS Radio.The station had long been known as KLSX before the call sign changed on June 30, 2009....
/Los Angeles flips to a younger targeted, Rhythmic Pop-flavored Top 40 format as "97.1 AMP Radio." All of the stations' airstaff, including Adam CarollaAdam CarollaAdam Carolla is an American radio personality, television host, comedian, and actor. He currently hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast on the ACE Broadcasting Network...
and Tom LeykisTom LeykisThomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
were terminated. The AMP Radio format, which was heard on the HD2 subcarrier of KCBS-FMKCBS-FMKCBS-FM is a radio station in Los Angeles, California broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on 93.1 FM. KCBS-FM airs an adult hits music format branded as "Jack-FM"....
, will compete against the already established Mainstream KIIS-FMKIIS-FMKIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
and Rhythmic KPWRKPWRKPWR is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on an analog signal and in HD Radio...
for listeners. - March 1: Thom HartmannThom HartmannThom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
is scheduled to move from his current syndicator, Air America Media, to Dial GlobalDial GlobalDial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
. - March 1: KPTYKPTYKQBU-FM is a radio station broadcasting an Regional Mexican format. The studios are located at the Univision building at 5100 Southwest Freeway in Houston, Texas and transmitter is located in Devers, Texas. Licensed to Port Arthur, Texas, USA, it serves both the Beaumont-Port Arthur area...
/Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
drops Rhythmic contemporaryRhythmic ContemporaryRhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
and returns to its former Regional MexicanRegional MexicanRegional Mexican is a radio format for music radio, typically defined to include Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi and Norteña. It is the most popular radio format targeting Hispanic Americans in the United States....
format. This move comes just two days after parent owner UnivisionUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
announced that they were eliminating 6% of their employees at their properties; the stations' airstaff, with the exception of the PD, would be among those being pink-slipped. - March 2: Another "MOViN" station switches directions as KYMVKYMVKYMV, "Rewind 100.7", is a 1980s-based contemporary radio station serving the Salt Lake Valley. The Simmons Media outlet broadcasts at 100.7 MHz with an ERP of 88Kw and is currently licensed to Woodruff, Utah...
/Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
flips to Top 40/Mainstream but keeps the moniker intact. - March 9: WXRK in New York City drops its "K-RockK-RockK-Rock is a common radio brand, generally carried by radio stations airing a modern rock format. CBS Radio has owned the K-Rock brand in the United States since 1986. Then known as Infinity Broadcasting, CBS acquired the K-Rock brand after purchasing noted Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM , its...
" format for contemporary hit radioContemporary hit radioContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
"92.3 NOW FM;" though the format change was not expected until March 11; morning hosts Opie and AnthonyOpie and AnthonyOpie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
were dropped, and furthermore CBS RadioCBS RadioCBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
discontinued their terrestrial syndication. Their satellite radio show will continue unaffected. - March 17: After spending 3 decades with the CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, 30 of them at CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
and as host of the networks' "World Report" since 1993, host Judy MaddrenJudy MaddrenJudy Maddren is a Canadian radio announcer who works primarily for CBC Radio.She first joined CBC in 1972, and worked as a consumer affairs reporter; at that time, CBC was not hiring women as announcers...
announces her retirement. - March 28: Dick BartleyDick BartleyDick Bartley, a popular American radio disc jockey since 21 June 1969, hosts several popular syndicated radio shows of the oldies/classic hits genre, including the current Classic Countdown since 1991 and the Saturday night call-in request show Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits since 1982...
leaves ABC Radio and joins United Stations Radio NetworksUnited Stations Radio NetworksUnited Stations Radio Networks is a radio network providing a wide range of programs and programming services for radio stations across the US and elsewhere...
the next week. - April 1: Hot AC KFRH/Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
becomes the second station this year to adopt the Top 40 "Now" approach. - April 2: Citadel Broadcasting announces that it has renamed ABC Radio Networks Citadel Media. The Walt Disney Company will continue to retain its ownership of ABC Radio programming however.
- April 15: KMVN/Los Angeles will become the latest "MOViN'" outlet to exit the format, as Emmis leases the station to Groupo Radio Centro, who plan to broadcast a Spanish music direction on the signal.
- April 27: Active RockActive rockActive rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
outlet WXMMWXMMWVHT is a Contemporary Hit Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, serving Hampton Roads. WVHT is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.-History:...
/Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
brings Top 40 back to the Hampton Roads-Tidewater area. - April 28: Clear Channel announces another round of job cuts, 590 total.
- May 11: The Randi Rhodes ShowThe Randi Rhodes ShowThe Randi Rhodes Show is a three-hour radio program in the United States hosted by Randi Rhodes combining live interview, call-in and commentary with a progressive bent. The show is currently syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The show had previously aired over the now-defunct Air America Radio...
is scheduled to return to radio through Premiere Radio NetworksPremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
, airing on flagship WJNOWJNOWJNO is a News/Talk radio station in the West Palm Beach market.Its location links WJNO to two nationally syndicated radio programs. WJNO is a de facto flagship station for The Rush Limbaugh Show; Limbaugh hosts the show from his home studio, located in the area...
as well as several Clear Channel owned progressive-talk outlets on the West Coast. - May 11: Kerrang! Radio wins Station Of The Year 1,000,000+ at the Sony Awards.
- May 15: Sheridan Broadcasting sells WAMO-AM/FM and WPGRWPGR (AM)WPGR is a radio station serving the Pittsburgh area. The station, which is owned by St. Joseph Ministries, broadcasts at 1510 kHz, with a transmitter power of 5,000 watts daytime, 2,500 watts critical hours, and only 1 watt at nighttime. The city of license is Monroeville, Pennsylvania...
/PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
to St. Joseph Missions for $8.9 million. All three stations will flip to religious programming after the sale closes, leaving Pittsburgh without any type of Urban or R&B outlet. - May 18: KKSFKKSFKKSF, known as "Oldies 103.7", is a classic hits radio station in San Francisco, California. The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
/San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
drops Broadcast Architecture's satellite feed of Smooth AC for Classic HitsClassic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
as "103.7 The Band." - May 18: Tony KornheiserTony KornheiserAnthony Irwin "Tony" Kornheiser is an American sportswriter and former columnist for The Washington Post, as well as a radio and television talk show host...
is released from his contract with Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, clearing the way for him to relaunch his radio show, The Tony Kornheiser ShowThe Tony Kornheiser ShowThe Tony Kornheiser Show is a sports radio talk show out of Washington, D.C. hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM from 2004 to 2006; and on WTWP and then WWWT in 2007 and 2008; and back on WTEM since September 8, 2009...
. Several stations are in negotiations to bring Kornheiser to their stations. - May 21: A day of surprise format flips as Alternative outlets KWOD/SacramentoSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, WMFS/MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and WSWD/CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
all exit the format for 90's hits (KWOD), ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
(WMFS), and CountryCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
(WSWD), respectively, while WNUAWNUAWNUA is a Spanish Pop radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications and branded as Mega 95.5.-History:...
/Chicago drops Smooth AC for Spanish Contemporary. - May 27: MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
announces that HD RadioHD RadioHD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
features will be added to its ZuneZuneZune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
products, beginning in the Fall. This will mark the first time that a portable device will include radio stations with HD subchannel capability. - June 1: KZMP-AMKZMP (AM)KZMP is a radio station that serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is owned by Liberman Broadcasting however it is managed and operated by The Walt Disney Company's ESPN under a local marketing agreement.-History:...
/Dallas/Fort Worth, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is relaunched as an ESPN Deportes RadioESPN Deportes RadioESPN Deportes Radio is a Spanish language sports radio network created and produced by Disney-owned ESPN. Programming includes call-in talk shows and commentary from hosts about a full range of sporting events, including soccer, American football, baseball and boxing.The network has stations in 13...
affiliate. Program simulcasted on KNIT-AM. - June 5: TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
once again has a full-signal Top 40 outlet as CJAQCKIS-FMCJAQ-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 96.9 FM in Calgary, Alberta. The station uses the on-air brand name Jack FM. It is the second Jack FM station in Canada and the world, after its sister CKLG-FM in Vancouver.-History:...
drops Jack FMJack FMJACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
and returns to its former format and its "Kiss FM" moniker, just one day past the sixth anniversary of its 20032003 in radioThe year 2003 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* October 10 - Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will seek treatment.-Debuts:*March...
flip from "Kiss" to "Jack". The move now leaves Canada's largest radio market without an adult hitsAdult hitsAdult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
outlet, though portions of the market are served by Jack-branded WBUFWBUFWBUF is an FM radio station in Buffalo, New York. Its transmitter is located in Buffalo. It is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts on 92.9 FM. The station signed on in 1947.-Programming:...
in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. - June 20: The "AMP" Top 40 format crosses the border to Canada, as Alternative outlet CFUL/Calgary, Alberta becomes the first non-U.S. convert.
- July 13: A pair of outlets with long time formats make surprise flips. WWQM/Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
drops Country for Oldies, but after five days returns to Country; KDZA-FMKDZA-FMKDZA-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Pueblo, Colorado, USA, the station serves the Colorado Springs area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
/Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
drops Classic Hits for Active rock, patterned after sister station KBPIKBPIKBPI is an active rock radio station based in Denver, Colorado. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 100 kW and has a transmitter in Boulder, Colorado...
/DenverDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. - July 13: Best BuyBest BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
becomes the first retail outlet in the United States to sell portable HD radio devices, as it offers the Insignia HD Radio Portable Player to customers. - July 14: CBS Radio announces that it will bring Sports Talk FM to Washington, D.C. and Boston respectively, with WJFK-FMWJFK-FMWJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...
dropping their Talk format on July 20 and WBMX moving over to 104.1 so it can launch WBZ-FM at 98.5 on August 12. The latter flip also ends a 41 year run for WBCN, who will move over to WBZ-FM's HD2 subcarrier and adds to yet another casualty for the Alternative format. The loss of hot talk on WJFK also marks the end of the hot talk format on CBS stations, a process that had been in the works since 2006. - July 14: In a 3-way deal, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
-owned WQXR, UnivisionUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
's WCAAWCAAWXNY-FM is a radio station that broadcasts a Spanish language format. It is licensed to Univision Radio at 96.3 FM, and airs in the New York City metropolitan area.-History:...
and WNYC/New York City make an unusual swap/sale. Univision will move WCAA to 96.3 and pay The Times $33.5 million while WNYC gets the WQXR calls and Classical format from NYT and pay Univision $11.5 million for WCAA's 105.9 signal, which will serve as the new home for WQXR. - July 20: American General Media doubled the Rhythmic contemporaryRhythmic ContemporaryRhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
content in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
by flipping Country KAGMKAGMKAGM is a commercial radio station located in Los Lunas, New Mexico, broadcasting to the Albuquerque, New Mexico area on 106.3 FM. KAGM airs a Rhythmic contemporary music format branded as "Power 106" and features a Hip-Hop leaning direction....
to "Power 106" adopting a Hip-Hop lean. The company also owns similar formatted and Pop-leaning KDLW in the same market (KDLW would evolve to Top 40/CHR as "OMG! Radio" in August). AGM also brings Top 40 Mainstream back to Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
as it flips KKXX from Adult HitsAdult hitsAdult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
to "Hot Hits 93.1", joining Rhythmic sister station KISVKISVKISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW.-History:...
. - July 20: Satellite radio and HD Radio sharing a dubious honor with their inclusion in CNET.comCNETCNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
's list of "The decade's 25 biggest tech flops." Satellite radio ranks 7th, HD radio 14th - July 30: WNFNWNFNWNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
/NashvilleNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
drops Sports Talk for Top 40/CHR as "i106." This brings the number of Top 40s in the Country Music Capitol to 3, joining Mainstream rival WRVWWRVWWRVW is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 107.5 MHz, licensed to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, but serving the nearby Nashville market. It is currently branded as 107.5 The River, broadcasting a Top 40 format, and has become something of a heritage station for Top-40 music in middle...
and Mainstream-turned-Rhythmic rival WPRT-FM. - July 31: KTNI-FM/Denver became the latest Alternative outlet to bail out of the format, first by stunting as "101.5 The Pole" playing "Stripper Music." But after a week in the format it unveiled its real format, talk radioTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
as "101.5 The Truth," on August 7. - August 6: College Creek Media filed a request with the FCC to take Sports KUUS, Top 40 KZUS, and Rock KEAU/Great Falls, MontanaGreat Falls, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
silent. All three stations debuted in December 2008 but economic difficulties became a factor in its decision. - August 7: Laura SchlessingerLaura SchlessingerLaura Catherine Schlessinger is an American talk radio host, socially conservative commentator and author. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal advice and has occasionally featured her short monologues on social and political topics...
announces she is jumping from Premiere Radio NetworksPremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
to Talk Radio NetworkTalk Radio NetworkTalk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
. - August 7: Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
became the latest radio market to lose an Alternative outlet when WMAX-FMWMAX-FMWMAX-FM are the call letters of a radio station owned by Clear Channel Communications located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, transmitting on a frequency of 96.1 MHz....
flipped to Sports, bringing the number to 2 Sports FM outlets in the market, joining WBBL-FMWBBL-FMWBBL-FM is a radio station broadcasting an all-sports format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. WBBL is sometimes received on the east side of the state during certain atmospheric conditions and during the Spring and Summer months, the signal tends to trickle into East Michigan. It first began...
, who flipped in May. - August 7: CFLT-FM officially launches as "Lite 92.9" (at 92.9 FM) in Halifax, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada. The station was previously classic country CFDR AM 780 which moved to 92.9 FM. - August 8: CBS Radio sells its Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
radio stations to newcomer Alpha Broadcasting. - August 8: KHTE-FMKHTE-FMKHTE-FM is a commercial Top 40 radio station licensed in England, Arkansas, United States, broadcasting to the Little Rock, Arkansas, area on 96.5 FM...
/Little RockLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
drops its Rhythmic-leaning Urban format for Top 40/Mainstream but two weeks later shifted to Adult Top 40. - August 10: Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
gets an oldiesOldiesOldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
/classic hitsClassic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
station again as WHTT-FM reverts to the format after 2½ years as a hot adult contemporary station. - August 11: Mega Media, the owners of Dance outlet WNYZ-LP/New York City, files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
- August 17: After spending nearly a year with a conservative Urban Contemporary/Talk approach featuring syndicated shows, KDAYKDAYKDAY in Redondo Beach and KDEY in Ontario are a pair of synchrocasting radio stations based in South Los Angeles that airs an Classic hip-hop format aimed at African Americans in the 18-49 range. The station is owned by Magic Broadcasting, LLC and broadcasts at 93.5 MHz on the FM dial...
/Los Angeles relaunches its Old School Hip-Hop format. The move also ends the use of "The Beat" moniker that they inherited from the former KKBT in 2008 after nearly 20 years in Los Angeles when it was first used at KKBT's former home at 92.3KHHTKHHT is a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA with a Rhythmic Oldies musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-KFAC:...
in 1989. - August 19: WSJTWSJTWSJT is a Tampa Bay area radio station that broadcasts Hot AC, more specifically, Adult CHR on 98.7 FM. The station, owned by CBS Radio, is licensed in Holmes Beach, Florida, with studios in St. Petersburg and transmitting facilities in Seminole...
at 94.1 and WLLDWLLDWLLD is a Rhythmic Contemporary Hits-formatted radio station licensed to Lakeland, Florida that serves the Tampa Bay area in Florida, and is owned by CBS Radio. Although the target audience of WiLD 94.1 is mainly people of ages 18–34, its main competitor is currently Clear Channel-owned Mainstream...
at 98.7, both Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, will swap frequencies. WSJT will move to 98.7 while WLLD will take the 94.1 signal. - August 25: CIGM-FM officially launched a CHR/Top 40 hit radio station as "Hot 93.5" at 12:00 Noon EDT, bringing back Top 40 music to Sudbury, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The station previously stunted a "Kung Pao 93.5" Chinese music format (similar to WVHT in VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
) which was launched on August 20 after CIGM-FM began testing their new 100,000 watt FM signal on-air for the first time on August 17, 2009 at 93.5 FM with some classic rock music. - August 26: WJZW/Washington, D.C. drops Oldies for Classic rockClassic rockClassic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and adopts the moniker "The Edge." - August 27: Sirius XM unveils the Skydock, a US$120 dock that turns iPhones into satellite radios.
- August 27: The University of Wisconsin announced that it will ban commercials featuring alcoholic beverages during their collegiate sport broadcasts on both radio and television.
- August 28: Imus in the MorningImus in the MorningImus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
ends its television simulcast on RFD-TVRFD-TVRFD-TV, or Rural Free Delivery TV, is a United States satellite and cable television channel devoted to rural issues, concerns, and interests. The channel's name is a reference to Rural Free Delivery, the name for the United States Postal Service's system of delivering mail directly to rural patrons...
, ahead of a highly anticipated (but yet to be confirmed) move to the struggling Fox Business NetworkFox Business NetworkFox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
. The move will become official on October 5. - September 3: WLUEWLUEWLGX is a radio station broadcasting a 90's hits music format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Louisville area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc. and features programing from Premiere Radio Networks...
/Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
drops Modern AC for 80s1980s in musicFor music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
& 90s1990s in musicFor music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
hits featuring all genres from those decades, billing themselves as "Gen X RadioGeneration XGeneration X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
." - September 4: More major format flips taking place, all in one day: WDTW-FMWDTW-FMWDTW-FM is a classic rock formatted radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WDTW-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations; its secondary channel carries Clear Channel's "Pride Radio" format, which features music geared toward the LGBT audience...
/DetroitDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
drops Country for Rhythmic Hot AC as "106.7 The Beat"; KDBN/Dallas-Ft. Worth, WURV/ChattanoogaChattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and KDOGKDOGKDOG, better known as "Hot 96.7", is a radio station serving Mankato, Minnesota. The station airs an Top 40 format. They are licensed to North Mankato, Minnesota and serves the Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley. KDOG is owned by Linder Radio Group.-History:The station went on the air in...
/Mankato, MinnesotaMankato, MinnesotaMankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
drop Classic Hits, AC and Adult Hits respectively for Top 40/CHR with KDBN picking up the KLIF-FM calls and branding themselves as "i93," WURV bringing the "KISS-FMKISS-FM (brand)KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States . Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio, Texas itself .-Origin and...
" moniker back to the Tennessee Valley after a two-year absence and KDOG returning to the format after a 10 year absence; and KQLZ/BoiseBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
switches from Classic Hits to Alternative. - September 8: After 40 years of "You'll Give Us 22 Minutes, We'll Give You The World," All-News KFWB/Los Angeles flips to an All-Talk format. Its sister station KNXKNX (AM)KNX is an all-news radio station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station operates on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. KNX broadcasts from facilities shared with sister stations KFWB, KCBS-FM, KTWV, and KAMP on Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...
will now be the only All-News outlet in the CBS Radio Los Angeles cluster. - September 10: The San Francisco Bay Area will see a major change on the radio dial; KNGY announced that it will flip from Dance to Top 40/CHR as KREV under new owner Royce International; Talk KNEWKNEW (AM)KNEW is a radio station in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel. Prior to the format change, the station operated as CNET Radio, offering business and technology news 24 hours a day...
drops flagship host Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
's The Savage NationThe Savage NationThe Savage Nation is an American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage on Talk Radio Network. His show is heard by 8-10 million listeners a week and syndicated across the U.S. in over 300 markets, making it the 3rd most listened to radio show in the country...
(leaving Savage with no flagship station) in favor of KFI-AM/Los Angeles afternoon show John and KenJohn and KenJohn Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
; and San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
outlets KSJOKSJOKSJO is a commercial radio station in San Jose, California, and broadcasts to the San Francisco Bay Area on 92.3 FM. KSJO currently airs a Chinese format branded as "92.3 KSJO".-History:...
and KCNLKCNLKCNL is a radio station in San Jose, California and serves the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by The Principle Broadcasting Network San Jose, LLC and airs a Mexican Oldies format....
will switch signals, with KSJO going to 104.9 and KCNL going to 92.3. - September 11: Nielsen BDSNielsen Broadcast Data SystemsNielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
announces that it will publish their weekly radio format charts on the website Radio-Info.com. This will be the first time since the demise of R&RR&R (magazine)R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
in June that Nielsen BDS has allowed an independently owned website to put their charts online. - September 14: In the fallout from his interruption of Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards2009 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
, several radio stations have voluntarily pulled Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's songs from their library in protest. - September 15: KFMKKFMKKFMK is an Austin, Texas radio station operating a Contemporary Christian format. It is licensed to Round Rock, Texas with an ERP of 4,500 watts from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, TX, and is currently owned by CRISTA Broadcasting after being owned by Clear Channel Communications and the...
/Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
shifts from Rhythmic AC to Rhythmic, adopting a Hip-Hop direction as "105.9 The Beat." - September 21: The WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston announced that it will acquire Classical outlet WCRBWCRBWCRB is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Lowell, Massachusetts and based in the Brighton area of Boston, which serves the Greater Boston area. It broadcasts a classical music format; it existed as a commercial station from the early 1950s until December 2009, and as a listener-supported...
from Nassau Broadcasting and convert the station to a non-commercial operation, complementing sister station WGBH-FMWGBH (FM)WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
. - September 21: Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
becomes the latest market to now have three Top 40s, as WGBJWGBJWGBJ is an FM radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station is licensed to Auburn, Indiana, and operates on the FM radio frequency of 102.3 MHz.-Programming:...
drops Spanish to become "Power 102.3, Ft. Wayne's Hit Music Channel." The other two, WJFXWJFXWJFX is an FM radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 107.9 MHz. They are a rhythmic CHR station that has been broadcasting for over a decade in the Fort Wayne area...
and WNHTWNHT (FM)WNHT is an FM radio station licensed to Churubusco, Indiana but located in nearby Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 96.3 MHz. WNHT plays a mix of both Rhythmic Top 40 hits and old school.-History:...
, are both Rhythmics. - October 1: The Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
become the first National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
team and the second ever sports franchise to broadcast on their own dedicated HD RadioHD RadioHD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
channel. - October 2: WVMVWVMVWDZH is a radio station serving the Metropolitan Detroit area in Southeastern Michigan. WDZH broadcasts a CHR format at 98.7 MHz. The station's transmitter is located near Livernois and West Davison in the City of Detroit...
/Detroit drops Smooth AC for Top 40/CHR and adopts the "AMP" moniker. - October 5: XHMORE/San Diego drops Rhythmic for Sports Talk, simulcasting XESPN-AM.
- October 7: CJNW/Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, signs on with a Top 40/CHR format, thus giving the city two Top 40s, the other being CHBNCHBN-FMCHBN-FM is a contemporary hit radio station based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The station, which is jointly owned by Rogers Radio, operates at 91.7 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.-History:...
. - October 8: Two New York City stations swap frequencies, as WQXRWQXR-FMWQXR-FM is an American classical radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, and serving the New York City metropolitan area. It is the most-listened-to classical-music station in the United States, with an average quarter-hour audience of 63,000...
moves to 105.9, and WCAAWCAAWXNY-FM is a radio station that broadcasts a Spanish language format. It is licensed to Univision Radio at 96.3 FM, and airs in the New York City metropolitan area.-History:...
moves to 96.3. - October 9: WNUW/Philadelphia drops Hot AC for Sports Talk, simulcasting sister station WPENWPEN (AM)WPEN is an AM radio station broadcast on 950 kHz. The station is licensed to Philadelphia and serves that market. WPEN is owned and operated by Greater Media and offers a Sports Talk format. The station is known as "950 ESPN"-The Early Years:...
. - October 12: WDMKWDMKWDMK is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 105.9 mHz, owned by Radio One. The station is positioned as 105-9 Kiss, Detroit's Best R&B with a current-based Urban Adult Contemporary format playing mostly current R&B with some Neo Soul and a little old school mixed in...
/Detroit picks up The Michael BaisdenMichael BaisdenMichael Baisden is an American author, motivational speaker, host of the TV One talk show Baisden After Dark, and host of his own nationally-syndicated radio show.-Career:...
Show after being dropped from its lineup that previously aired on Mix 92.3WMXDWMXD is a Clear Channel-owned Urban AC FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, that broadcasts on the frequency of 92.3 MHz. WMXD, which bills itself as "Today's R&B and the Best Old School Jamz," is consistently a very highly rated station in Detroit's Arbitron ratings reports,...
before being cancelled by this station and was picked up by Radio one after losing Clear ChannelClear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. - October 14: Volvo Cars of North AmericaPremier Automotive GroupThe Premier Automotive Group , was a group within the Ford Motor Company which was formed in 1999 to oversee the business operations of Ford's high-end automotive marques....
announces that it will make HD Radio a standard feature on all of its US vehicles. - October 17: WOGLWOGLWOGL is an FM radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.The station plays mostly post 1964 pop leaning Oldies positioned Classic Hits music, including Motown, soul and rock and roll spanning roughly 1964–1985. An occasional pre-1964 song is played. WOGL is owned by CBS Radio...
in Philadelphia switches its HD2HD RadioHD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
channel to Christmas musicChristmas musicChristmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
, becoming the first station in the nation to change over to the format for the holiday season. - October 19: Joe ScarboroughJoe ScarboroughCharles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel...
's radio show loses two of its key affiliates, WMAL in Washington and KABCKABC (AM)KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
in Los Angeles, to be replaced by revivals of local shows, Chris Plante and Frosty, Heidi & Frank respectively. The move leaves Scarborough's show only on a few northeastern affiliates and flagship WABCWABC (AM)WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
. - October 19: WWVA-FMWWVA-FMWWVA-FM is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting a Rhythmic contemporary radio format which features R&B, Pop and Dance hits. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is licensed to serve Canton, Georgia...
/AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
drops Regional Mexican for Rhythmic AC as "The Groove @ 105.7." - October 23: General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
announced that it will offer Wi-Fi hotspots on its vehicles. It will only be available in its SUVs, crossovers, trucks and vans. - October 26: WAKWWAKWWAKW is an American radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The station plays a Christian adult contemporary format. The station is owned and operated by Pillar of Fire. It broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts....
/CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
goes to 24/7 Christmas music, becoming the first station to drop a non-HD format for the holiday music. The date of October 26 is the earliest any station has ever made the switch, other than stunt-related changes, beating the previous known record set by KOSY-FMKOSY-FMKOSY-FM is a commercial radio station broadcasting to the Salt Lake City, Utah area on 106.5 FM. The station's city of license is Spanish Fork, Utah. KOSY airs an adult contemporary music format branded as "Today's 106.5"...
in Salt Lake City on October 30, 2006. - October 29: Top 40 KDNDKDNDKDND is an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California at 107.9 MHz. It is owned by Entercom. KDND broadcasts a Pop Contemporary Hits format under the name 107.9 The End...
/Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and parent company Entercom CommunicationsEntercom CommunicationsEntercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
were found negligent by a 12 member jury in the January 12, 2007 water intoxication death of Jennifer Strange during KDND's "Hold Your Wee for a WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
" Contest, in which Strange was a participant. The jury awarded the Strange Family $16.57 Million in damages. - October 29: CBS RadioCBS RadioCBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
announces it will begin offering several of its best-known owned-and-operated stations as superstationSuperstationSuperstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
s via HD RadioHD RadioHD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subchannels; for instance, KROQ-FMKROQ-FMKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
in Los Angeles will be carried to San Diego and New York City, while WFANWFANWFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
in New York City will be syndicated to several stations in Florida. - October 30: KATZ-FM/St. Louis ended its decade-long run as an Urban outlet, but the format lives on as a HD2 subcarrier. The station began stunting with holiday music (starting with HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
songs) until December 26, when they flipped to Modern AC as "100.3 The Sound." Also ending its run on the airwaves was WNYZ/New York City, who ceased operations at 5 pm (ET) after its owners failed to find financial support. JVC Media took over WNYZ's frequency on November 2 and relaunched it as simulcast of WPTY/Calverton, New YorkCalverton, New YorkCalverton is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,704 at the 2000 census.The community is on the border of the Town of Riverhead and the Town of Brookhaven.-History:...
. - November 2: A trio of Border Media Partners' Austin, Texas outlets, Regional MexicanRegional MexicanRegional Mexican is a radio format for music radio, typically defined to include Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi and Norteña. It is the most popular radio format targeting Hispanic Americans in the United States....
KHHLKHHLKXBT is an American oldies radio station licensed to serve the community of Leander, Texas. It broadcasts an oldies format to the greater Austin, Texas area. The station is currently owned by Border Media Partners and the station's broadcast license is held by BMP Austin License Company, L.P...
and Spanish Contemporary simulcast KXXS/KXBTKXBTKTXX-FM is a sports radio station serving the Austin area. The BMP Radio outlet broadcasts at 104.9 MHz with an ERP of 3,200 watts and is licensed to Bee Cave, Texas...
, flips formats, with KHHL going to Talk and KXXS/KXBT picking up ESPN Radio. - November 3: Country WRDU/Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
and its Regional Mexican sister station WGBTWGBTWPTI , is an talk radio station serving the Piedmont Triad area of the United States, covering the Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point metropolitan area. The Clear Channel Communications station's community of license is Eden, North Carolina...
/in nearby GreensboroGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
announced that they will flip to Conservative Talk in January 2010. - November 4: The Top 40/CHR format returns to Baltimore, Maryland after a long spell as WCHH drops Alternative to become "Z104.3, Baltimore's New Hit Music Channel." This comes full circle as the 104.3 frequency was home to Top 40 WBSB in the 1980s and early 1990s.
- November 5: Adult Top 40 WJLQWJLQWJLQ is a radio station serving the Pensacola, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama markets; it is owned by Cumulus Media.WJLQ had a Progressive format as "Super Q" into the early 1980s, when the station began a gradual shift to the Top 40 format as "Q100." As a hit music station, WJLQ competed at...
/Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
becomes the latest station to return to Top 40/CHR. - November 9: Alternative WZJO/Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West VirginiaCharleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
becomes the first non-AC or non-religious formatted outlet to go all Christmas this year. - November 11: Lou DobbsLou DobbsLouis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
, currently a syndicated radio host on United Stations Radio NetworksUnited Stations Radio NetworksUnited Stations Radio Networks is a radio network providing a wide range of programs and programming services for radio stations across the US and elsewhere...
, quits his more prominent television job as host of CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Lou Dobbs TonightLou Dobbs TonightLou Dobbs Tonight is an American editorial commentary and discussion program hosted by Lou Dobbs, previously broadcast on CNN and currently on Fox Business Network. The hour-long show aired live on evenings every weekday, and was replayed in the overnight/early morning hours. It covered the major...
and leaves the network. The radio show will continue unaffected; Dobbs is currently exploring his options. - November 12: Citadel Media announces that it will shut down its Timeless satellite network by February 2010.
- November 17: Rhythmic contemporary KDHT/Austin pink slips its entire airstaff and drops the format after eight years. The station's frequency became the new home of sister station KGSRKGSRKLZT is a radio station broadcasting an Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Bastrop, Texas, USA, the station serves the Austin area. The station is currently owned by Emmis Communications. The station is also broadcast on HD radio. It builds itself as La Z 107.1, -History:The station went on the...
on November 20, while KGSR's former signal will take a Regional Mexican format after a ten-day simulcast. - November 23: WMMSWMMSWMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
cancels their top-rated afternoon-drive program The Maxwell ShowThe Maxwell ShowThe Maxwell Show was a hot talk radio show which aired weekday mornings on classic rock radio station WNCX in Cleveland, Ohio. The show first began in April 2004 on noted Cleveland rock station WMMS , and over the course of the next five years, grew to become the Cleveland radio market's #1...
after contract negotiations between the station and Maxwell (real name: Benjamin Bornstein) broke down. For nearly a month, the afternoon-drive slot is hosted by two of the sidekicks on morning show Rover's Morning GloryRover's Morning GloryRover’s Morning Glory is a syndicated hot-talk radio show airing weekday mornings Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET on 100.7 FM WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio. Hosted by Rover , the show is distributed by Clear Channel and features a blended discussion of current events and pop culture,...
(Rover's producer Mike "Chocolate Charley" Toomey and call screener Shawn "Dumb" Street) before WMMS launches The Alan Cox Show. Also dismissed from the station were Maxwell's sidekicks, Tiffany "Chunk" Peck and WMMS music directory Dan Stansbury. - November, date unknown: CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks drops most Talk Radio NetworkTalk Radio NetworkTalk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
programming from its lineup, replacing the network with Air America Media. - December 2: The syndicated morning show "The PlayhouseThe Playhouse (radio show)The Playhouse was a Portland, Oregon-based syndicated morning drive time radio show which debuted on February 12, 2000. It originally aired weekday mornings between 5-10am on then-flagship radio station KXJM , with the last four hours of the show being broadcast live online with fully produced...
" is dropped by Rhythmic Top 40 KXJMKXJMKBFF is an Adult Top 40 radio station licensed to Portland, Oregon, USA, and serving the Portland area. The station is currently owned by Alpha Broadcasting.-Current Lineup:* Mornings 6a-10a: More Music Mornings with CJ & Nikki...
/Portland, Oregon, its flagship station. - December 18: After 27 years, Sir Terry WoganTerry WoganSir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
presents his final breakfast show on the UK's BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. - December 20: Citadel BroadcastingCitadel BroadcastingCitadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
announces that it will file for chapter 11 bankruptcy. - December 21: NextMedia GroupNextMedia GroupNextMedia Group is an out-of-home media company headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. NextMedia owns and operates 33 AM and FM stations , 5,700 outdoor advertising display across several regions and markets , as well as an interactive division ....
also joins the growing list of broadcasting companies that have also filed for bankruptcy. - December 26: A flurry of format flips take place, all in one day: WNWVWNWVWNWV — branded V107.3 Cleveland — is a commercial radio station licensed to Elyria, Ohio broadcasting an adult album alternative format. The station serves the Cleveland radio market and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, and is one of the few remaining locally-owned stations in the entire...
/ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
drops Smooth AC after 22 years for Adult Album AlternativeAdult album alternativeAdult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
as "Boom 107.3" (which is quietly dropped after a few weeks due to copyright concerns and takes the "V-1073" moniker); CJEZ/Toronto also adopts the "Boom" moniker, as it flipped from AC to Classic Hits; KQLL-FM/TulsaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
on the other hand, drops Classic Hits for "Gen X Radio"; WRIT-FMWRIT-FMWRIT-FM is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Branded as "Oldies 95.7", it airs a 60s-70s Oldies format....
/MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
also drops Classic Hits and returns to Oldies; KKSR/Walla Walla, WashingtonWalla Walla, WashingtonWalla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
also returns to Oldies after spending time as a AC; and KOASKOASKOAS is a radio station broadcasting a Rhythmic adult contemporary format. Licensed to Dolan Springs, Arizona, USA, the station serves the Laughlin/Las Vegas/Dolan Springs area. The station is currently owned by Las Vegas-based Riviera Broadcast Group...
/Las Vegas drops Smooth/Urban AC for Rhythmic AC. - December 28: KHBZ-FM/Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
drops Active Rock for Classic Rock as KBRUKBRUKBRU is a commercial radio station located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, broadcasting to the Oklahoma City area on 94.7 FM. KBRU airs a 80's Classic Rock format branded as "94.7 The Brew".-History:...
, "94.7 The Brew." - December 29: FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
announces that it will become the first American auto manufacturer to offer HD radio technology with iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
tagging capability. The added features is expected to be available as a factory installed item in its 2011 models. - December 31: Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
is hospitalized with what are described as serious "chest pains" and a possible heart attack while on vacation in Hawaii.
Debuts
- January: Compass Media NetworksCompass Media NetworksCompass Media Networks is an American radio network.The company launched in January 2009. It is owned by former Westwood One CEO and former COO of Connoisseur Media, Peter Kosann...
launches, taking over syndication of the Lars LarsonLars LarsonLars Larson is a conservative U.S. talk radio show host based in Oregon. Larson hosts a national talk radio show, which as of 2009 is syndicated by Compass Media Networks...
Show in April and The Free Beer and Hot Wings ShowThe Free Beer and Hot Wings ShowThe Free Beer and Hot Wings Show is a syndicated talk radio show based at WGRD-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The show is hosted by Gregg "Free Beer" Daniels and Chris "Hot Wings" Michaels with Eric "Zane" Zeitunian, "Producer" Joseph Gasmann, Jr, Assistant Producer Steve McKiernan, and Robot. The...
in March. - January: The Huckabee ReportThe Huckabee ReportThe Huckabee Report is a radio program hosted by former Republican governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, that first aired in January 2009. The program broadcasts on Cumulus Media Networks , three times each day , and each commentary is approximately 4 minutes long.On March 23, 2009, The Huckabee...
. Short-form political commentary hosted by former Governor of Arkansas Mike HuckabeeMike HuckabeeMichael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
and syndicated by ABC Radio. - February 23: Jason LewisJason Lewis (radio host)Jason Lewis is an American radio talk show host and political commentator. His show is currently syndicated nationally on the Genesis Communications Network. His radio show was previously broadcast locally for 10 years on KSTP in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, until Lewis...
takes his show national through Premiere Radio NetworksPremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
. - March 2: The Fred Thompson Show. Former U.S. Senator and actor Fred Thompson takes over the time slot to be vacated by Bill O'Reilly. Syndicated by Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
. - April 13: Montel WilliamsMontel WilliamsMontel Brian Anthony Williams is an American television personality, radio talk show host and actor. He is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, and more recently as a spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance...
debuts on Air America Media, replacing LionelLionel (radio)Michael William Lebron , popularly known as Lionel, is an American nationally syndicated radio talk show host. Beginning May 2007, he hosted a daily three-hour radio talk show on Air America Radio. Lionel was a consistent performer for Air America and drew weekly audiences of around 1.5 million...
, who moves to morning drive the next month. - May 31: AmericanaAmericana (radio series)Americana was a British radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from spring 2009 to autumn 2011. It offered a "mix of discussion, interviews and features, with a focus on the voices of ordinary Americans" and was touted as the "successor for the late Alistair Cooke's Letter from...
debuts on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. - June 15: America's Morning News, hosted by Melanie MorganMelanie MorganMelanie Morgan is an American radio personality. She was formerly a host at KSFO in San Francisco where her husband, Jack Swanson, was the General Manager. She was recently laid off due to budget cutbacks and declining ad revenue. She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV in San...
and featuring the staff of the Washington Times, debuts on Talk Radio NetworkTalk Radio NetworkTalk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
. - September 13: Bob GrantBob Grant (radio)Bob Grant , is an American radio host whose real name is Robert Ciro Gigante. A veteran of broadcasting in New York City, Grant is considered a pioneer of the "conservative" and "confrontational" talk radio format.-Early work:...
returns to terrestrial radio at WABC with a two-hour weekly show on Sunday afternoons. Grant had been off air since December 2008 due to a program shuffle. - November 2: Rosie O'DonnellRosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
's live interactive talk show "Rosie Radio" debuts on Sirius XM Radio's Sirius XM Stars channel. - December 16: WMMSWMMSWMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
launches The Alan Cox Show.
Closings
- February 19: Nova M RadioNova M RadioNova M Radio, later known as On Second Thought, was a radio syndication service providing progressive talk programming. Founded as Nova M Radio by Sheldon and Anita Drobny in 2006, its stated purpose was to purchase, own, and operate underperforming radio stations in small and medium sized markets...
goes bankrupt; a new network named "On Second Thought" is formed in its place before ceasing operations a month later. - February 20: The Adam Carolla Show and The Tom Leykis Show. Flagship station KLSX dropped the hot talk shows in a format change, leaving their affiliate bases to carry "Best Of" programming for a month.
- February 26: The Radio FactorThe Radio FactorThe Radio Factor was a nationally syndicated talk radio program, which aired from 2002–2009 and was hosted mainly by Bill O'Reilly. The program, which featured host commentary with a mix of listener call-in and guest segments was broadcast live every weekday from the Fox News Channel studios in...
. Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (commentator)William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
left the show to focus on other projects. - March 16: Mo'Nique's syndicated radio show is cancelled by Radio One after ten months.
- March 20: The Peter B. CollinsPeter B. CollinsPeter B. Collins is an American talk radio host, voiceover talent, entrepreneur, and media consultant based near San Francisco, California. Until March 20, 2009, he hosted The Peter B...
show cancels itself after failing to secure a syndication contract. - March 23: News and Comment (hosted by Gil GrossGil GrossGil Gross is an American radio personality. In addition to hosting a show on KGO AM in San Francisco, California on weekday afternoons since 2007, he is a news correspondent for the ABC Radio Networks.-Career:...
) and The Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program originally hosted by Paul Harvey. Beginning as a part of his newscasts during the Second World War and then premiering as its own series on the ABC Radio Networks on May 10, 1976, The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as...
(hosted by Doug LimerickDoug LimerickDoug Limerick is an American radio personality. He has been a news correspondent for ABC Radio Networks since 1982. In March 2009, he was chosen as a possible successor to Paul Harvey on the radio show The Rest of the Story...
) simultaneously end their runs, to be replaced by The Huckabee Report. The move comes only three weeks after Gross and Limerick had been named permanent hosts to the two programs, which had previously been hosted by Paul HarveyPaul HarveyPaul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
. Gross and Limerick, along with Roe ConnRoe ConnRoe B. Conn is an American talk radio host of The Roe Conn Show with Richard Roeper, which airs on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago live from 2 to 6 p.m. , Monday through Friday. Three hours of the radio show are also simulcast on NBC Chicago Digital 5.2 television between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays...
, will continue to produce commentaries for the network, but not under the Paul Harvey franchise. - April 15: The Theme Time Radio HourTheme Time Radio HourTheme Time Radio Hour was a weekly, one-hour satellite radio show hosted by Bob Dylan originally airing from May 2006 to April 2009...
, aired in the United States on Sirius XM Radio and in the UK on BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, ends its third and likely final season, as the contract between Sirius XM and host Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
expires. - May 31: Costas on the RadioCostas on the RadioCostas on the Radio was an American radio show hosted by Bob Costas. It aired weekly on Premiere Radio Networks...
ends its run. Bob CostasBob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
left the show to focus on other projects. - June 5: R&RR&R (magazine)R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
publishes its final issue after 36 years, the last three as sister publication to BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. - June 12: The DTV transition in the United StatesDTV transition in the United StatesThe DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
occurs, forcing several stations on channel 6 to shut down their automatic FM simulcasts on 87.7 MHz. WRGBWRGBWRGB, channel 6, is a television station located in Schenectady, New York, USA. WRGB is owned by Freedom Communications, and is the CBS affiliate for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy television market...
's attempt at a workaround was denied. - July 4: Casey KasemCasey KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
officially retires as the final episodes of his two first-run shows, "American Top 20" and "American Top 10", are released to stations. - July 14: The Mike O'Meara ShowMike O'Meara ShowThe Mike O'Meara Show is a daily podcast available through their website or iTunes. The show is hosted by Mike O'Meara and includes Buzz Burbank, Robb Spewak and Oscar Santana. The show's Chief Engineer is R.J. Diaz. The Mike O'Meara Bonus Show is available every Friday to VIP members through...
, formerly the Don and Mike Show, is discontinued after CBS changes formats at the show's flagship station. - July 27: CFDR AM 780 in Halifax, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada signs off the air for good then moves to the FM dial. - August 14: Tammy BruceTammy BruceTammy Bruce is an American radio host, author, and political commentator. Her nationally-syndicated talk show, The Tammy Bruce Show, airs live weekdays from 11am-1pm Pacific time online via ....
ends her terrestrial radio show and goes to Internet only, due to a lack of stations carrying the show. - August 24: After 32 years on the air with country music, AM 790 CIGM in Sudbury, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
signed off at midnight August 24 and simulcasted the "Kung Pao 93.5" Chinese music stunt format then currently "Hot 93.5" which was launched on August 25. CIGM, (formerly CKSOCJRQ-FMCJRQ-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts in Sudbury, Ontario. The station uses the on-air brand Q92, and airs at 92.7 MHz on the FM band. The station airs a mainstream/active rock format....
) will be shutting down their old 50,000 watt AM transmitter by the end of 2009, ending nearly 75 years of AM radio broadcasting in Sudbury, being the last AM radio outlet in the city. - September 30: GAC Nights: Live from Nashville is canceled by Citadel Media. The show's producers are seeking a new distributor.
- September 30: in Sudbury, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, CIGM ends its simulcast of hot 93.5 by turning of its AM 790 transmitter ending nearly 75 years of AM radio broadcasting in Sudbury, being the last AM radio station outlet in the city. - October 30: The Pulse 87Pulse 87Pulse 87 is an American television franchise that operated as a radio branding. The brand was formerly owned and operated by Mega Media. As of February 2010, the format was resurrected as an online internet station under new management following the bankruptcy and liquidation of its former...
format shuts down as Island Broadcasting revoked Pulse 87's lease on TV station WNYZ-LP, the audio feed of which Pulse 87 uses to broadcast on radios. - November 13: GSN RadioGSN RadioGame Show Network Radio was an interactive internet radio game show that originally aired live on GSN.com from August 18, 2008 to November 13, 2009, hosted by husband and wife team Bob Goen and Marianne Curan. Other co-hosts filled in when one of them was unavailable. The four-hour program featured...
broadcasts its final show. - November 30: Curtis SliwaCurtis SliwaCurtis Sliwa is an American anti-crime activist, founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, and radio talk show host and media personality.-Guardian Angels:...
leaves WABCWABC (AM)WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in New York City, clearing the way for John BatchelorJohn BatchelorJohn Calvin Batchelor is an author and host of The John Batchelor Show radio news magazine. Based at WABC radio in New York for five years from early 2001 to September, 2006; the show was syndicated nationally on the ABC radio network. On October 7, 2007, Batchelor returned to radio on WABC New...
's newsmagazine to be broadcast seven days a week. Sliwa is slated to join WNYM. - December 26: The final episode of The Jeff FoxworthyJeff FoxworthyJeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy...
Countdown is issued to stations after Premiere Radio Networks canceled the show in November. - December 31: Westwood One drops the simulcast of Larry King LiveLarry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. The move ends Larry KingLarry KingLawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
's continuous run of 31 years on the network and its predecessor, the Mutual Broadcasting SystemMutual Broadcasting SystemThe Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
.
Deaths
- Barney CannonBarney CannonFloyd Keith Cannon, known as Barney Cannon , was an American radio personality. He was a DJ on radio station KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, who was considered an authority on country music. When asked to name his favorite country singer, Cannon told his listeners that he liked all of the...
, 53. Program director at KWKHKWKHKWKH is a classic country music radio station serving Shreveport, Louisiana. The 50-kilowatt station broadcasts at 1130 kHz. Formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications and Gap Central Broadcasting, it is now owned by Townsquare Media....
in Shreveport, Louisiana. Died April 19. - Walter CronkiteWalter CronkiteWalter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
, 92. Former host at WKYWKYWKY is a radio station located in Oklahoma City and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.WKY is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma, the 28th-oldest in the nation and the third-oldest west of the Mississippi River...
and KCMOKCMO (AM)KCMO is a Kansas City area conservative talk radio station. It airs mostly syndicated talk shows as those hosted by Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Dave Ramsey, Michael Savage, and Rusty Humphries. It was formerly affiliated with the CBS Radio Network, but then switched to Fox News Radio...
in the 1930s; most recently heard on radio as the announcer for radio simulcasts of the CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening NewsCBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
. Died July 17. - Monte ClarkMonte ClarkMonte Dale Clark was an American football player who served as head coach for two National Football League teams: the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions.-College career:...
, 72. Former color analyst and broadcaster for the Michigan WolverinesMichigan WolverinesThe Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
and Michigan State SpartansMichigan State SpartansThe Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
football teams. Died September 16. - Fred CusickFred CusickFrederick Michael Cusick was an American ice hockey broadcaster who served as the Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer from 1971 until 1997 on WSBK-TV in Boston, and from 1984 until 1995 on NESN...
, 90. former Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
play-by-play announcer. Died September 15. - Larry GlickLarry GlickLarry Glick was an American talk radio host, based in Boston, Massachusetts, whose long-running show on WBZ and later WHDH became a New England institution in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s....
, 87. Overnight radio host at WBZWBZ (AM)WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...
in Boston from 1968 to 1986. Died March 26. - Paul HarveyPaul HarveyPaul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
, 90. Influential American commentator who hosted The Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program originally hosted by Paul Harvey. Beginning as a part of his newscasts during the Second World War and then premiering as its own series on the ABC Radio Networks on May 10, 1976, The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as...
and News and Comment for 58 years. Died February 28. - Irv HomerIrv HomerIrving "Irv" Homer was an American radio talk show host and television personality, primarily in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania market.-Biography:...
, 75. Philadelphia area talk radio host from 1975 to 2007. Died June 24. - Fred HonsbergerFred HonsbergerFred Honsberger was a radio personality for News Radio 1020 KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His show most recently aired from noon–3 pm weekdays, between Marty Griffin's The Inside Story and the KDKA Afternoon News...
, 58. Talk radio host on KDKAKDKA (AM)KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
in Pittsburgh. Died December 16. - Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, 50. Worldwide famous singer, dancer, and actor whose ThrillerThriller (album)Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
album was the biggest-selling album of all time. Died June 25 of a drug-related cardiac arrestCardiac arrestCardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. As the result of his death, most radio stations in the United States played tributes to Jackson and his music. - Harry KalasHarry KalasHarry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, 73. Play-by-play announcer for the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
from 1971 to until the day before his death, as well as for the NFL on Westwood OneNFL on Westwood OneThe NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
and NFL FilmsNFL FilmsNFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
. Died April 13. - George KellGeorge KellGeorge Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
, 86, Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
play-by-play announcer from 1959 to 1996, died March 24. - Malcolm LaycockMalcolm LaycockMalcolm Richard Laycock was a British radio presenter and producer, best known for his work on programmes related to jazz, dance band and big band music. During his career he presented shows for both BBC Radio 2 and the BBC World Service...
, 71, British radio presenter and producer, died November 8. - Les LyeLes LyeLeslie Earnest "Les" Lye was a Canadian actor. Best known for his numerous roles as one of the two adults on the children's program, You Can't Do That On Television , he enjoyed a television and radio career spanning nearly half a century.-Career:Following a stint in the armed forces after high...
, 84. Canadian TV/radio actor and broadcaster, July 22. - Ed McCarthy. Anchor on CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Radio, died July 9. - Ed McMahonEd McMahonEdward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
, 86. Host of the NBC program MonitorMonitor (NBC Radio)NBC Monitor was an American weekend radio program broadcast from June 12, 1955, until January 26, 1975. Airing live and nationwide on the NBC Radio Network, it originally aired beginning Saturday morning at 8am and continuing through the weekend until 12 midnight on Sunday...
and, at the time of his death, the weekly talk show Lifestyles, as well as several television shows. Died June 23. - George MichaelGeorge Michael (sportscaster)George Michael was an American sportscaster best known nationally for The George Michael Sports Machine, his long-running sports highlights television program. Originally named George Michael's Sports Final when it began as a local show in Washington, D.C...
, 70. Disc jockey at WABCWABC (AM)WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
New York, later sportscaster of Sports MachineThe George Michael Sports MachineThe George Michael Sports Machine is a syndicated, sports-related television program which aired from 1984 until 2007. The show was hosted by George Michael, a former radio disc jockey-turned television sports anchor, and was produced at WRC-TV, the NBC-owned station in Washington,...
fame. Died December 24. - George Neher, 65. Morning radio host at WTNYWTNYWTNY is a news/talk radio station in Watertown, New York. The station broadcasts at 790 kHz and is owned by Stephens Media Group.The station features a local morning news block as well as syndicated personalities Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham, Jim Bohannon, and Coast to...
in Watertown, New York from 1964 to 2009; found dead August 25. - Erika Roman, 33. Radio personality with WPYOWPYOWPYO is a Rhythmic Top 40 station serving the Orlando area. The Cox Radio outlet broadcasts at 95.3 MHz with an ERP of 12 kW and is licensed to Maitland, Florida. Its transmitter is located in Ocoee, Florida...
/Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and promoter for Fever RecordsFever RecordsFever Records was the New York City freestyle record label of the 80s, founded by promoter Sal Abbatiello.The label was marketed and distributed by Sutra Records until the latter went under, which precipitated a distribution deal with Russel Simmons's RAL division of Def Jam Recordings.Fever...
; car crash, May 1. - Soupy SalesSoupy SalesSoupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his...
, 83. Midday jock at WNBCWNBC (AM)WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
in New York City during the Don ImusDon ImusJohn Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
/Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
era. Died October 22. - Ed SchwartzEd SchwartzEd Schwartz was a Chicago media personality who hosted local late-night radio programs from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He was nicknamed "Chicago Ed."-Early life and education:...
, 62. Longtime Chicago late-night radio host; died February 4. - Ron SilverRon SilverRonald Arthur "Ron" Silver was an American actor, director, producer, radio host and political activist.-Early life:...
, 62. Actor, director, producer and political activist; was midday host on Sirius XM's P.O.T.U.S channel. Died March 15. - Percy SuttonPercy SuttonPercy Ellis Sutton was a prominent black American political and business leader. A civil-rights activist and lawyer, he was also a Freedom Rider and the legal representative for Malcolm X...
, 89. Founder of Inner City Broadcasting CorporationInner City Broadcasting CorporationThe Inner City Broadcasting Corporation is an American media company based in New York City. ICBC is notable for being one of the first broadcasting companies wholly owned by black people...
; died December 27. - George Weber, 48. Newsman for ABC Radio; stabbed to death March 20.