2024 Vote – Texas Radio Hall Of Fame (2024)

VOTING IS OPEN JULY 22-AUGUST 5, 2024

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Voting members of the TRHOF may vote for up to twenty (20) of the broadcast professionals listed here. Please submit and complete your votes in a single, online session. If you are not yet a voting member and wish to become one so you may vote for this slate of nominees for TRHOF’s Induction Class of 2024, you may join now here.

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TRHOF 2024 Nominees

Many of the bios that appear on this ballot are presented in the passionate “voices” of the individuals who made the nominations...exactly as they were submitted. The enthusiasm expressed in this copy reflects the opinion of the nominator and no additional advocacy by other parties is implied. In like manner, the varying lengths of the individual bios are due to the length of the original submissions. The information displayed here is what was submitted by the nominator in support of the nominee.

Dan Acree

KIIS, KSFO, KYA, KADY COUNTRY

Dan Acree wasn’t born in Texas, and most of his career was elsewhere. But he got his radio bona fides right here in the Lone Star State. His first gig was in junior high, and he was on air at KFOX-AM Los Angeles at age 17. By 1968, he was in the U.S. Army, serving two years at Fort Hood, Texas. Working part-time at KTON-AM/FM Belton, he stayed after discharge. That’s where he met “Cousin” Jerry King where they both played country music and an occasional donkey basketball game.

In 1973, Lon Williams bought KIXS-AM/FM in Killeen and Dan was hired for the morning show and as program director. He admits that Williams unknowingly hired him the same day Gaylon Christie fired him from KTON.

He made a couple more stops along the way in Oklahoma and Texas before moving back to Los Angeles in 1978 and working for Wolfman Jack’s syndication company, Audio Stimulation. That’s where he met Don Kelley, Wolfman’s business partner. Kelley encouraged Dan to start an entertainment publicity firm. That led to over a decade in Hollywood representing music, television, film, and radio stars Rick Dees and Magic Matt Alan. The Dees connection led to Dan’s gig as Director of Marketing at Gannett’s KIIS-FM.

As the 1990s began, Dan headed north to San Francisco, where he worked with Ken Dennis and Bob Hamilton as Director of Marketing at KSFO-AM and KYA-FM, promoting the Oakland A’s, Gene Nelson, John Mack Flannagan, Chris Edwards, and others.

Dan returned to Texas in 1995, opened an advertising agency, and published a regional magazine until he semi-retired in 2015.

Dan still has a handful of clients, including the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, and a handful of consulting clients.

His Man Cave at home is a fully functional radio studio where he plays his favorite songs, mostly for himself.

David Anderson

KRBA AM,KLUF AM,KLVI AM,KOKE AM, KEYI FM,KASE FM KVET AM-FM, KOKE FM, KTSN AM

David Anderson was born in Lufkin Texas on January 15, 1951He started right after college in 1973 at a small AM station in his hometown of Lufkin as a D.J. for KRBA 1340AM. That same year he moved over to KLUF 1420AM as a news director showing his abilities not only in reporting the news but writing his stories with incredible accuracy and flair. Later his reports would be known as the “Anderson Touch,” shown and heard with every story he wrote and aired. In 1974 he was promoted to operations manager.

Then in 1977 he found his mentor, the great Beaumont Legend, Texas Radio Hall of Fame Al Caldwell of KLVI 560AM. Al taught him to refine his air talent and delivery as a morning sidekick air personality. All the while David was learning the radio business, he found his air talent could also help others in need by also volunteering his time and energy to those nonprofits and charities that wanted his help and experience in raising funds for a good cause. David never said no to anyone. It was part of his life’s DNA.

He left KLVI in 1979 when he was called by Bob Cole of the Country legend radio station KOKE 95.5 FM Austin. He became News Director and the morning sidekick air personality for Bob Cole’s show. During that time David had his own radio show and was nominated in 1983 as country music DJ of the year, but a new Country Giant appeared, KASE FM in Austin, which David would later work for, but at that time it took all the ratings away from KOKE, which made them change their format to soft rock. David was saddened by the change of format and took a job in Dallas with the AP radio Network, but he just didn’t like it.

He wanted to come back to Austin. Luckily the GM and the owner Steve Hicks of KEYI 103.5 FM knew David had a great following and was a talented air personality. The GM flew up to Dallas and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, pleading with David to join a new morning team which would consist of Dave Jarrot, Cathy Conley, and him. The three clicked right away and became family. The ratings went through the roof. It would remain at the top of the Austin charts as number 1 for 7 years! All due to the team’s efforts. Then in 1991 the Country Giant KASE 101 and KVET 1300 AM in Austin had a need for David Anderson. They knew he was now a Radio legend in Austin, and it didn’t hurt that Bob Cole was now working at KASE/KVET AM/FM. David was back in the saddle with Bob Cole, and the added talent of Sammy Allred on the morning show. He became the sports anchor on that show and did news and sports for all their stations. He stayed with the stations changing hands when Clear Channel and iHeart took over till 2012, that’s when Bob Cole had moved to the new KOKE 99.3. Bob asked David to join him again. He stayed with KOKE until 2019.

David left KOKE after someone in management couldn’t see eye to eye with him, but he just couldn’t quick radio and moved to Sun Radio KTSN 1490 AM. Eventually in late 2023 he was diagnosed with cancer and left us his memories and Radio legacy on March 12th, 2024, at the age of 73. You can tell David Anderson’s life was radio and the love of people he wanted to be with, care for, and help others in any way he could. He truly is worthy of being in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

David is well known for his 40+ years in broadcasting around Austin. He is deceased now but this is long overdue. He was hilariously quick witted and generous to a fault.

Jud Ashmore

WOAI

Jud Ashmore began his love affair with radio in 1929 on his family farm in Illinois … when he was 5 years old and could just see the dial of their superheterodyne 50-tube radio at eyeball height. During World War II Jud joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific, where he says radio was the only form of recreation. Though the signal faded in and out, Jud felt in touch with home through those live broadcasts.

In 1946 Jud went to college and graduated just in time to get into the Korean War in 1950. He joined the U.S. Air Force as a meteorologist and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1968. Two days later, he joined the KSAT-TV news team. A few weeks later, Jud started doing weather reports on KITE Radio working with radio legends Ricci Ware and Paul Allen English. Jud says it was a dream come true to be on the radio. TV was nice, but it didn’t compare.

In 1970 Jud moved away to work in radio and TV in Indianapolis and then in San Francisco. They were great markets, but they weren’t for Jud. So, at the first opportunity, in 1972, he returned to San Antonio and became the chief meteorologist at KENS-TV. In 1974, he teamed again with Ricci Ware for a morning show on KBUC Radio. Jud says the two had the market cornered on B.S. and romance with that show.

By 1980 working late nights at KENS and early mornings on KBUC began to take its toll and Jud knew he had to make a move … one way or the other. He says the choice between radio and TV was no contest. Radio was more fun and more profitable, so Jud left KENS and remained at KBUC until it sold in 1986.

That year, Jud moved to powerhouse News Radio 1200 WOAI broadcasting weather reports until 2002. After two years in fake retirement, Jud went back to work, this time at KRNH in Kerrville. In 2012 he ended his career but not his love affair with radio.

About his long career in radio, Jud had this to say: “They say you have not been in radio until you have been fired and divorced. I have been in radio.”

Bob Barry

KRMD, KJOE, WINN, KJOE, KFJZ, KRLD, KXOL, WBAP

Bob Barry was a widely known and well-respected radio DFW broadcaster in the 1960’s to the 1980’s. He knew and was known by every who’s who in the DFW and broader Texas area in political, business and sports circles. Despite this my atypical Dad was always humble and not an attention seeker. He strove to present the facts of both sides of any news story for the listening audience.

Bob combined his interest in current events and politics and his love for sports into a successful broadcasting career. He became interested in broadcasting as a career after reading a magazine article about the world’s 10 best jobs which mentioned a radio sports announcer. After serving in the Korean War, he enrolled in a broadcasting school in New York City.

I know this is a Texas Radio nomination, but I wanted to share his early career positions as well. His early career opportunities were in Shreveport. La with a brief stint in Kentucky.

KRMD – Shreveport 9/56 to 4/58 disc jockey
KJOE-Shreveport 4/58 to 4/59 disc jockey
WINN-Louisville, Kentucky 4/59 to 5/59 disc jockey
KJOE-Shreveport 5/59 to 4/62 disc jockey
KFJZ-Fort Worth 4/62 to 4/78 newsman and later news director
KRLD-Dallas 4/78 to 3/79 newsman
KXOL-Fort Worth 4/79 to 8/79 news director
WBAP-Fort Worth 8/79 to 4/82

His last full-time news position was briefly as a reporter at Channel 5. Because of the timeframe of my Dad’s broadcasting career, he was a witness to a number of historic events. He attended the Nov. 22, 1963 Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast honoring John. F. Kennedy. His radio station KFJZ, flagship station of the Texas State Network, was the first to identify details about Lee Harvey Oswald which went national. He attended all the presidential conventions to provide live coverage including the famous Democratic Convention of 1968 in Chicago where he was inadvertently teargassed. He attended the National Governor’s Conferences. He covered the Apollo 12 space mission from the Kennedy Space Center. The second NASA mission to land on the moon. He developed a predictive polling strategy for KFJZ which successfully predicted the winner of political elections. “Special Precinct Sampling” entailed sending KFJZ employees to get the results from each voting machine, after the polls closed in 10 different precincts throughout Tarrant County. The employees then called in the results to the station and Barry used the statistics to predict the winners. The data was so accurate that Barry says that Tarrant County political candidates would call the station after the polls closed to ask about the predictions. The data predicted the winners with 100 % precision.

Bob won two awards from the Texas Association of Broadcasters for the “Year Ender” show which he produced for the Texas State Network and picked up by radio stations throughout the state. My Dad’s interest in sports led to part-time opportunities in sportscasting throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. Unfortunately, at the age of 91, Bob doesn’t remember all the exact dates for the following:

Fort Worth Wings (minor league affiliate for the Detroit Red Wings) public address announcer
TCU football & basketball public address 1970’s to early '80s
Dallas Fort Worth Spurs-Turnpike Stadium Arlington approx. 1965-1971 public address announcer
Texas Rangers public address announcer first public address announcer for five years
Texas State Network “TSN World of Sports” Barry interviewed many well-known college coaches and players.
He covered the former Southwest Conference Football games for the Mutual Broadcasting Network
He covered the Colonial Golf Tournament 1978 and 1979
He was the public address announcer for Highland Park ISD football

He did play by play for over 30 years for ICTN-the Irving cable network “Game of the Week” show covering Irving ISD games ranging from, baseball, football, basketball, soccer, track & field alongside Lance Brown…husband of former Channel 8 anchor Gloria Campos. They won a Press Club of Dallas Katie Award in the 1990’s for best live sports coverage.

My Dad left the news broadcasting field in the mid 1980’s and started his own thriving life and health insurance business. He is 91 years-old and it is fitting for him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. It would mean a lot to our family and his grandchildren. Ever humble, he does not know he is being nominated, but I think he would be modestly pleased if inducted.

Jay Britt

KBZB, KILT FM100

Jay (Jane) Britt was born in New London, TX in 1937. Not in her wildest dreams did she ever think she'd be in broadcasting. One fateful night in 1969, her husband, Jerry (Jay) Britt, program director and DJ at KBZB (AOR) in Odessa, TX was in a real pickle. Faced with multiple DJs out with the flu, he'd already reached his limited hours on the airwaves and needed a replacement. My mom was with him that night and had zero experience but he asked her to fill-in until he could get someone not as sick to replace her while he ran the board. People called in the next morning wanting to know who that wonderful female voice was who graced their airwaves. "Honey Bee" was born that night. She worked the evening shift for five years at KBZB until they went all-sports broadcasting.

She then decided to move on to bigger things and applied @ KILT FM100 in Houston. Her original position was to read the news between cuts on Lee Jolly's morning show. Much to her surprise, Lee would barge in on her news stories (unscripted) with humorous jabs. She would equally join in on the shenanigan's until it was no longer a news story but a hilarious radio team. "The Jolly and Jay morning show" was then born. She continued with the news on the morning show, but from that point on, it was more stories about the unusual, strange, off-the-wall hilarious stories from throughout the world. Thousands tuned in every morning to hear the hysterics while commuting and were able to take their minds off the day-to-day troubles of life. Being 1/2 of that morning show brought joy to a generation from 1974 thru 1981, when the station changed to a country format. She also participated in remotes around town to help the community in whatever cause they were supporting or product they were selling. She gave back to the community ten-fold.

Jay Britt passed away quietly in 2016 in her home in Fredericksburg, TX, but her legend lives on!

Mike Capps

KHBR, KSAM, KPAC, WFAA, KAND

Just a little historical background.....

My dad and mom were radio devotees...sure we had a TV...but my dad made sure that from third grade on, until he died my junior year in high school, we had KRLD Radio on, and a copy of the Dallas Morning News on the breakfast table. We had that radio on, every mile of the way to visit grandparents in Dallas and cousins in New York. What a world I was shown past where I was raised in east Texas.

My dad became friends with the late Eddie Barker, Bill Mercer who is still with us, Bob Huffaker, and Jim Underwood...all from KRLD Radio and TV, all great radio broadcasters who transitioned well to TV..although Mercer, like me, loves radio so much more than the other medium.

My dad met these guys at Buffalo, Texas in 1959, at the crash site of a Braniff prop jet. My dad was in charge of cleanup operations. They all stayed in touch, came down to deer hunt and visit with us...and one of the greatest things that ever happened to me, as I look back?

The Saturday in November '63, one day after Kennedy was assassinated...Mercer and Barker invited us to the KRLD radio/tv newsroom across the street from the Dallas Times Herald...We walked into -- as you might imagine --nothing but sheer chaos. A smoke filled newsroom it was in those days...yelling, screaming....guys running in and out of the radio newsroom broadcasting updates...film cans flying across the room, speeding up the processing of film from the streets of Dallas. Now by this time in my life I had already been in Mercer's Dallas-Ft.Worth Rangers baseball booth(felt at home there, even at age 10 or 11)...and as I walked into that chaotic and historic scene...I felt calm and at home.

As we walked out(I was a seventh grader) my dad said, "Hey you know you might get a chance to do what they are doing someday!"

I said, "Nah..kids from a town of fifteen hundred don't get those jobs." He laughed. 4 years and a month later, my dad died of a heart attack at age 42. As the fates have it...3 years later, I did a radio internship at KHBR in Hillsboro, and six months after that had my first radio job at KSAM in Huntsville (quit playing college baseball to take that job and finish at Sam Houston State)...and radio blew up in my face...I hated to say goodbye to baseball because it appeared I might have a chance to make a living at it....BUT...KSAM offered me the chance to do everything...EVERYTHING. News broadcasts, disc jockeying, baseball, basketball and football play by play...the WHOLE DEAL!

After graduating from Sam Houston State..I took a full time job at old KPAC Radio in Port Arthur...then was offered a sports and later news job at KFDM TV in Beaumont...but I never got away from radio, broadcasting high school basketball in the area.

A year and a half after graduation, I went to work for the legendary Texas News Director Ray Miller at KPRC-TV and radio in Houston, working the police beat. Racing to fires, police chases, drug raids with guns blazing....filing reports for radio and TV..kept me in radio...and really helped my writing skills.

Went back into radio full time in St. Louis at KSD radio, when Gannett attempted to put an all news station on the air, and we took that station from a .1 rating to a FIVE...and right at a year after we started, Gannett gave it up to play country music on AM 550. I was sick. Loved St.Louis, hated to leave, but....

Ended up at WFAA-TV, Radio in Dallas....we started as morning drive on radio, then ended up as a reporter and later in management at WFAA. I did a lot of talking to the late Joe Holstead when I was at that station. He had been the News Director (radio) there before leaving to go to WBAP, I believe...and we really had a great time ....

From WFAA--to ABC News in management for a year...then to CNN as a correspondent...AGAIN filing radio and tv reports...Covered the original Gulf War, the overthrow of the Haitian President....and the entire Branch Davidian Siege in Waco, filing radio and tv reports all the way around.

In my resume it details what came next....the first book The Scout: Searching for the Best in Baseball, in 1996, and last year we published Grinders:Baseball's Intrepid Industry....Radio...sold us tons of books...we've been on a ton of radio shows and podcasts....and it has worked.

Oh, and in 2010...a couple of my friends and I bought KAND 1340 AM and 104.9FM in Corsicana...and I am about to become much more involved in the running of that station. Not leaving baseball, but...I will explain when I see you.

So the last 28 years I've been in professional baseball ....in RADIO..and that's all detailed in the book.

Steve Coffman

KAFM, KZEP, KFAN ,KRIO, KENS, KTXN,KGUL-FM, KYKM-FM, KHLT-AM /KTXM-FM

From Robert Earl Keen/Texas Monthly: Steve Coffman started playing “The Road Goes On Forever & The Party Never Ends.” The song was an instant hit with Coffman’s listeners and Keen’s cult following had begun.

The TRHOF is an organization dedicated to recognizing Texas broadcasting greats, like Steve Coffman, who have made a significant impact on their community, the industry, and those around them.

“Steve Coffman- the best there ever was - the best there ever is.” - Ray Wylie Hubbard

“There will never be another Steve Coffman” - Glenn Taylor

TX Monthly/Robert Earle Keen- “Steve Coffman, a disc jockey at San Antonio’s KRIO, first heard “The Road Goes On Forever'' during Keen’s afternoon sets at Gruene Hall. He started playing it on his weekday morning show, one of the few programs that allowed their deejays the creative liberty to stray from the three-minute cookie-cutter country tracks that ruled the airwaves. The song was an instant hit with Coffman’s listeners. Joe Ely cut a version, so did the Highwaymen. Keen’s cult following had begun.”

That statement absolutely describes Steve Coffman. Coffman was a true pioneer & Texas broadcasting great who never ever gave up on his “Texas Mix” format, a unique mix of blues, southern and classic rock, country, Texas country, a little zydeco, and some reggae. That was his “Texas Mix”.

“Texas Music” & “Texas Country” would not be what it is today without Steve Coffman’s dedication to the artists. Steve launched and supported dozens of “Texas Music” artists throughout his thirty year career in radio. Beginning in Dallas Radio (KAFM) during the 70’s, spinning the original Outlaw Country - Waylon, Willie and the Boys, San Antonio Radio in the 80’s KZEP, KFAN then onto KRIO, KENS, a short stop at KISS then onto KGUL-FM, KYKM-FM, KHLT-AM /KTXM-FM, and KTXN.

Raoul Cortez

KCOR-AM

Raoul Cortez is a true pioneer of Spanish language radio and television in the United States. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1905, he came to San Antonio at an early age to seek his fortune, working first as a reporter for La Prensa newspaper and also as a salesman for the Pearl Brewing Company.

In the 1930s and 40s Cortez owned and operated a Theatrical Agency that introduced top Mexican and Latin American entertainers to the U.S. In 1940, he began buying airtime on KMAC Radio and producing Spanish variety hours for the station. In 1944, Cortez applied for a license to open his own radio station. To get around wartime restrictions on foreign language media, he stated that part of the station’s purpose was to mobilize the Mexican-American community behind the war effort.

In 1946 KCOR-AM went on the air…. the first full-time Spanish language radio station in the country owned and operated by a Hispanic. It is still on the air today with the same call letters that bear a portion of his last name. Cortez also formed the "Sombrero" radio network…a chain of stations across the country that banded together in order to improve and promote radio broadcasts.

In 1955 Cortez expanded his broadcasting operations to include television when he launched KCOR-TV Channel 41. This was the first television station aimed solely at the Hispanic market, as well as the first UHF station.

Cortez passed away in 1971. In 1981 the City of San Antonio named the Raoul A. Cortez Branch Library in recognition of his accomplishments. In 2006 the National Association of Broadcasters gave its Spirit of Broadcasting Award jointly to Cortez and his son-in-law, Emilio Nicolas.

In 2007 the professional publication, Radio Ink, created the Medallas de Cortez Hispanic Radio Award to recognize outstanding achievement and leadership in Hispanic radio.

Mr. Cortez was included in an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History entitled “American Enterprise” … the story of innovation in American business history. Raoul Cortez was inducted into the San Antonio Radio Hall of Fame in 2015.

Frank “Big Frank” Edwards

KOUL FM and KRYS FM Corpus Christi

Frank Edwards has been in Corpus Christi Radio since the early 90's where he began at KOUL Corpus Christi. He became the morning show host at #1 KRYS in the late 90's and later the PD as well. He does radio shows for KVET/Austin and other I-Heart stations around the country. He is highly respected in the community for all he does for others. He is one hard working, charitable soul that deserves recognition in the Texas Radio Hall! Frank is no attention seeking guy, but rather a humble salt of the Earth person who busts his butt to serve his community. Please consider this deserving man for the Hall!

Steve Everett

KNEL-AM, KIXV-FM, KXYL AM/FM, KRUN-AM, KCSE-FM

Steve Everett - Experienced Radio Broadcasting Leader & Visionary ManagerDive into the dynamic world of broadcasting excellence, where leadership, innovation, and community impact converge. I am Steve Everett, a seasoned broadcasting professional with a track record of success, integrity, and passion for community development. My broadcasting career began at my hometown station, KRUN-AM owned by broadcast legend Bob McGarvey at the age of 14. My career spans over 50 years, and it’s been a wonderful career.

Accolades & Awards: The Texas Association of Broadcasters honored me with the Bonner McLane Award for Community Development projects in Radio; for 20 years I hosted M.A.S.H. (Make a Smile Happen) benefiting 6 different local non-profits at Christmas time. My journey is adorned with other prestigious awards including the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award, Director of the Year award and four coveted "Addy Awards" in advertising/marketing from the San Angelo Advertising Federation. My stations have been honored as “Business of the Year” in the communities that I have served.

Core Competencies: I am not just a manager; I am an accomplished leader with a skill set that transcends industries. From superior customer service and financial management to being an analytical problem solver, my competencies extend beyond the broadcasting realm. I’ve always seen my stations as a catalyst in the community. We never just talked about them; we were a part of them!Professional Experience: Marketing Consultant - Cox Media Group, Houston, TX: Creating compelling proposals are second nature as I present innovative solutions based on business objectives, ensuring ROI and business success. My role demands collaboration, expectation alignment, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Consulting (02/2021 - 04/2022) - Foster Communications, San Angelo, TX: Updated the current on-air and digital presence of the four stations in the community. Collaborating with a dynamic sales team, I orchestrated unique campaigns, oversaw sales orders, and managed the intricate creative production process; all while handling FCC reporting and legal paperwork. I spearheaded a complicated tower relocation working with design and construction engineers utilizing Texas contractors.

General Manager (2000 - 05/2020) - HEH Communications, LLC, Huntsville, TX: Overseeing daily operations of KSAM-FM/KHVL-FM, I assembled a motivated sales team, a talented line-up of on-air personalities and collaborated with community leaders for the development and improvement of the local landscape. During this time I also orchestrated a successful station and equipment remodel on a limited budget, doubling the facility size.

Owner/President (1982-1998) - SEC/CESS Broadcasting, Inc.: As the owner/operator of six radio stations in the Hill Country and Central Texas, I crafted a legacy of broadcasting excellence. My stations included: KNEL-AM, KIXV-FM, KXYL AM/FM, KRUN-AM, KCSE-FM.

John Frost

KISS-FM, Dallas and others

John Frost’s 50+ year radio career began at the age of 16 in his hometown of Eastland, Texas, where he did afternoons on KERC while he was in High School. He became an on-air PD in Abilene at 21, and then carried on his radio education in Shreveport, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City and Seattle.

John then returned home to Texas, doing afternoon drive at KISS-FM in Dallas, which later became 106.1 The Oasis, only the second station in the country to jump into the Smooth Jazz format successfully – becoming a top 5 station in a top 5 market with John as PD. As an air talent, John was gifted with a great voice and a lightning-fast wit, but he also had an unusual knack for making the listener a part of the show.

John then helped launch the first “Young Country” station at Group W’s Star 105 in Dallas. They became the #2 Country station in the highly-competitive Dallas-Fort Worth market within its first year.

John later had huge success in Florida, with consolidation pioneer Bud Paxson’s 47 stations, becoming Paxson Communications VP of Programming. It was at this stage that John showed a rare skill in making radio stations local not just with street names, but in the sense of community.

After Florida, Texas was calling again. John joined TRHOF member Bill LeGrand at Clear Channel in Austin, consulting KVET AM/FM, KASE, and KFMK. They reached a unique Arbitron milestone, with KVET and KASE becoming the first stations in the duopoly era that achieved #1 in Women 25-54 (KASE), and #1 in Men 25-54 (KVET-FM), in the same market, in the same book, by the same ownership, in the same format (Country). Again, John’s strengths showed as KVET rebranded as “The Genuine Austin Original”, highlighted local businesses, lifestyles, and traditions that helped make Austin unique and original – even getting Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel to be the iconic imaging voice, with the theme, “Ain’t it good to be alive in Austin, Texas.” This type of “We’re your neighbors, from right here” Strategy is a signature of a John Frost-consulted station. (KVET played “The Eyes of Texas” at 12 noon every day, for example.)

In the past decade-plus, John has consulted Contemporary Christian Music stations KSBJ in Houston and KLTY in Dallas-Fort Worth, helping them reflect more of their Texas roots. “Welcome to Houston, welcome to KSBJ” helped introduce new residents to the values and history of Houston. And in Dallas-Fort Worth, John helped them rebrand KLTY as “Keep Loving Texas, Y’all,” again plugging into the core of the Lone Star State’s values.

All three of John’s CCM stations in Texas – KFMK in Austin, KSBJ in Houston, and KLTY in Dallas-Fort Worth – have reached #1 in Nielsen ratings, a rare distinction for Christian music stations.

On-air personality, Program Director, Operations Manager, Corporate VP, and now Consultant, John Frost has Texas dirt in his bones, and deserves to be in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Paul L. Gleiser

KTBB-AM, KTBB-FM, KRWR-FM

Paul L. Gleiser has spent his entire career as a radio broadcaster, nearly the entire time in Texas.

Paul was born in Dallas but spent most of his childhood in Amarillo. As a student in junior high school, he threw a morning newspaper route and carried a transistor radio with him as he worked. While walking his route in the pre-dawn hours, he came to feel like he had a friend in KPUR overnight disc jockey Gary Mason. In time, Paul began calling Mason from the kitchen phone prior to leaving the house to throw papers. Speaking very quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping parents, Paul would request songs to be played on KPUR while he was walking his route. Gary Mason came to look forward to the call and a telephonic friendship formed. Together, Gleiser and Mason would in effect quickly program the last two hours of Gary Mason’s overnight show. This led inevitably to an invitation to come to the station, which Paul eagerly accepted. Already fascinated with the fact that a faceless voice on the radio could come to seem like a friend, seeing it done in the studio was all it took to convince Paul that working in a radio station might be just the thing he wanted to do.

In 1970, Paul’s family moved from Amarillo back to Dallas, the native home of both of his parents.

As a junior at Highland Park High School in 1971, Paul allowed Harold Smith, the operations manager of KIXL AM/FM in Dallas, to believe that he had graduated Highland Park HS and was now attending nearby SMU. That got Paul his first paid radio job – doing overnights as an announcer playing an easy-listening format. It was a start. But the place to be was about a mile away from KIXL on Commerce Street in downtown Dallas. That place to be was KLIF 1190 AM, one of the largest, most successful radio stations in the country at the time. Every aspiring disc jockey within 500 miles of Dallas was trying to get hired at KLIF. It was hard for a young guy with a limited résumé to get noticed. That’s where misfortune transformed into plain, blind, good luck. Paul drove his mother’s car to his overnight job at KIXL. On a particular night, he failed to notice as he left the house that it had almost no fuel in the tank. On his way home from KIXL at about 6:10 in the morning, Paul ran out of gas right in front of the KLIF studios on Commerce Street. As luck would have it, Rod Roddy, who would go on to fame as the “Come on down!” announcer on the TV game show, “The Price is Right,” was at the time a member of the air staff at KLIF. Roddy was just arriving at the station as Paul walked up to him and asked if he could come in and use a phone. “Sure,” said Roddy. And before Paul knew it, he was in the KLIF control room with morning personality and program director Michael O’Shea. After introductions were made, O’Shea asked Paul, “Would you be interested in weekend work here while you’re in school?” And from the misfortune of running out of gas, Paul had the good fortune to join one of the very top radio stations in the country.

Being a part-time employee at KLIF gave entree to PAMS, Inc., the original radio station jingle company. By then, actually attending SMU, Paul worked full time during evenings at PAMS, producing a syndicated easy listening radio format that was delivered on tape to stations around the country, while continuing to do on-air work on weekends at KLIF and later WFAA in Dallas.

In 1976, an early mentor convinced Paul to give up on-air work and to instead pursue a career in radio sales. That led to being hired in the sales department at WFAA-AM in July of that year. Shortly after he joined the WFAA sales department, the station abandoned its Top 40 music format in favor of news and talk. WFAA became one of the first stations in Texas to adopt an all spoken word format. That proved to be a valuable training ground for Paul. Paul did well as a salesperson and rose to become general sales manager at WFAA in 1981.

In 1982, Paul was offered his first job as a general manager, taking over KATT-FM in Oklahoma City. At the time, KATT was one of the leading album rock-formatted stations in the country. By 1985, with a potential sale of KATT pending, Paul began looking for ways to enter ownership. That process would wind up taking six years, with Paul accepting consulting and project work for client radio stations during the period.

Paul bought his first radio station, KDOK 1330 AM in Tyler, Texas in July of 1991. By October of that year, joint sales agreements became permissible under the FCC’s rules and Paul effectively took over the management and sales of KTBB AM 600. By 1994, he was able to buy KTBB outright. A couple of strategic acquisitions allowed Paul to obtain the top syndicated talk programming that KTBB did not at the time have. Those programming rights, together with the local team that was already in place at KTBB, allowed the station to move into the strong leadership position that it enjoys today among radio stations in East Texas.

In 2015, Paul purchased KWRW in Rusk, Texas and with the help of one of the country’s top broadcast engineering consultants, he succeeded in getting KWRW re-licensed to Troup, Texas from which it would cover all of Tyler and Longview. KWRW became KTBB 97.5 FM and it simulcasts with KTBB AM 600.

In addition to running his company on a daily basis, Paul also frequently guest hosts for talk show host Jimmy Failla on FOX Across America, a show that is nationally syndicated by FOX News Radio and is heard in nearly 200 markets across the nation.

Paul is a member of the executive committee of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and was chairman of the board of the organization in 2022-2023. He has also served as a board member and board president of Boys & Girls Clubs of East Texas and Junior Achievement of Greater Tyler. He was a charter member of the Research Council of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Gleiser is a Rotarian and is a former president of the Rotary Club of Tyler.

Gleiser is married to the former Lee Smith. Together they have one daughter, Bethany, age 23, who is now with the international accounting firm of PwC. Gleiser has another daughter, Susan, from a previous marriage. Susan is grown and she now works for a firm in Nashville that does crisis PR for the healthcare industry.

Gleiser is an airline transport rated pilot. He also pursues photography as a very serious avocation. He and his wife Lee are patrons of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and season subscribers to several of the Dallas area theater seasons. Lee Gleiser is Director of Event Marketing for the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University and is also an adjunct professor of practice for the Simmons School of Education at the university.

John Granato & Lance Zierlein

KILT-AM, KGOW-AM, KBME-AM, KFNC-FM

Deserving. That’s one simple word that describes John Granato and Lance Zierlein regarding their potential induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Known by their listeners as “John & Lance”, either talk show host is worthy on his own merits to be inducted. But having worked in tandem for so many years – the longest running sports radio duo in Houston radio history – they belong together.

Their pairing was the handiwork of the late-great Dickie Rosenfeld in 1997. Dickie partnered John and Lance to anchor morning drive for Star 610 (KILT-AM) the first all-sports radio station in Houston. They brought a new brand of sports talk to Houston. They were knowledgeable, entertaining, and fun. They weren’t “above the listeners” with their sports acumen, connections, and access. Rather, they bonded with the listeners in a way that brought the audience closer to the action and into the conversation. John and Lance were, and still are, remarkable. The content of their weekday morning show became water cooler chatter in offices and “Hey, did you hear John & Lance today?” discussions over a beer with buddies. I know all too well because, in those early days, I worked for the competition and they made my job selling much harder.

The John & Lance Show, also called “The Bench” over the years, helped propel Star 610, later dubbed SportsRadio 610 to greater heights as it welcomed in a new generation of sports talk listeners. From the beginning, John & Lance created events for their listeners to gather around. A golf tournament in their first year sold out in a few days. An on-air idea to go to a ballgame turned into hundreds of listeners joining them in a leftfield section of the Astrodome to cheer on the Astros. Then there was “slap-fest” in which two listeners, who happened to be brothers, made an on-air challenge to slap each other. (You had to be there) It became a legendary event in a prominent Houston sports bar that was filled to capacity. Furniture store owner and Houston hero, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, was there as a celebrity judge and threw one-dollar bills into the crowd to their great delight.

The events were terrific, but the glue was the consistency of their weekday morning show. They’re authentic. They share their true opinions on teams, players, and ownership. They’ve been “called to the carpet” for this on occasion by station management and the local pro sports teams. But that’s okay because they want to be honest with their listeners.

Now, they can be homers for the local teams too. John often predicts the Texans going undefeated. This is only slightly in jest. Lance shamelessly has a man-crush on Hakeem Olajuwon, Jose Altuve, and Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans. It’s these things that further connect them with their audience. Longtime listeners will ask John and/or Lance about their wives, their kids, or the TV shows they're streaming. They can talk sports with us, make us laugh, and keep us entertained on virtually any topic. Their consistency and connection keep the audience coming back.

John and Lance worked at SportsRadio 610 for a decade before John left to start a brand new, independent sports radio station, 1560 The Game (KGOW). This was radical and created waves in Houston radio. John partnered with local businessman David Gow to create the new station, with a lineup of a handful of newbie on-air jocks and a couple of well-regarded writers. The writers were Richard Justice and Ken Hoffman from the Houston Chronicle. The new talk show hosts John scouted are all still in media and doing quite well - Sean Pendergast (SportsRadio 610 morning drive), John Harris (Texans Radio), and David Nuno (first a TV sports anchor on ABC13, now radio host for TexAgs in College Station). Lance was still under contract with CBS Radio, but he let his contract expire, set out a few months, and joined this rebel bunch. Now there were 4 sports radio stations in Houston!

1560 The Game made its mark and built up an extremely loyal audience. One of the early station parties required listeners to wear a station t-shirt for entry to the party - over 600 listeners showed up, wearing their 1560 The Game t-shirts, with many in line outside. It was a “fire marshall” worthy event. Fortunately for the listeners, t-shirts were easy to acquire, because Academy Sports + Outdoors sold station t-shirts, featuring racks in the front aisle of nearly a dozen stores. (Who does this?!) The retailer reportedly sold 10,000 shirts in the first year. Many listeners bought all four of the featured t-shirts. 1560 The Game was a special station for a special time. Its anchor show was John & Lance. In fact, The Houston Press named them the Best Sports Talk Show in 2010. Being an independent station gave John and Lance latitude and freedom of expression. And they pushed the limits.

Lance, who was known for his on-air characters, created even more. In the early days, he did great impersonations including “Lou Holtz on a mobile” and “Mack Brown on a mobile”. These impersonations would get some unknowing listeners riled up thinking they were real. The listener would call the show, incredulous with what “the coach had to say”. With 1560 The Game, Lance developed famous characters such as:

SEC Guy - an older genteel Southern gentleman who thinks Alabama University can do no wrong, along with the other, though lesser, SEC Universities
Rappin’ Dad - a squeaky-clean Dad that relates to his kids with cool and edgy raps (LOL before LOL)
Tony the Hatchet Man Valentine - in sports radio there have always been the “expert sports handicappers.” Tony was the over the top “best of the best” and might have been from NY.

Lance’s characters exaggerated sports stereotypes in a funny, self-deprecating way (think Archie Bunker). And while Lance is funny, he knows his sports. He’s become known as “the preeminent NFL Draft expert”, as each year he does over 500 college player profiles for the NFL Network as part of their draft coverage. This expertise has him doing sports radio guest appearances across the country each year.

John became known for “telling it like it is”. He said what we, the audience, wanted to say but in an entertaining and powerful way. He’s also an excellent interviewer of athletes, coaches, and sports media figures. He asks great questions, builds rapport with his guests, and doesn’t try to show off what he knows, rather he compels the interesting insights from his guests. Eventually, these qualities earned him the nickname, “The Godfather of Houston sports radio”.

In 2011, Lance was swayed away from Gow Media by Sports Talk 790 (iHeart, KBME). For six years John and Lance danced with different partners at their respective stations. But it wasn’t the same. Sports talk became different in Houston. There were good shows and good stations. Both hosts were still successful. But, as was mentioned, it wasn’t the same. Then in 2017, Gow Media, having earlier purchased ESPN 97.5 (KFNC-FM) away from Cumulus, convinced Lance to return. The guys were back together! Since then, they’ve been entertaining sports talk fans and finding new ones on the FM dial. To this day they are still considered the best sports talk show in Houston. In fact, in 2019, The Houston Press recognized ESPN 97.5 as the best Sports Talk Station in Houston. Again, factoring in the talented pair, John & Lance.

Let’s talk business. The economic impact on the stations they’ve worked for should also be noted. They’ve both been instrumental in developing clients and more importantly, getting results for their clients. John and Lance take this part of their jobs seriously. Often, they develop genuine friendships with their advertisers. They become golfing buddies, play poker together, grab dinner and drinks, and even go to weddings and graduations with their advertisers. They’ve done this for the big radio groups (CBS Radio and iHeart), but even more impactfully for the independent media company Gow Media. Their revenue contributions and client services help solidify jobs, pay the bills, and as I’ve half-joked over the years, they helped put my kids through college as I sold their endorsem*nts and earned commissions.

John and Lance have built a colossal tribe over the last 27 years - they are the leaders of the tribe, but more importantly part of the tribe.

I’m certain that John Granato and Lance Zierlein are deserving of being members of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. They aren’t ones to toot their own horns, so I’m here to do it for them. I hope you’ll consider John and Lance worthy of joining all the other outstanding men and women in this great organization.

(Next, you’ll find additional career biographical information for John Granato and Lance Zierlein)

JOHN GRANATO

SportsRadio 610 - KILT-AM 1997 - 2007
1560 The Game - KGOW-AM 2007 - 2015 ▪ ESPN 97.5 - KFNC-FM 2015 - Present

Other

TV Sportscaster, Green Bay and Lafayette
TV Host of Sports Night Live, Houston Ch. 51
Houston Texans Original Sideline Reporter 2002 – 2006 ▪ Original staff that started 1560 The Game, KGOW-AM
“Ran for President” in 2012
Sang National Anthem before Rice Owls Baseball game ▪ Gave away 975 beers to listeners in 2022 (not easy!)
Coached youth sports teams (football, baseball)
Emcee for many charities, foundations, and organizations

LANCE ZIERLEIN

Super Talk Radio 700 - Intern with Barry Warner 1996 - 1997 ▪ SportsRadio 610 - KILT-AM 1997 - 2007
1560 The Game - KGOW 2007 - 2011
Sports Talk 790 - KBME 2011 - 2017
ESPN 97.5 - KFNC 2017 - Present

Other

Texans Pregame Host 2002-2006
Sports Blogger -Houston Chronicle 2006 - 2013
NFL Draft Analyst and Contributor, NFL Network 2014 – Present ▪ Known to smoke a mean brisket

Henry Guerra

WOAI-AM

Henry Guerra, known as the "Voice of San Antonio," broke ethnic barriers in radio and television as a Mexican-American broadcaster for more than half a century.

He was born in San Antonio in 1918. At the age of 21, he became the first Mexican-American announcer to use his own surname at a major English-language radio station in Texas when he began his long and distinguished career in broadcast journalism at WOAI Radio in November 1939.

He ultimately became the unofficial representative for the city of San Antonio and was known as the “Voice of San Antonio” due to his recognizable “rich, deep baritone.” For years listeners heard his signature sign-off - “Good night y muy buenas noches.”

When television came to San Antonio in 1949, he made history again when WOAI-TV made its first televised newscast, with Guerra as the city's first Mexican-American television announcer.

He garnered a long list of broadcast credits during his iconic career including his epic WOAI radio series, "The 13 Days of the Alamo" and the series of radio and TV programs, "Henry Guerra's San Antonio".

He retired from WOAI in 1992 and passed away in 2001 at the age of 82. His 13 Days of the Alamo series was re-aired on local radio station KTSA in 2006. In 2011 a DVD of the series was made available in the Alamo Gift Shop and online. Guerra was inducted into the San Antonio Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mat “The Mighty Quinn” Guinn

KILT, KRBE, KEEE-NACOGDOCHES TX/KLBK-Lubbock, Tx/KTHT-Houston,Tx/KULF Houston, Tx/WIXY Cleveland, Oh/KCBQ San Diego, CA/KILT

Mat “The Mighty Quinn” Guinn worked at WIXY 1260 in Cleveland for PD Chuck Dunaway, KCBQ 1170 in San Diego and back home to Texas. When Mat landed at KILT, Bill Young wanted him to take the name “Michael.” Mat insisted otherwise. Bill relented and told him, “I tell ya what Mat. We’ll call you Mat Quinn, The Mighty Quinn.” Mat went from KILT to KRBE to become the Production Director in addition to an air shift. He used to have a sign on his desk that said, “All Sales Orders Must Be In by 3PM Or They Won’t Go On The Log The Next Day.” Mat is retired.

Mat Guinn...known as the Mighty Quinn graced the airways from the late 60's thru the 80's....Mat worked in Houston for the great Bill Young at KILT and a stint for Jack McCoy at KCBQ San Diego...Mat had a distinctive style and his ratings where always top notch. Mat is retired and living in Houston, Texas.

Dene Hallam

KKBQ Houston

There are some people who just change the game. In September 1992, Dene Hallam launched 93Q Country, and Country radio changed forever. A CHR presentation of Country music. Did it work? In 1995 KKBQ was the first country station other than KIKK and KILT to lead the country music battle in Houston since 1978! KKBQ was Billboard Large Market Country Station in 1994 and 1995, CMA Large Market Station of The Year in 1996 and he was Billboard Large Market PD of the year Country in 1995. Dene also went on to work with TXRHOF member Moby as PD for Moby In The Morning in syndication for several years.Was he controversial? Sure. But don't all the ones who break down walls and change things usually the ones who get dinged up along the way? “I know you’ve taken it in the teeth out there, but the first guy through the wall — he always gets bloody." — Boston Red Sox owner John Henry from the movie Moneyball.Dene is already in the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Let's get him in to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame as well.

In September 1992, Dene Hallam launched 93Q Country and forever changed country music in Houston. With its CHR presentation, KKBQ took the Country crown in 1995, becoming the first country station other than KIKK and KILT to lead the country music battle in Houston since 1978. The station was named Billboard Large Market Country Station in 1994 and 1995, CMA Large Market Station of The Year in 1996 and Hallam was Billboard Large Market PD of the year Country in 1995. Hallam went on to work with TXRHOF member Moby as PD for Moby In The Morning in syndication and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.

Jerry & Wanda Hanszen

KGAS AM/FM, KMHT AM/FM, KWRD-AM, KPXI-FM

Jerry and Wanda Hanszen own and operate KGAS-AM/FM in Carthage and KMHT-AM/FM in Marshall. They started in the radio business with the purchase of KGAS-AM in 1988.

The Hanszen stations are among the last examples of a “full service” hometown radio station. Programming includes local newscasts at 6, 7, and 8 a.m. Plus, two other newshours at noon and 5pm Mr. Hanszen is the longtime host of the “Panola Pride” talk show, which airs on KGAS weekday mornings at 8:30am. Mr. Hanszen can also still be found around town with a microphone and recorder covering everything from fires to ribbon cuttings.

“I’ve worked in radio for many years and the most important thing I’ve learned along the way is that local programming and local coverage are the keys to success.” Hanszen said in a 2004 FCC hearing.

Both stations air their own versions of a show called “The World Famous Swap Shop.” This beloved call-in program allows listeners to buy, sell, and trade every weekday from 9 to 10 a.m.On Sundays, the stations air a packed lineup of religious programming including taped devotionals and live church services. The Hanszens also prioritize coverage of the other religion in East Texas: high school sports. During Friday night coverage of Carthage football, KGAS doesn’t break away at halftime. Instead, they air live coverage of the marching band performances. Mr. Hanszen, a former band director, also provides live coverage of area marching band competitions.

Mr. Hanszen was the 2002 recipient of the TAB’s Broadcaster of the Year award. He’s also the past president of the TAB and served on the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Board.

Mrs. Hanszen has always brought an artistic touch to the operation. She’s responsible for designing the recognizable “Heartbeat of East Texas” logo. This is in addition to her duties as comptroller and extensive coverage of local elections.

Personal note: The Hanszens gave me my start in broadcasting. I started riding my bike to KGAS in elementary school to watch the jocks at work. They eventually put me on the air to announce birthdays and current weather conditions. I stuck around through college and the rest is history.

I honestly can’t imagine a couple that has done more to preserve what I think is the best kind of radio—LOCAL radio. Please consider nominating Jerry and Wanda Hanszen for induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Jay Howard

WOAI, KTKR

I worked with Jay from 1988 to 1996 and again from 1998 through the time I left WOAI around 2000 (I was contracted by then). Jay was always helpful, a mentor, a big brother, and helped me navigate some of the finer political points of working in radio. Jay is still a good friend and confidante.

Here's his bio:

WOAI and KTKR (1983-2001):

AM drive sportscasts.
PM drive sportscasts.
Evening talk show (top rated).
1995 Established the first All Sports Radio Station KTKR “Ticket 760” in San Antonio.
Gave special political coverage of the Alamodome and AT&T Center Campaigns.
Winner of the Dallas Press Club Katie Award for coverage of the US Olympic Festival.

Numerous awards for best talk show and best sports talk show from Texas AP Broadcasters, UPI Broadcasters of Texas and Texas Association of Broadcasters.

Play-by-Play Coverage (1984-2001):

1988-2001 San Antonio Spurs Basketball.
1992-1993 San Antonio Riders. (WLAF)
1988 Texas A&M Football Aggie Radio Network (Color).
1984-1985 San Antonio Gunslingers. (USFL)
1987-1989 UTSA Basketball.
5-time winner of best Play- by-Play in Texas from Texas AP Broadcasters and Texas Association of Broadcasters.

KTSA (2003-2005):

AM Drive Sportscasts.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

After working in Chicago (1981), he hosted the first ever nationwide sports talk show. Best known as the “Voice of the Spurs” 1988 – 2001. Broadcasted 1,133 consecutive Spurs games (never missing one game). Coined the modern use of “Bang” which became his signature call when the Spurs hit three-point shots, and still resounds today.
Civic, business and government leaders credit his sports talk shows as the most important ingredient in passage of the voter referendums that created the Alamodome and Frost Bank Center. The passage and creation of these two buildings directly lead to keeping of the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio and bringing a wide variety of mega- sport events to San Antonio such as the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours and the US Olympic Festival, as well as upgrading the Stock Show and Rodeo.
He was the one to marry the Stock Show and Rodeo with the Spurs, in part by coining the phase “Rodeo Road Trip.”
Prior to moving to San Antonio, while working in Jefferson City he was named the 1979 Missouri sportscaster of the year by the Missouri Broadcasters Association.

Jojo & Patches (Jojo Cerda & James Paczkowski)

KTEX McAllen/Harlingen

JoJo & Patches from KTEX in Harlingen/McAllen Texas! This duo had the #1 Country show in South Texas for over 17 years. Not to mention they were one of the best PD/MD duos in the Country radio business. Jojo is STILL the PD & morning guy at KTEX to this day (and still #1). Patches retired in December of 2019 and passed away unfortunately in 2021. They are South Texas legends, but more importantly, good quality people!

Jane Prince Jones

KFYO, KTZK, KJTY, KLLL, KSEL, KTLK, KQBR

Jane Prince Jones is an institution in Lubbock radio. In 45 years on-air, she’s anchored talk shows and newscasts for eight stations: KFYO, KTZK/KJTY, KTTZ, KLLL, KSEL, KTLK, and KQBR. In Now in her seventh decade, Jane broke Lubbock’s glass ceiling when she became the first female co-anchor in the South Plains broadcast market in the 1970s. Jane took her radio show to the state capital to broadcast live during multiple sessions of the Texas Legislature, eager to let Lubbock listeners connect with their lawmakers there. Jane's been inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame for her extensive theater work as director, playwright and actress. She also teaches at Virginia College in Lubbock (English, Speech, and Education). For Jane’s commitment to radio through the decades—working within multiple formats in multiple roles and amid repeated ownership changes—merits induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Jay Jones

KTRH, KLOL, KWES, KSMG/KISS

For our company, the Rusk Corporation, Houston was the foundation and strength. KTRH and KLOL were heritage stations. I’d like to think that some of the tweaks I made turned them into powerhouses.

Previously run as a true AM/FM combo, management was split from GM on down. There were two GM’s, two sales managers, and two sales teams. Shared were National Sales, Engineering and Administration. There were two diverse cultures under one roof, and there was a little friendly competition. I emphasize though that it was friendly, and the stations always supported each other.

At KTRH, new management shifted the programming emphasis to news and sports although continuing to take advantage of significant revenue opportunities in talk. Outwardly, the station was positioned as news with a strong sports component, and at one time broadcast all three professional teams. Revenues increased; KTRH was always a member of the lead pack in revenue rank and ratings.

A heritage rock station, KLOL leveraged its history into business success. The station adopted ratings-focused market research and programming using the top national consultant. Top talent joined the station with noted improvement in audience response. On the sales side, it took continued education of advertisers to recognize the value of the dominant position of KLOL, especially in certain demographics. The direct advertisers certainly knew this; the agencies took a bit longer. With the advent of direct format competition from ABC, changes were necessary. The original mastermind (Pat Fant) of “Mother’s Family” at the original KLOL returned to the helm with the recommendation that the station would benefit from break-through personalities. This change made an immense difference in market popularity, ratings and revenue, although it was not without controversy. Realizing that KLOL was not going anywhere, ABC abandoned the format. Understandably, this made a dramatic impact on that station’s finances.

Rusk backed a new station in the Odessa-Midland market, KWES. Licensed to Monahans, it threw a city grade signal over Odessa and a good signal over Midland. A CHR, it was an immediate success. This became a tough market though when oil prices declined to $8/barrel. Ultimately the station was sold. Interestingly, due to the formula used by Arbitron, the difference from “group” pricing compared to that used in a stand-alone radio operation created savings in major-market Houston that more than compensated for any loss in West Texas.

San Antonio was a great addition to Rusk. The entry was KSMG, an Adult Contemporary. Talented management was brought in from Austin. An analysis of the station’s ratings in relation to the market indicated a big opportunity – Oldies. The station’s ratings and revenues climbed into the top tier. When KISS became available we jumped on it. Another heritage rock station, the format had been inexplicably changed to AC. With strong support from sister-station KLOL, the station was restored to its roots, and recruited most of its previous talent. Targeted promotion created quick word-of-mouth and KISS was “back” as one of the market leaders.

This San Antonio group ultimately grew into the market’s #1 biller, beating Clear Channel in its home!

Obviously these successes would not have been possible without a very talented team. And much of this team was female. American Women in Radio and Television applauded Rusk Corporation (and me personally) for this. This was fine recognition but the well-regarded management team was the real winner. Here are the champions with whom I worked: Laura Morris, GM of KTRH; Pat Fant, GM of KLOL; Caroline Devine, GM of KSMG/KISS; Muriel Funches, GSM at KLOL; Brenda Adriance, GSM at KTRH; and Susan Neiman, GSM of KSMG/KISS. Special notice should also go to Doug Harris whose creative genius kept KLOL top-of-mind, but was also the architect of the rebirth of KISS in San Antonio, and provided input for KTRH as well.

If there’s one thing I learned during my time in radio it was to find the best people I could and then let them do their job. Micro-managing isn’t helpful. We aligned incentives with corporate goals and reviewed them often. And we gave bonuses when we exceeded financial goals. Those were fun checks to write, too, because it meant that everybody won.

Mary Lanoue

Y-100, KSS-FM, KONO AM/FM, The Eagle, KKXY and Magic 105.3. Her career in sales spanned 5 decades including stops at KONO-KITY,KRIA-FM, KENS-TV and KCCW-TV

Mary Lanoue has a 50+ year career in multimedia sales. She received her Associates Degree in Fine Arts with a focus on Radio-TV-Film, one of only 2 women in the department at that time. Mary’s sales career included stops in TV and print, but her heart remained in radio. In 1992, she was recruited by Adams Communication to manage accounts for KISS-FM. She spent time at KISS in the mid-80’s and was familiar with the format. “Rock has always been in her blood”, says Mary and the rest is as they say is history. She made KISS-FM home for the next 28 years and became a “Rock Specialist'' working with some of the best talent in the industry.

She retired in Dec of 2020 from Cox Media Group after 28 years having sold for Y-100, KSS-FM, KONO AM/FM, The Eagle, KKXY and Magic 105.3. Her career in sales spanned 5 decades including stops at KONO-KITY,KRIA-FM, KENS-TV and KCCW-TV, and the San Antonio Light. When she retired on December 31, 2020 after 28 years at CMG, her Director of Sales Craig Johnson said: “The time has come to recognize the accomplishments of one of our most tenured and accomplished sales team members. This extraordinary person has become legendary in our market for setting the record for most overall advertising totals on 99.5 KISS-FM EVER! Mary Lanoue, we at CMG San Antonio could not be more proud of you and your accomplishments.”

After a year of retirement, she was offered a position at Alpha Media as an Integrated Media Specialist and came out of retirement on January 3, 2022 where she helped mentor new sellers in addition to selling radio and digital products. She has come full circle in the industry having started as a Traffic Manager at Waterman Broadcasting in 1972 and worked her way to one of CMG’s top sellers. 2023 marked her 51st year in the industry and she retired in June of 2023 from Alpha Media and currently works as a consultant to some of her former clients.

Mary was inducted into the prestigious CMG Presidents Circle 4x’s– 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016. In 2019, she was a Radio Ink - Radio Wayne Finalist in the Streetfighter Category. She was later inducted into the San Antonio Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

In her free time, she is an advocate for Women’s empowerment by volunteering her time and skills in many Coalitions and Boards. She sits on the board of the San Antonio Chapter of the Alliance of Women in Media (formerly AWRT) and currently serves as Co-President. She enjoys mentoring young women who aspire in the radio/media field. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the RTF Department at San Antonio College and the Advisory board of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), The Traffic Jam Coalition and headed the steering committee for the 2022 San Antonio Radio Centennial for the Society of San Antonio Radio Broadcasters. She recently accepted a position on the board of the Pan American Round Table, a philanthropic organization that raises money for scholarships for young men and women in the San Antonio community.

Andy Lockridge

KEZW-FM, KTXQ-FM

Andy is one of the pioneer rock programmers in Texas radio. Remember the days of KEZW and KTXQ when Andy was programming.

Andy also spent time as the VP of Programming for a group of Spanish language stations around the country.

Michael Main

WOAI, KAJA, KNTU

Michael Main is a seasoned radio news professional with nearly 40 years of commercial and public news reporting, editing, writing, anchoring and managerial experience. Extensive expertise in computer/internet related matters including social media.

iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel)

WOAI AM

Number-one news/talk station in San Antonio, Texas. Flagship station of San Antonio-based iHeartMedia.
Managing Editor - 1985-December 2014
Produced, wrote, edited this station’s award-winning morning drive newscast. Developed, assigned and managed news products. Assisted in supervision of reporting staff of as many as 10 employees. Served as staff writing coach. Actively involved in the station’s website and social media development including a daily blog, Facebook and Twitter updates.
Produced CyberStuff, a daily computer and internet audio feature linked to station website daily blog entries. In conjunction with my duties for WOAI, I also produced, wrote and anchored morning newscasts remotely for multiple radio stations in Corpus Christi, El Paso, Brownsville, Waco, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Wichita, Kansas.

KAJA FM Number-one country format station in San Antonio, Texas

News Guy (1988-2007) Wrote and anchored a twice-hourly morning newscast. Participated as morning show air personality - “Chris Michaels.” Another brilliant decision to minimize market value by using a different name.

VARIOUS TEXAS RADIO STATIONS 1981-1985

Served as morning and/or afternoon news anchor, reporter and public affairs producer for KASE/KVET (Austin), KNOW/KEYI (Austin) ,KBUC (San Antonio), KIXK (Dallas), KDNT (Denton).

KNTU AM/FM DENTON, TEXAS 1978-1981

News Director - Produced and anchored morning news for the college radio station at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas).
Trained and supervised news staff.

AWARDS

1996 RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award
Best Continuous Coverage
1994 RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award
Best Newscast Large Staff
1994 Press Club of Dallas, Katie Awards
Best General News Story Coverage, Branch Davidian Trial
Best Radio Series, Five Nations of Texas Series
1992 Best Spot News Story, “Grace DeLeon’s Escape”
1991 National Headliners Award
Five Nations of Texas Series
1993 Associated Press Texas Broadcasters
Best General Assignment Reporting - First Place Division A
1989 Best Feature Reporting - First Place Division A
1993/1988/1987 UPI Broadcasters of Texas - Best Feature
1988 Scripps Howard National Journalism Foundation Finalist - Radio

Gary Mason

KYKX, QXFM, KDOK

An Air Force veteran and Longview High School graduate, Gary's radio career was highlighted with his iconic sign-on of KYKX/Longview, TX in July 1974. Olivia Newton John was played and Country Music was Born on what would soon be the greatest Country station in East Texas. As an original member of the KYKX Krew, he launched major events like the KYKX Big Bass Bonanza and The Great Texas Balloon Race.

Gary's baritone voice and humor shone on his midday show, while his behind-the-scenes work as Production Director crafted memorable commercials. He also volunteered for many benefits! Once, he raised $60,000 in one night for a young man facing medical challenges. Gary's life was defined by his deep love for God, his family, and his community. I hope that you will stand by me when I say, “This is the year for Gary Mason to be inducted!” Please join me in honoring this East Texas Radio Legend!

His daily radio sign-off still echoes in our hearts: "Remember, what's the use of living if you can't have any fun. What's the use of loving if you can't love everyone."

Melanie Miller

KTRH, KTLK, KWAZ, KGNC, KIXZ, KSZN, KPDN, KUT

Back when facts were facts and “fake news” belonged to the future, Melanie Miller built a Texas-sized legacy for both responsible news coverage and dedicated listener service. Her radio news career reflects her trailblazer status by these “firsts”:

First female News Director at half of the radio stations where she worked
First reporter hired for first NewTalk station in South Plains/West TX
First for total news awards won by a single station (local, state, regional and national)
First person elected to board positions with all three radio news trade associations

Across the Lone Star State, Melanie reported and anchored her way from Central Texas to the Panhandle, then the South Plains/West Texas and on to Southeast Texas and the Gulf Coast. From her college days onward, Melanie worked her way up—in textbook fashion—from unranked to small, medium, and major market radio, always focused on the next newscast while navigating “routine” changes in station ownership, call letters, and format.

She began her radio news career interning at KUT-FM while attending the University of Texas in Austin. She parlayed that reporting/anchoring experience into the News Director position at her hometown radio station, KPDN-AM (later KSZN-AM) in Pampa. A “one-woman band,” Melanie anchored a dozen daily newscasts, hosted a morning talk show, covered breaking news, and produced series and documentaries. The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters (TAPB) awarded her “Best Documentary,” the station’s first news award in 20 years. She also worked as a “stringer,” reporting on Pampa-area news for Amarillo radio stations, KIXZ-AM and KGNC-AM, plus the Texas State Network and the Texas AP.

Melanie joined KWAZ-AM in Lubbock as a general assignment reporter. Four months later, she was promoted to News Director amid a format and call letter change to KTLK-AM, the first news/talk station in the South Plains/West Texas. While anchoring newscasts and producing news series, Melanie also expanded into programming and promotions responsibilities, working with an eight-person team. She linked network series with local experts on the station’s talk shows and served as station liaison with CNN Radio and ABC Talk Radio. Two of her in-depth documentaries explored hom*osexuality and prostitution, both taboo topics in the deeply-conservative region. TAPB awarded her documentary and spot news awards, both firsts for the station.

In 1984, Melanie moved to KTRH-AM in Houston as a part-time weekend Desk Assistant. Two years later as Morning Editor, she was “on the desk” when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. Melanie guided all on-air coverage for 12 hours non-stop. (When NASA returned to space three years later, she would switch roles to report the launch live from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.)

Less than four years after starting as a part-timer, Melanie was promoted to News Director. With a 32-person staff, seven outside news bureaus, a multi-million-dollar budget, and the market’s first computerized radio newsroom, KTRH had the largest radio news team in Texas. It had also become Houston’s first NewsRadio station. Melanie’s promotion, along with other new department heads, came with a mandate: “awaken this sleeping giant.”

She systematically overhauled all newsroom operations, building a foundation based on forgotten story fundamentals (fast turnarounds, coordinated handoffs between four news shifts, strengthened beat coverage) while expanding creative approaches to news and features. “Work the story—live and on-air” became the newsroom buzz phrase. Story counts rose to 300 per day with wider local and area coverage. Ascertainments data generated coverage of high-concern issues. Melanie beefed up performance standards and staff professional development while boosting new hire orientation.

Listeners responded quickly, illustrated by historic high ratings 18 months after the management change. In Spring 1987, KTRH tied for #1 in national NewsRadio format ratings with a 6.8 AQH for listeners 12-plus. The Arbitron/Winter 1988 book revealed KTRH’s best ratings in five years: #1 with a 5.4 share, Mon-Sun 6a-12M, #1 in Morning Drive with an 8.2 AQH, and #1 in Mid-day.

Under Melanie’s leadership, KTRH set the daily news agenda for every media outlet in the Houston market (newsroom scanners reveal all!). In addition to routine newsroom operations, Melanie developed and directed coverage of global stories: two wars (Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm), the G7 Economic Summit hosted by President George H.W. Bush in Houston, Papal Visit to Texas, every election night (local, state, and national) plus the 1988 national political conventions, and 28 Space Shuttle missions (covered by KTRH’s bureau at the Johnson Space Center – the only Houston radio station maintaining such a bureau through the early ‘90s).

The 50,000-watt powerhouse KTRH also served as Southeast Texas’ Primary AM station for the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). Melanie reactivated the Houston-Area EBS Committee. She expanded committee membership to include every city/county Emergency Management Coordinator across the 18-county region.

Via a dedicated two-way radio system, KTRH’s newsroom linked directly to these emergency response agencies. This unique system helped KTRH save lives on Halloween night, 1987. Marathon Chemical Company leaked highly dangerous hydrofluoric acid. The toxic gas cloud forced 3,000 residents of Texas City to evacuate the area. Another 400 were hospitalized. No one died. Melanie guided the entire continuing coverage cycle which won national spot news awards, one of 100-plus news awards won during her tenure (a station record).

She served two terms as Radio President of the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters as well as on the boards of both the UPI Broadcasters Association of Texas and the national Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA). Her continuing education seminars attracted 100+ attendees.

Post-KTRH, Melanie became President of Media Consultants, a crisis communications company. Her training seminars focused on a unique concept: tell the truth—and fast—even if it’s bad. Citing ‘lessons learned’ from her radio days, she taught clients how to work with the news media, not against them. By 2018, Melanie and her team had trained more than 8,000 spokespersons at 200+ corporations and government agencies world-wide.

Harris County hired Melanie and team to manage global media during its 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee response, the nation’s largest. Five years later, she co-managed external communications during the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (world’s largest oil drilling spill).

Melanie donates her skills to Houston’s Volunteer Center and its St. Nick program along with helping her neighborhood civic association and church with monthly newsletters and special events.

Today she writes both fiction and non-fiction, publishing under her nom de plume, Melanie Ormand. Her website is www.melanieormand.com where you can listen to her stories, as featured on KUHF-FM and the Moth Radio show.

★★

"Melanie Miller is an exceptional choice to be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame."
- Michael (O’Connor) Packer
Former Station Manager, KTRH NewsRadio, 1984-1988

It is my privilege to endorse the nomination of MELANIE MILLER to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

KTRH is a 50,000-watt blowtorch with a signal stretching from Brownsville Texas to Baton Rouge Louisiana and deep into South America. However, in the early 1980’s, KTRH was stuck in a stalemate ratings race with KPRC as just another Talk Radio outlet.

Then, in 1984, the “sleeping giant” was awakened with a dramatic shift in format which repositioned KTRH as Houston’s first NewsRadio station. To attract a large competitive share of the fast-growing Houston metro, our research showed that to be successful, every member of the staff had to know that in NewsRadio the axiom is, content is KING. And to guarantee that excellent content is created 24/7, the news team had to be led by an outstanding News Director.

When Melanie joined KTRH NewsRadio in 1984, it was soon obvious that she was a leader and an exceptional news writer. In less than four years, she quickly moved up from part-time weekend Desk Assistant to full-time Morning Editor and then to News Director. She guided a news department of over 30 people to meet the daily challenge of feeding the demanding KTRH News Wheel with breaking stories and fresh updates. There were days when the story count exceeded 300! Melanie made sure the stories were written in a style that grabbed the listener's ear and kept them tuning back several times a day for updates.

As News Director, Melanie also led our News Team to establish a solid News image which our listeners trusted as fair, balanced and apolitical. Unlike today where many newsrooms are staffed with so-called “reporters” who have been taught that it's okay to adulterate their writing style with "advocacy journalism", Melanie kept a sharp eye on making sure each story was written as objectively as possible and broadcast with just the known facts.

And the audience rewarded Melanie and her team with historically high ratings which have never been equaled. By the Spring of 1987, KTRH NewsRadio was number one in the national NewsRadio format with a weekly 12+ AQH share of 6.8. That specific ratings achievement has also never been broken. While Melanie was News Director, KTRH topped Texas radio broadcasters for the number of news awards won by a single station.

In her tenure at KTRH NewsRadio, Melanie also successfully broke the “glass ceiling” and proved that leading a news team was not just for members of the “good old boys club.”She was an outstanding leader in NewsRadio and still files feature stories for radio broadcasts, 40 years after she started at KTRH!

★★

(From Chuck Wolf). In 1980, I was hired as News Director and Morning News Anchor at the #1-rated country music station KIKK-AM-FM in Houston. KIKK’s main competitor for Arbitron ratings was KILT-AM-FM, as both country music stations prospered from the popularity of the 1980 movie “Urban Cowboy'' and country “line dancing” at Gilley’s, the world’s largest honky tonk in the Houston suburb of Pasadena.

But KIKK’s competitor for local news coverage was “News/Talk KTRH AM 740”. Both stations aired local newscasts every hour, including overnight, but KTRH boasted a larger news staff than either KIKK or KILT, so the KIKK News team monitored KTRH for any breaking news that KIKK’s police/fire scanners missed.

In 1983, I met Melanie Miller at a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters (TAPB) convention in Amarillo. Melanie was News Director at KTLK-AM in Lubbock at the time, but she was looking for a news job in a larger market such as Houston, San Antonio, or Dallas. Unfortunately, I had no job openings in the KIKK News Department.

When TAPB members elected Melanie to be Radio President and elected me as Chairman of the TAPB Board of Directors, we worked together to schedule Regional TAPB Seminars statewide.

In 1984, Melanie moved to Houston, sleeping in her sister’s spare bedroom, after accepting a job as part-time weekend Desk Assistant at the 50,000-watt powerhouse, KTRH AM 740. I was surprised that she accepted a part-time weekend off-air position, but Melanie was confident she could prove herself and quickly move up to a full-time news management position.

In less than four years, Melanie moved up from weekend Desk Assistant to full-time Evening Editor, then Morning Editor, followed by promotions to News Manager, and finally to News Director in 1988.

Melanie was now in charge of a 32-person staff of news anchors, editors, reporters, and desk assistants (the largest radio newsroom in Texas!) To be competitive, KIKK increased its news staff to 15 news, sports, traffic, weather & public affairs personnel, one of the few “full service” music stations in the U.S. at the time.

When the now rebranded “NewsRadio 740 KTRH” became the 1st radio station in the U.S. to purchase the NewStar computerized newsroom system, I was able to convince KIKK management to purchase six BASYS newsroom computer terminals at KIKK. Competition made both of our newsrooms better!

We were both single at the time, and we started dating, after agreeing not to discuss our work at KTRH and KIKK. We both informed our station’s management as our relationship became more serious. Before we announced our engagement, Melanie offered to resign as KTRH News Director, but her boss (TRHOF Inductee Laura Morris) wadded up Melanie’s resignation letter, trusting Melanie to separate her work from her private life. We got married in December 1989. Both stations’ management and news staff attended our wedding!

To stay in touch with our respective newsrooms, Melanie and I installed two separate phone numbers in our house, and we never shared the contents of any newsroom calls. Instead, we celebrated each station’s successes and praised the work done by our separate news teams.

In 1991, Melanie resigned from KTRH to become President of Media Consultants, a full-service crisis communications and media training company that I joined in 1993 when Viacom sold KIKK to Group W.

"I was honored to be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2018, and now, I proudly endorse the nomination of my wife and toughest radio news competitor, Melanie Miller, for induction in 2024."
– Chuck Wolf, News Director, KIKK Radio, Houston

George Henry Nelson (1925-2003)

KTRH Radio, Houston - Staff Announcer
KYOK Radio, Houston
KTSU Radio, Houston - Gospel DJ

George Henry Nelson was an all-state basketball player known as "Chin" at Phyllis Wheatley High School. With his deep and seasoned voice he was hired at KTRH in Houston.

When station KATL was sold and became KYOK in the mid 50's he was hired by "The OK Group". In the beginning he played two roles at KYOK. Brother George Nelson (playing gospel) then evenings became Groovy George playing the R&B hits of the day. Over his 20 plus years at KYOK, George wore many hats including assistant to the GM, Community Relations Director. George was well known and highly respected in the world of gospel music. He had his own gospel record label and recorded many quartets and gospel singers.

During my days at KYOK (1971-1974) I worked with George. He had a great sense of humor, had the desire to reach out to help those who needed it and was never afraid to take a stand for what he believed was the right thing. George was not only a co-worker, but a good friend to me since I was a young kid and throughout the time we worked together. When gospel great Mahalia Jackson (my favorite gospel singer) came to Houston in 1971, George took me to personally meet Mahalia. Known in those days as "The World's Greatest Gospel Singer."

George passed April 3, 2003. He was one of the most gifted and amazing people I have had the pleasure of knowing.

John Nelson

KXOL-AM/FM; WFAA-AM; KZEW-FM; KLIF-AM; KPLX-FM; KTEM, WBAP; KCLE; KAMC-FM

At age 77, John (Ball) Nelson of Arlington, TX, is in his 55th consecutive year in the broadcast industry in Texas. b. 2/25/1947 in Fort Worth, TX. Ed. Gr. 1-12 in Arlington; alumnus of Arlington High School (1965); broadcast journalism student at Texas A&M-Commerce and UNT, Denton, TX.

A student of legendary UNT professor and TRHOF inductee, Bill Mercer, John's first gig was as part-time DJ/newsman at KCLE, Cleburne, TX. His subsequent radio career path led to posts as program host, staff announcer, interviewer and sports reporter fro KXOL-AM/FM, Fort Worth (1969-71); KAMC-FM, Arlington (1972-74); WFAA-AM and KZEW-FM, Dallas (1975-80); KTEM, Temple (1976); KLIF-AM and KPLX-FM, Dallas (1981-83; fill-in announcer at KRLD, Dallas and WBAP, Fort Worth (1980s).

He has been the radio and TV voice of Arlington sports since 1972, called more than 1,200 local and North Texas regional high school football games via myriad cable networks. For more than a decade, John produced and hosted weekly sports programs for Arlington's Public Service cable news station, in addition to producing and hosting on-air interviews for WFAA-TV, Ch. 8, Dallas; KCEN-TV, Ch. 6, Waco; HSE Home Entertainment and ESPN+. For five years, he served as weekend sports reporter for CBS Radio Network.

In recent years, John has been the play-by-play voice for ESPN+ telecasts of UTA Mavs Women's Basketball. Spring and Summer take John to Globe Life Field, where he feeds color commentary and stats to visiting American League teams' broadcasters. In December, John will be doing the same across the street at AT&T Stadium for the Texas UIL Football Championship Series.

Once asked why he goes by "Nelson" and not his legal surname, "Ball"? Easy answer. Ball is a monosyllabic sound that evades most listeners' ears, so he created a strong, two-syllable alias. The late legendary sports announcer, Lindsey Nelson was John's favorite calling any game and therefore solved a short-lived dilemma: "This is John Nelson, coming to you from..."

John “The Lama” Oakes

KWTX, KASE, KAGG

In Waco Texas everyone knows The Lama (John Oakes). He did something that in radio is unheard of. He worked for the same radio station for 35 years. For 25 years he was the afternoon drive jock. That just doesn't happen. He began there in November of 1980 and left in May of 2015. During that time his ratings were always leading the pack. He was the person you listened to in Waco in the afternoon for 25 years. He also hosted a hometown countdown show that would give Casey Kasem a run for his money.

I had the privilege of working with him for a couple of years at KWTX. He was a perfectionist, that would make anything he was involved with come out perfect. A very generous man as well. Involved in a number of local charities including St Jude and many others. One of the most talented Air Personalities I ever worked with. John Oakes started working at KWTX-FM in 1980 and became a Waco institution over the course of his 35 years there, the last 25 of which were in afternoon drive with double digit ratings. He also served as APD and MD for most of his tenure. He also spent time behind the Mic at stations like KASE FM and KAGG FM.

Please consider voting for this great guy. He really deserves it. You may not know much about the Waco radio market. But The Lama is a legend in Waco. And he should be in the Texas Radio Hall Of Fame. Let’s make it happen this year.

Michael (O'Connor) Packer

In TX: KTRH, WOAI, KPAC, KTSA, KNUZ, KILE, KVIC, KRBE
Across US: WLS, WXYT, XTRA, WXYZ, KABC, KYA, WLCS

From renting U-Haul trailers for ZZ Top in Galveston to creating All-News radio in Houston, Michael (O’Connor) Packer built his 40-year career on change---and moving up.

His radio days began in 1968. At Houston’s KRBE, Michael worked the overnight shift, spinning Top 40 records for $1.65 an hour. Four decades later, in 2008, he wrapped up his radio career after on-air, programming, operations, and management positions at 15 stations in five states across the U.S. Most of his work occurred in Texas—eight stations in five markets—with an international foray into Mexico’s radio scene and starting his own nationwide talk radio consultancy.

His unique and diverse radio career across music, talk, and news programming merits Michael’s induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. His vision became a superpower as Michael predicted what lay ahead for radio and shifted his own career direction. But, he always focused on his listeners, calling himself “an outside-in program director” who looked for, then built up loyal audiences, generating historical high ratings across multiple markets.

Michael predicted the talk radio revolution a decade before Rush Limbaugh became a superstar. He created a unique News Clock, specifically for Houston, based upon local market research. The success of that approach led Michael to expand to other News and Talk stations, all programmed based upon their own local market research helped by Michael’s unique “Listener Advisory Councils” and self-facilitated focus groups. He identified data analytics as a programming research tool before the Internet exploded, even teasing talk programmers in a 1997 speech—“Move over Marconi, the Internet is Coming.”

But before his Talk years, Michael O’Connor sang back-up in a Houston rock band. His bandmates included Barry Kaye and CC McCartney, both inductees into the TRHOF. Kaye and McCartney pointed Michael to KRBE (yes, the Kirby Drive studios) and his first radio job. During the next decade, he worked at seven Top 40 and Oldies stations, the majority in Texas including KVIC (Victoria), KILE (Galveston), KNUZ (Houston), KTSA and WOAI (San Antonio). He completed his DJ years at WLCS (Baton Rouge) and KYA (San Francisco).

In 1978, Michael O’Connor returned to his legal name--Michael Packer—but now he worked as a talk show host and programmer. He would later add the NewsRadio format into his career mix of music, talk, and news. Despite this shift, his experience in, and move away from, music radio enriched his radio evolution—talk show host, program director, station manager, and vice president/operations. This expertise provided the foundation for Michael’s marketing skills, reflected in his unique devotion to what are called data analytics today.

Over the next decade, Michael hosted, programmed, managed, and consulted stations across Central and Southeast Texas: WOAI (San Antonio), KTSA (San Antonio), KPAC (Port Arthur), and KTRH (Houston). In between Port Arthur and Houston, he worked as Program Director at KABC (network O&O) in Los Angeles then moved to Detroit’s WXYZ in the same position, doubling station ratings from 2.5 share to 5.9 in 18 months.

Michael returned to Texas—coming full circle back to Houston, where he had begun his music radio career 16 years earlier—to serve as Station Manager at 50,000-watt powerhouse, KTRH. He switched the format from Talk to NewsRadio, creating the market’s first all-news station and doubling its ratings from a 3.4 share to a 6.8 share in 18 months. He’s the first to tell you that his success at KTRH came because of the team that executed the format. He built similar teams for the rest of his career, always saying, “I could not have accomplished this alone.”

From Houston, Michael took on XTRA Radio in San Diego, overseeing a format change from Oldies to Talk with a cross-border, international twist. He returned to Detroit as WXYT’s NewsTalk Operations Manager and later, Program Director then General Manager. There, he worked his magic delivering another round of historically high ratings—elevating a 3.2 share to a 5.5 share. WLS in Chicago became his final Talk radio position as he served as Vice President – Operations and delivered a ratings high of 5.1 share 12+.

Earlier, Michael had opened his own firm, Packer TalkRadio Consulting. In its decade-plus history, the company advised radio stations, programmers, and talk show hosts nationwide—including Texas—on how they, too, could reach more listeners, serve their local community, increase revenue, and expand their market share.

For his clients, Michael’s credo became “learn and expand your listener base then keep them.” His creative approach worked, netting historically high ratings at multiple major market stations, each of whom had adopted the Packer approach.

He also authored multiple programming articles for both Broadcasting and Radio & Records magazines.

His community service includes creating the Rosa Parks/WXYT Student Scholarships program in Detroit to benefit college-bound, inner-city high school students and hosting “Joy of Reading” Book Drives at WXYZ Radio, also in Detroit. Michael helped feed inner-city Detroit veterans in annual Memorial Day barbecues, all part of the Volunteers of America Detroit/Veterans Housing Program. In recent years, he’s focused his community service work by cooking and serving hot meals to unhoused residents during the city’s often brutal winters.

As mentioned earlier, Michael once rented equipment trailers for ZZ Top in Galveston. Here’s the rest of the story.

After unloading their equipment, the young rockers played Michael’s KILE charity event. For free.

A decade later—the band now riding high on the American charts—played San Francisco. They invited their old friend, now the morning jock at KYA, to dinner, then handed him a backstage pass. Both, free.

Michael still considers his $15 dollar investment in a trailer for Bill Ham and ZZ Top among his best moves.

Charlie Parker

WOAI, KTSA, KRIO, KONO, KITY

Charlie was bitten by the radio bug while serving in the US Air Force. He worked part time at WNUE Fort Walton Beach Fla. After his discharge, Parker went to work at KONO/KITY as a copywriter in 1977. He soon moved to the programming department and did fill in and overnights on both stations until he was lured to WDOQ Daytona Beach in 1981.

Later that year Charlie returned home to San Antonio to KCCW afternoons. He later served time at KLLS and mornings at KKYX with Bill Cody. Parker also worked at KRIO part time with John Barger and Lee Woods and at KTSA. In 1992 he went to WOAI and the Ticket 760 doing sports, news, fill in talk shows and was soon known as the utility man for his versatility and ability to garner good ratings. In 1995 he found his permanent home as morning drive talk show host on the 50 thousand watt 1200 WOAI.

Twenty-five years have gone by and Charlie is still pulling in the numbers with listeners in 38 states, parts of Mexico and Canada and world wide on I Heart Media's streaming service. Charlie has a unique style of common sense observations with strong opinions which have kept him at the top, or close to it, in the money demos for a quarter of a century. As all radio folks do, Charlie has donated thousands of hours to his community and local charities.

Phil Parr

KTLW Texas City 1963-1970 - Program Director & On-Air Personality
KSPL Lufkin/Diboll 1972-1984 - Program Director, Air Personality & Engineer
KRBA Lufkin 1985-1997 - Afternoon Air Personality
“The Blind Handyman Show” 2000-2015 (Syndicated)

Blind since birth, Phil Parr was an amazing broadcaster. Among his many talents were Air Personality, Program Director, musician, singer/songwriter, studio engineer, and carpenter. I knew of Phil and his incredible talents, but didn’t have the opportunity to meet him until 1993. I met him at his home studio in Lufkin and got to see first-hand his passion for everything he did.

Phil Parr passed away on April 22, 2015 at 74 years of age. For a complete story of his life, it’s available at philparr.net/about_me

Dan Peña

KDSI-FM/Alice, KSAB-FM/Corpus Christi

Dedicated his career to playing Tejano music on the radio...25 years at KSAB-FM Tejano 99.9. 40 years on the radio in South Texas. Started his career at KDSI-FM (now KOPY-FM) in Alice, Texas. Followed in the footsteps of his father, Armando Peña, Sr., who was a long-time broadcaster in Alice, TX.

For 25 years, Dan Peña hosted the top-rated morning show on KSAB Dan Peña was instrumental in helping to break several Tejano music stars and was known far and wide for his influence in "La Onda Tejana."

Dan is known for his friendly demeanor, willingness to always help in the community, and his knowledge of Tejano music. Dan was a part of the marathon radio broadcasts on all 6 Corpus Christi iHeartRadio stations in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. For 4 straight days, he helped to disseminate information across the Coastal Bend for people that had no other means of communication other than hearing it on the radio.

Dan has been inducted into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame. Recognized by Texas Governor Greg Abbott upon his retirement for his efforts in Tejano music.

Dan passed away in 2022. His sister is Vikki Peña Garcia. Should you need to speak with anyone you can contact her or me at BigFrank@iHeartMedia.com.

Tom Perryman

KSIJ, WSM, KKUS

Tom Perryman was East Texas' beloved friend and radio legend, whose influence spanned decades and left an indelible mark on the industry. Tom began his radio career in the late 1940s and by the 1950s, he had made it to KSIJ 1430AM in Gladewater, Texas, where he hosted the Hillbilly Hit Parade. He significantly impacted the music scene by bringing Elvis Presley to East Texas, offering him some of his earliest opportunities. Tom also made connections with notable artists such as Jim Reeves, Floyd Cramer, and Ray Price.

Tom's career soared as he hosted the "Opry Star Spotlight" on AM650 WSM Radio in Nashville! Although he retired in the 1980s, he later made a celebrated comeback to 104.1 The Ranch in Tyler, Texas, where he played classic country music and shared stories of country music singers and their rise to fame. Tom was instrumental in helping many of these artists build their careers on a solid foundation.

Tom Perryman passed away on January 11, 2018, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and influence the world of Country Music Radio. His contributions to the music industry and his unwavering support for emerging artists will always be remembered.

Sure you have it already but if not He was East Texas' beloved friend and radio legend, whose influence spanned decades and left an indelible mark on the industry. Tom began his radio career in the late 1940s and by the 1950s, he had made it to KSIJ 1430AM in Gladewater, Texas, where he hosted the Hillbilly Hit Parade. He significantly impacted the music scene by bringing Elvis Presley to East Texas, offering him some of his earliest opportunities. Tom also made connections with notable artists such as Jim Reeves, Floyd Cramer, and Ray Price.

Tom's career soared as he hosted the "Opry Star Spotlight" on AM650 WSM in Nashville. Although he retired in the 1980s, he later made a celebrated comeback to 104.1 The Ranch in Tyler, Texas, where he played classic country music and shared stories of country music singers and their rise to fame. Tom was instrumental in helping many of these artists build their careers on a solid foundation.

Paula Prince

KEES, KTYL, KNUE, KYKX, KKTX, KFRO

Paula Prince began her amazing radio career at the age of fifteen with her first job at KFRO AM. Spanning an impressive 38 years, her journey in radio started in 1979 and continued until 2017.

After a few months at KFRO, Paula started working part-time at KEES radio in Gladewater, Texas, while still in high school. Upon graduating, she was offered a full-time position at KEES. It was then Paula realized radio was her true calling, as she loved being on-air and getting to her listeners. While at KEES, she met Buzz Long, who played a pivotal role in her career by securing her a full-time slot at KTYL in Tyler, Texas, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. After six years at KTYL, she transitioned to 101.5 KNUE in Tyler, the number one country station in East Texas at the time, where she worked the 7:00 PM to midnight shift.

Following seven successful years at KNUE, Paula returned to her hometown of Longview to work at the Classic Rock station 96X, KKTX, until the station was sold. She then moved to KFRO FM 95.3, an oldies station, where she soon became the program director and took on the morning drive time slot alongside Buzz Long.

“Buzz and I enjoyed some great times on the radio together. It was a great experience, and I learned so much from this talented man,” Paula reflects on her time with Buzz Long.

After four years, Paula fulfilled a long-held dream by joining KYKX.

“I worked nearly all shifts at one time or another at KYKX. I started out working from midnight to 6:00 AM, then moved to the 7:00 PM to midnight shift, bounced to the 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM shift, and eventually took on the morning drive shift. I finally ended up back on the 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM shift again. I won the TAB Public Service Award for KYKX several times and was nominated for the Crystal Award for Public Service a few years later. Classic Country was my passion, and I ended my career in 2017 at 104.1 The Ranch, on the 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM slot,” Paula recalls about her time at KYKX 105.7 and 104.1 The Ranch.

Radio has always been a significant part of Paula's life, driven by her passion for music. One of the aspects she enjoyed most about her career was meeting numerous singers, entertainers, and listeners along the way.

Tom Richards

KLEF, KPFT, KRTS

Tom Richards is the consummate Radio Guy. I know because I sit beside him Monday- Friday doing middays on a major market FM. Over 40 years, Tom has done it all. Air Talent ,PD ,Station Manager, and GM. And currently he makes sure I'm not too offensive, hosting with him the R&R Show on KPFT-FM in Houston.

A thankless job ,but Tom does it Monday-Friday, where we "explore new dimensions in free-form radio". Though he has worked in a number of formats, (adult contemporary, rock, jazz, and blues) Richards is perhaps best known as the voice of classical radio in Houston beginning at KLEF-FM while attending Rice University. After a trip to Kansas City and a stint at KLYT-FM(K-Lite), Richards returned to Houston where he presented classical music with a personable ,accessible style on KRTS-FM (K-Arts) for 16 years. In his role as PD and later GM, Tom introduced a dynamic ,contemporary style to classical radio, exemplified by the station's award-winning "Bach Around the Clock" campaign. This new approach to the format garnered coverage from Newsweek, Billboard, and the Associated Press. During this period Richards masterminded unique publicity generators like "Opera Karaoke" and the "Air Conducting Contest".

During his radio career, Tom has engaged in a number of community-focused endeavors, working with the Houston Symphony, Society for the Performing Arts, and the Houston SPCA among several other organizations. He is currently the Board Treasurer for the StellaNova Foundation which provides resources to those who do not have access to counseling, treatment, or care. He is also StellaNova's Music Initiatives Coordinator, working with organizations who use music as a component of mental health therapy.

I cannot think of a more worthy or accomplished Radio Pro who deserves induction into the 2024 Class of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Rosenda Rios-Burns

KQXT, KTSA, KKYX, KMMX, WOAI

From the moment she heard the reporters on the floor of the 1968 political conventions, Rosenda Rios knew she wanted to be a broadcast journalist. Keeping her reel-to-reel tape machine handy, she recorded any radio and TV report she could find. These recordings would be the blueprint for her success.

After graduation from MacArthur High School, Rosenda attended San Antonio College’s Radio-Television-Film program. Through SAC & KSYM, she learned what it would take to make an impact on San Antonio’s airwaves.

The voice of Rosenda Rios-Burns first appeared on San Antonio Radio in 1977 on KSYM, the San Antonio College radio station. News Writing Class Instructor Jeff Hinger had made the final grade for the semester based on a news story, something about the college, written and produced, with sound-bites, for air on KSYM. Rosenda chose the San Antonio College cafeteria as the subject of her report. It was the "A" she received for that on-air news story and semester grade that gave her the confidence to walk into WOAI Radio and apply for a job.

She was hired in 1977 as a news writer for morning-drive news anchor Bob Guthrie. Most of what Bob read on the air as local news was written by Rosenda. To this day, retired WOAI newsman Bud Little very much remembers the charming personality of Rosenda in the newsroom. She was always grateful for the first opportunity, though she often remarked that in those days, she sounded much more like Minnie Mouse than the sultry-voiced (as named by Jeanie Jakle) Rosenda listeners would come to know and love.

KKYX was her next stop. She covered the Bexar County Courthouse in a highly competitive era in radio news. Rosenda took the responsibility very seriously and often obtained extensive files on court cases that many a TV reporter envied. It wasn’t unusual for them to approach Rosenda to help them find their way – which she was happy to do.

She then took a bold step and joined KISS to bolster their newsroom. She enjoyed the opportunity to not only do daily news updates on a AOR station, but also tackle important issues facing young listeners at the time. Special reports on date-rape and addiction were two of her proudest achievements. She was also honored for her health reporting at KISS with the Anson Jones Award from the Texas Medical Association and ironically, a citation from the American Cancer Society.

In the radio business, there is one constant: change. After downsizing at KISS, Rosenda landed at KXZL… soon to become KZEP… for a short stint doing news, but that wasn’t what she was looking for.

The new adult contemporary format at KMMX was where Rosenda found a new and more stable home. Her 90 second morning-drive news reports were short and concise and her weekly public affairs programs offered the long-form outlet she could really develop and make an impact with. It was also during this time that Rosenda met and married her husband who would be with her for the next 31 years, Larry Burns. Listeners up to this point knew her as Rosenda Baker (her name from a first marriage)…but soon helped her transition from Rosenda Baker-Burns to just Rosenda Burns.

It was also during the KMMX era that Rosenda began to experiment with television journalism. She would go by her maiden name, Rosenda Rios on KENS in the afternoons and weekends, returning to her radio roots for the morning drive Monday thru Friday.

Next, opportunity knocked in an odd way. While KMMX underwent changes, Rosenda’s position was eliminated. She was immediately picked up by the rival AC station in town, KQXT.

Rosenda’s time at KQXT was probably the most fun she ever had in radio. Her morning drive partner, Jim Sharon was a true joy to work with and their chemistry was undeniable. She enjoyed being part of several very special projects with Jim, including the Coca Cola Radio coverage of the Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. She brought a professional yet fun presence to KQXT and was always proud of her time there.

Rosenda transitioned to a full-time television career in 1995, but she kept her days in radio close to her heart.

Chrissie Roberts

KAYD, KYKR, KZZB, KKMY

Twenty-seven years on-air in Beaumont Texas at KKMY, KZZB, KYKR, KAYD/KD 97! In no particular order PD, APD, MD, Afternoon Drive, Morning show sidekick and Queen of Middays for 23 of her 27 years on air!

The word you're looking for is "Legend".

John Roberts

KHFI, KPEZ, KEYI, KEGL, KHKS, KDMX, KZPS, KDGE, KXXM, KQXT, KISX, KKTX, KNUE, KTYL, KFXR

John began the Texas portion of his radio career at KEGL in 1986, developing the “Rock 40” format and working with legendary talent like Kidd Kraddick and Fast Eddie Coyle. In 1993 Stan Webb hired him to program Clear Channel’s Austin radio group, overseeing KZPS, KEYI and KHFI. During his tenure in Austin KHFI received numerous award nominations for station of the year and in 1997 John was named Clear Channel Program Director of the Year and promoted to Vice President of Programming, becoming the first to hold this national corporate position for Clear Channel.

John returned to Texas in 2004 as Vice President of Programming and Operations for Clear Channel Dallas overseeing KHKS, KEGL, KDMX, KZPS and KDGE. In 2006 John was named group Program Director for First Broadcasting, and at the time of death in 2020 he was in his fourth year of overseeing programming for Townsquare Media’s Tyler radio group. John was a remarkably talented and competitive programmer who literally lived for radio from the time he first put on his “cans” in the late 70’s.

His biggest contribution to our industry was the number of people he mentored (too numerous to mention), as John’s greatest professional joy was passing along his knowledge of the craft to others and watching them succeed.

JD Rose

KNAF-AM; KFAN-FM (Fredericksburg); KRNH-FM (Kerrville)

JD Rose, known as “The Voice of the Texas Hill Country”, began his 40-plus years in radio broadcasting in 1981 when he was a 16-year-old high school student in Fredericksburg, Texas. JD (Duane Weinheimer) began working in production at legendary pioneering radio station KNAF-AM 910 through a school work program.

Duane was a natural for radio. He soon began producing newscasts and was named News Director at the age of 17. Then he became the on-air personality for the station’s morning show, quickly earning the moniker “Insane Duane” for his fun and different approach to broadcasting. His show grew a huge local and regional following and he was named KNAF Program Director at the age of 19.

Duane created several community service programs that still run on KNAF today. In 1988 he started the New Horizons "Radiothon" every Labor Day Weekend which has raised millions of dollars to provide individualized service for the developmentally-delayed. He has also contributed his broadcast talents as emcee for major community events throughout the Hill Country.

In 1989 Duane started the Texas Music Hour on KNAF featuring Texas and Hill Country artists such as Garry P Nunn, Ray Benson and many others, all performing live. In 1990 Duane was invited to do the weekend shift on KFAN 101.1 in San Antonio with a format of Texas Music. That year, he took the on-air name JD Rose.

When that FM frequency was sold, Duane continued his career as Operations Manager at KNAF in Fredericksburg. In 1991 an FM license was granted for the 107.9 frequency and the owner acquired the KFAN call letters. JD Rose became the station’s Program Director and created a new format that centered on Texas music plus some Louisiana and Oklahoma sounds, Tejano, Blues, and Zydeco.

JD's philosophy was not to force-feed listeners newer eclectic music, so familiar artists were mixed in as well from Petty to Mellencamp and more. His programming soon caught the attention of stations throughout the country and garnered lots of press attention. JD and KFAN were written up in Texas Monthly, the New York Times, No Depression music journal, and in Austin and San Antonio news stories.

Copycats soon followed, but JD Rose was the one who paved the way to the current Texas/Red Dirt format. There were no charts then and he was the only program director dedicating an entire 24 hours to Texas music and this eclectic mix. His was one of three program directors’ playlists in the nation to help form Gavin Magazine’s "Americana" and Album Adult Alternative charts. JD’s playlist also helped Shane Media create the first Texas Music Chart. As of 2022 there are nearly 90 stations reporting to the Texas Regional Radio Chart.

JD Rose has won numerous awards for his work in radio broadcasting including Texas Radio Station of the Year, Texas On-Air Personality of the Year, and numerous Americana and Community Service Awards. He programmed several specialties shows, Texas Coffee Break, Local Lix At Six, Block Party Weekends, Traffic Jam, Texas 6 Pack, etc.

In addition to his work at KFAN, JD Rose was an award-winning morning show personality at KRNH-FM 92.3, The Ranch Radio in Kerrville, Texas, where he was Operations Manager and Program Director for 8 years. For the past 11 years he has run his own online station, TexasRadio.Net. He and his partners created the state’s first high school sports YouTube channel with live play-by-play coverage of Fredericksburg Billies sports events. He also produces the Fredericksburg Texas Podcast with Sondra Phoenix.

JD Rose has spent his entire adult life dedicated to his career in radio and continues to be an innovative leader in the world of broadcasting. If anyone in this business deserves recognition by his peers and a place in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, it’s JD Rose.

Ken Rush

KEFC, KILE, KNOW, KPLX

So much history at legendary Tx stations and of course an unbelievable career at Arista Records.

I didn't know Ken when he was in radio. I worked with him when he was a record rep at Arista. I had been at a reporting CHR radio and when I got back into country, as a music director at a reporting station, Ken was very helpful. At a CHR reporter, with many ads we would get promotions to go with, cd players, trips for listeners, etc. When I got into country and did a double ad for Arista, never held my ads for ransom, I said, we're doing a double ad for you this week.. What kind of promotions do you have for us? After a moment of silence, Ken said, what now? I was in a new game, and he helped me with the rules. :) Great rep, kind, and diligent. Arista had a great roster, but Ken pushed it along in the most professional way.

His resume?

Born in Santa Fe Texas. Radio - PD KEFC Waco, PD KILE Galveston, PD/Asst. Ops Mgr, KNOW/KEY Austin, Air Talent/Morning show producer KPLX Dallas. 20 years of radio across Texas! Plus his legendary Country record promotion career at Arista Nashville, MCA Records, Equity Records, Thirty Tigers and his own Independent Promotion company. Another 25 years of Country music promotion, all in Texas!

Can you read between the lines? It's simple, he's never left TEXAS! Ever.

Ray Schilens

Radio Lounge

When Ray Schilens started in the business, tape splicing was an art form and you either nailed the entire production with the perfect take or you started from scratch. One thing that hasn’t changed since the days of analog recording is the creativity behind the message.

As President and Partner of Houston-based RADIO LOUNGE, Ray’s commitment to quality media content has earned him much respect by his contemporaries. Overseeing all facets of several broadcast production facilities, and an organizational creative think tank, Ray has vast experience in various areas of broadcasting, advertising, marketing, and business leadership. Ray’s extensive background includes broadcast programming and creative services management in Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale. Ray’s combination of creativity, dedication to quality, and his strength in client relationships has driven his successful career.

Although radio has taken Ray around the country, from Detroit to Miami, Texas welcomed him twice. In the late 70’s listeners knew Ray Carpenter as the midday host on Houston’s Easy Listening outlet, KODA-FM when it was owned by Taft Broadcasting. A decade later Ray returned to Houston as Operations Manager and morning personality with Entercom’s Joy-95, a soft-adult hits station that Ray and his team re-positioned as Oldies 94.5. Ray also had the pleasure of working with the founders of KSBJ-FM, the Contemporary Christian station as an on-air personality. Ray spent the later part of the 80’s as an on-air personality for K-Lite, the CBS affiliate, hosting the Lite Rock and K-Lite Café programs. When Ray returned to 99.1FM in the early 90’s the station was still known as “CODA”. As a mid-day personality and Production Director Ray was part of the transition team that helped the station grow into what is now known as Sunny 99.1, the heritage Soft A/C that continues to top the ratings. During Ray’s Sunny days he also worked as a morning personality on what would become a highly successful satellite format. From the studios on Woodway Drive in Houston, the concept for Morningstar, and Today’s Christian Music was launched and delivered to over 100 stations nationwide. Morningstar eventually moved their operations to Nashville, and Ray chose to stay here in Texas.

For more than three decades, RADIO LOUNGE has been a labor of love that has generated award winning content and incredible results for a variety of direct advertisers and agencies around the country. With literally thousands of spots created each year for broadcast and digital platforms, everyday brings new opportunities to stretch our creative clout. Ray loves to teach and has been an inspired leader of the RADIO LOUNGE team since its inception. From Voice Coaching to Podcasting, to on-location audio experiences, RADIO LOUNGE has had the opportunity to work with industry greats including Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob), Richard Thomas (John Boy from The Waltons), and Wes Anderson director of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Podcasting, before it was called podcasting. Ray was also the co-host of The Advertising Show, with Brad Forsythe. The Advertising Show debuted in September of 2001, and has been a favorite stop of ad luminaries including George Lois, Luke Sullivan, Linda Kaplan Thaler, Pat Fallon, Rance Crain, Dick Orkin, Roy Williams, Donny Deutsch, Jack Trout, Phil Duesnberry, and others, with a cutting-edge perspective on all aspects of media and marketing. The weekly series was syndicated across the United States and featured on Sirius/XM. Many considered Ray and Brad the “Click and Clack” of advertising.

For The American Advertising Federation, Ray is the creator and host of Ad Speaks Houston, as a podcast and weekly radio show on iHeart Media's KPRC 950AM in Houston. For District-10 of The American Advertising Federation, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, Ray is the creator and host for the podcast, ADTENTION. Both Podcasts are rated in the top 20 for advertising.

Ray is also the Past President of The American Advertising Federation/Houston.

For Austin based Rooster Teeth Productions, Ray is the IMDb actor known for the character “Chrovos”, in the TV series short Red vs. Blue.

Apart from business, as a licensed pilot, Ray’s interests include flying to find the perfect $100 hamburger, golf on any course, at any time, and family time with his wife Kathryn, their two daughters and six grandkids in the sweetest town in Texas, Sugar Land.

Clifton "King Bee" Smith

KNUZ - Houston (Mid - Late 1950's) Air Personality
KCOH - Houston (1959 - 1962) Air Personality
KCOH - Houston (1965 - 1970s) Air Personality
KPRC - Radio/TV (1971 - 1985) Community Affairs Director

From what I recall, Clifton was born and raised in Houston. His first radio job was at KNUZ radio in Houston. He was the second African American To work at KNUZ. When station KCOH changed to Houston's first all black R&B/Gospel station, he was one of the first DJ's hired since he already was well known in the city.

When the Houston Colt .45s Baseball team began in Houston, Clifton was hired as their PR Director. Around the time the Colt .45's became the Houston Astros (1965), he returned to KCOH Radio for several years.

His earlier association with The Colt .45's, caught the attention of Jack Harris VP/GM of KPRC TV/Radio and he was hired as Community Service Director. He remained at KPRC until his untimely passing in June 1985. He was about 56 years old.

He owned King Bee’s Record Shop on Dowling in Houston in the early 60s, where I bought many of my early records.

He was portrayed as King Bee in the Oscar-winning movie “Ray” starring Jamie Fox as Ray Charles.

Clifton was another radio superstar and another mentor and friend to me from the day I met him at KCOH in 1961. He passed away in June of 1985 at 56 years of age.

Dr. J Thomas Smith

KMJQ/KRLY

When Houston's most popular radio frequencies gained traction on the FM dial, J-Thomas Smith was a major talent heard daily by R&B audiences. Besides numerous stints in major revenue dayparts on KMJQ and KRLY, Smith's service to the Houston broadcast industry has included time on KCOH and KNUZ as well as public broadcast outlets. His love of the industry motivated his involvement in communications curriculum development at Houston Community College, and drove him to pursue a law degree with special emphasis on communications law. Smith continues to consult with broadcast clients serving up R&B, Hip-Hop and other popular formats in Houston and several other top ten markets. He is also an accomplished author, penning Black Radio: An American History, published in 2023.

Gary Stone

KMJQ, KIKK, KILT, KLAT, WFAA, KESS, KXOL, KOKE, KVET, KAWA, KIKN

Gary Stone ran Univision Radio for ten years as President COO, a broadcast company worth $3.5 Billion with revenues of $500 Million and an EBITDA of over $150 Million. Univision Radio had 70 radio stations in major cities all over the US and Puerto Rico. In 2007 five of the largest private equity groups in the US bought Univision for $13 Billion. This includes Madison Dearborn Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Saban Capital Group, Providence Equity Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners.

Stone was an independent board member of Spanish Broadcasting Corporation (SBS) for over four years. He brought his expertise to the board as it pertained to all SBS platforms including radio, TV, streaming and corporate compliance. SBS has revenue of $300M and a market value of $400M to $500M.

An independent board member of UnidosUS, formerly National Council of La Raza. Stone served on the audit and compensation committee. He served for the full-term limit of six years.

Stone currently serves on Hispanic Communications Network as a board member/manager and consultant that includes over 250+ affiliates targeting Hispanics for improving their lifestyles utilizing government and foundation grants. Stone is working with the CDC Foundation to reduce and minimize mis/dis information concerning the Covid vaccine to encourage Hispanics to get the vaccine. Stone is forming a Spanish media coalition while working directly with virtually all the Spanish Media.

Stone also serves on the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Leadership Board. St. Jude has revenues of over $1Billion and has iconic brand status among nonprofits. He also has served on another nonprofit board, Owen Daniel’s Catch a Dream Foundation. While President COO of Univision Stone served on the National Association of Broadcasters and Radio Advertising Bureau boards and served on the Arbitron Advisory Board.

Stone is currently the President Chief Executive Officer Piedra Media, a national general market and multicultural digital social media marketing and radio broadcast consulting firm. Previously, Chief Operating Officer Brand X Marketing, a national grocery shopper retail/brand advertising agency.

Gary is NACD directorship certified.

CORPORATE BOARD SERVICE

Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) 2020-present
Stone serves as a board member/manager. Hispanic Communications Network connects to, informs, inspires, and empowers families and communities nationwide. HCN also provides resources they can use to create positive social change every day. HCN reaches and engages with the community by leveraging their National Media Networks (La Red Hispana) that includes 100+ affiliated Spanish Radio Stations covering 90% of the U.S. Hispanic population, in addition to their Traditional, Digital, and Mobile App solutions.

Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) 2014-2017
Stone served as an independent board member. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) with revenues of $150 Million with a market value of $400 Million to $500 Million. SBS, owns and operates radio stations and owns MegaTV, a network television operation and digital properties, including La Musica a mobile app and HitzMaker, a new-talent destination for aspiring artists.

UnidosUS formerly National Council of La Raza 2011-2017
Stone served on the audit and compensation committee and worked on immigration reform working with the “Gang of Eight” during the Obama administration and in the development of the name change to UnidosUS leading up to the celebration of their 50-year anniversary.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Leadership Board 2010-present
Gary Stone raised over $50 Million in donations over a ten-year period from 2001 to 2010. From 2010 to present helped raise over $100 Million for a brain tumor laser. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a global nonprofit organization with revenues exceeding $1 Billion and is an iconic brand.

Owen Daniels Catch a Dream Foundation 2011-2013
Owen Daniels was the tight end for the Houston Texans. Stone participated in all areas of development, fundraising and donating to this organization. The foundation provided critically, and chronically ill children throughout Greater Houston with daily support and life changing experiences.

National Association of Broadcasters 2001-2010
Stone lobbied congress to address the Spectrum Tax and discriminatory practices by Arbitron (Nielson) against Black and Hispanic radio listeners with the introduction of the Portable People Meter. A congressional hearing and subsequent improvements over a two-year period by Arbitron were put in place to correct the ratings services practices. The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association and lobby group serving as the voice for the nation's 8,300 radio and television broadcasters.

Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) 2001-2010
Stone worked on the RAB board for training and improving the skills of salespeople. The Radio Advertising Bureau serves more than 6,000-member Radio stations in the U.S. and over 1,000 member networks, representative firms, broadcast vendors, and international organizations.

Arbitron Advisory Board 1987-2010
Arbitron is the gold standard for radio ratings now with a name change to Nielsen ratings. Stone was involved in methodology development and how it affected minority listening levels and the rollout of the Portable People Meter.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Piedra Media LLC, Chief Executive Officer 2020-present
A full-service general market agency, multicultural conscious, influencing all ethnic groups in their language and culture specializing in digital and social media. Piedra Media speaks 10+ languages among a diverse staff of 116 team members in Austin, Texas. On the cutting edge of digital media consumption across the board. PiedraMedia.com

Brand X Marketing LLC, Chief Operating Officer 2017-2020
Stone consults Brand X a grocery shopper marketing sales solutions firm working with retailers and Brand salespeople throughout the US. Offices are located in Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles. BrandXMarketing.com

Univision Radio, President Chief Operating Officer 2001-2010

Ten years as COO (2001) and five years as President COO of the premier Spanish language radio broadcasting company in the country that sold for $3.5 Billion with revenues of $500 Million and EBITDA of over $150 Million, responsible for developing and driving strategy, operations and financial initiatives for approximately 70 radio stations in 17 markets.

• Stone has a successful track record of driving revenue through sales, marketing and programming innovation and creating stellar results for clients. Significant experience merging cultures and driving transformational change pre- and post-merger.

• Recognized for developing a strong culture rooted in innovation, ownership, accountability, and collaboration. Consistently regarded for his ability to not only “shake up” the status quo, but also drive initiatives by building local level buy-in through personally leading hands-on, practical strategy and operating review sessions.

• Stone has worked with top tier advertising agencies and syndicated radio shows developing strategic initiatives, teamwork, communication and goal congruency with a bottom up approach for execution of action plans resulting in a positive culture, reporting systems for accountability and stellar top-line and bottom-line performance. He is the author of two books on the radio industry.

In 2001, promoted to SVP and COO and began development and implementation of strategic initiatives including:

Operational / Organizational Improvements

Recognized the opportunity to share best practices and provide local markets with greater strategic support by personally leading strategy and operations sessions in each market.
Created Regional General Managers to more efficiently handle the rapid ratings growth of the company while implementing strategic and tactical initiatives to maximize asset base and revenue potential
Focused On-Air strategy through Regional Program Directors to localize the programming effort to better serve the existing Hispanic community in each of the markets

Programming Innovation

Created collaboration between Television and Radio to integrate radio personalities on Television that would result in increases in ratings on their local and/or syndicated shows
Syndicated morning shows to create ratings by utilizing talent in top markets to improve the programming of emerging markets
Capitalized on programming expertise and talent to syndicate morning shows, AM programming and certain music formats to non-Univision markets, which strategically improved the company’s ability to discourage new entrants into the market and to facilitate growth through acquisitions
Revamped music research with better technology to better reflect the music preferences of our listeners in each of our markets
Championed the launch of two new formats to better combat new entrants into the Spanish radio industry which strengthens our revenue and ratings positions as a leader in our markets in 2006 contributing in part to Univision Radio’s double-digit growth in 2007

Key Talent recruitment

Personally, recruited a top new morning show talent to drive ratings growth across the company by syndicating to sixteen out of seventeen of Univision Radio’s markets.

AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

Stone has been a consultant for Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) since 2010. Consulting private equity, venture capitalist, preferred stockholders and others as an expert on the broadcast industry, social digital media, advertising, marketing and for strategic recommendations and planning.
Houston Association of Broadcasters
Los Angeles Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters
Radio Advertising Bureau

EDUCATION

Notre Dame School of Business Marketing Department
September 1988 – May 2009
Consulting program with Professor John Kennedy PhD
HBCU Executive Training October 1987
Notre Dame University
San Jacinto College, September 1974 - Major in business
Del Mar College, September 1970 - Major in psychology

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS, SPEAKING
ENGAGEMENTS AND ACCOLADES

Austin Association of Broadcasters 2020 award for Professionalism in Broadcasting.
Radio Ink article interviewing Gary Stone on How to Succeed at Managing…For 25 Years September 2015.
Author of two books on radio published by Tate Publishing in 2011 called “For the Love of Radio and Mexican Food” and the other named “A Face for Radio”. These books were showcased at both the NAB and RAB conventions and are available on Amazon or wherever you like to buy your books.
Stone Ranked 9th of the Top 40 Most Powerful People in Radio 2010.
Univision Radio Award for Outstanding Service over 25 years 2010.
Oliver Wyman 2008 Univision Employee Survey – Univision Radio under the leadership of Gary Stone exceeded all divisions of Univision for performance in culture, employees understanding individual goals and objectives, ability to contribute to and influence organizational outcomes, senior leadership communication and communicating vision and plan for the future.
Featured on the cover of Radio Ink Magazine September 2007 with an in-depth article called “The Right Platform” showcasing his multi-faceted approach as President COO of Univision Radio.
People’s Choice Award Univision Radio Shining Star Award 2007.
Stone was a panelist and speaker during National Association of Broadcasters conventions on a regular basis over the course of his ten years as COO of Univision Radio.
Stone won various trophies from the National Association of Broadcasters over the years as Station of the Year 1999, Marconi Awards 1996, 1999 and he won 2008 Broadcaster of the Year.
Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation Program Director’s Award for leadership and support 2002.
In 2001 Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation as a public company received a C grade from analysis prior to Stone becoming the COO. Within two years and innovative improvements, that C grade became a Grade of A. Subsequently the company revenue and EBITDA grew and the stock split twice until the sale to Univision in 2003 for $3.5B.
Received recognition and plaques, often presented by Marlo Thomas, daughter of founder Danny Thomas, from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for annual achievements for fund raising ranging from $6M to $10M culminating into over $50M from 2001 to 2010. A Univision Radio plaque was placed in the lobby of the main hospital on the Memphis campus to honor this achievement.
37th Houston Advertising Federation American Advertising Award for Out-Of-Home Promotion Non-English 1992.
Houston Association of Radio Broadcasters AIR Award Achievement in Radio 1990.
Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation Founder’s Award for Station Performance 1989 and 1996.

WORK EXPERIENCE Prior to Univision Radio / (Tichenor Media System, Heftel Broadcasting, HBC) *Dates are approximate

Sales Manager (KMJQ, Houston) 1984-1985
Account Executive (KIKK, Houston) 1981-1984
Sales Manager (KIKK-AM, Houston) 1980-1981
Sales Manager (KLAT “Spanish”, Houston) 1979-1980
Account Executive (WFAA, Dallas) 1978-1979
Account Executive (KESS “Spanish”, Dallas) 1977-1978
On-Air Personality (KXOL, Fort Worth) 1976-1977
On-Air Personality (KOKE, Austin) 1975-1976
On-Air Personality (KIKK, Houston) 1974-1975
On-Air Personality (KVET, Austin) 1972-1974
On-Air Personality (KAWA, Waco) 1971-1972
On-Air Personality (KIKN, Corpus Christi) 1969-1971

Terri Thomas

KMJQ, KBXX, KROI

With nearly 20 years of experience In Texas radio, On Air, as PD, and Operations Manager across multiple brands, Terri Is more than due to join several individuals who she has led and worked with over the years in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Her leadership brought Houston’s 97.9 The Box and Majic 102 to unprecedented levels of success. Additionally, she has managed pop and praise/gospel stations, and worked with talent across other formats, including country and classic rock.

She helped launch the careers of many young urban artists, several of which have honored her directly, and has earned a litany of individual achievements, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement award, honors from US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, State Senator Borris Miles, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, State Representative Senfronia Thompson, State Representative Ron Reynolds, WOW Houston Magazine, Women of Houston Magazine, and has won multiple awards from American Women in Radio and Television, The Media Alliance of Houston, and The National Women in Radio Conference, while also being featured in Radio Inc, Billboard Magazine, Rolling Stone, Radio and Records, Inside Radio, RAMP, Voyage Houston, and more.

Even though she left full-time radio at the end of last year, she continues to consult, both with on-air talent and stations regarding programming and training, serves on the Advisory Board for St Jude (where she was an inaugural member), and can still be heard on air as an imaging voice and commercial talent. Among the TRHOF inductees who have flourished under her leadership are The Madd Hatta (who she was instrumental in recently bringing back home to Majic 102), Kandi Eastman, and Funky Larry Jones. She has been a multiple time TRHOF nominee and should be primed to shed her Susan Lucci status this year by joining the Class of 2024!

“Harvey T” Thompson

KIKK

Harvey T. was the ultimate radio professional. He served our country during Vietnam and returned to Texas to begin his 50 years of broadcasting starting in Texas City and then moving to KIKK-FM when it first came on the air.

Harvey T later became a radio icon in the Houston market working as the face of the station's promotion department. He worked tirelessly sometimes attending as many as 3 community events and remotes per day. Harvey contributed to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for community fundraisers and the youth of Texas through the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship program.

Harvey Thompson was "Mr. KIKK." Harvey passed away in 2002. It is time to posthumously induct him into the TRHF.

Jerry Trupiano

KTRH

I would like to submit the name of Jerry Trupiano for your consideration for election into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Jerry was born in St. Louis and got his start in college radio at St. Louis University, which led him to be hired at the legendary station KMOX, where he would learn from broadcasting greats Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Joe Garagiola and Dan Kelly. When the World Hockey Association was formed in 19972, Jerry got the call to be the radio voice of the Houston Aeros, who were led by Hall of Famer Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty. Following the second season, a chance luncheon with Jack Buck and John Breen, who was the first general manager of the Houston Oilers, would lead to Trupiano getting a phone call from KTRH station manager Frank Stewart, who was looking to build a sports image and needed someone to start a sports department. Trupiano would accept the job and go on to host Houston’s top rated sports talk show for 14 years. After the WHA and the Aeros folded in 1978, Trupiano would go on to call games for the Houston Rockets (1978-80), Houston Astros (1985-6) and Houston Oilers (1980-88). During his time as KTRH Sports Director, Trupiano would help mentor and launch the careers of the late Dave Barrett, who moved from sports to news anchor for CBS, Fox and ABC Radio; legendary CBS sports anchor Jim Nantz and TRHOF member Tom Franklin. Trupiano would leave Houston in 1989 to pursue his passion for baseball play-by-play where he would work for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox. Thank you for your consideration.

Gary “Blue Eyes” Walker

KLUR Country - Wichita Falls, TX 1974 to 1977 KCBI Christian - Dallas, TX 1977 to 1978 KSDX AM & FM AC/Rock - Sherman/Denison, TX 1978 to 1979 KUBC AC - Montrose, CO 1979 to 1980 KADY Country - Beaumont, TX 1980 - 1981 KNUS/KLVU Rock/AC - Dallas, TX 1981 - 1983 KPLX/KLIF Country - Dallas, TX 1983 - 1985 KYKX Country - Longview, TX 1985 - 1996 KNUE Country - Tyler, TX 1996 - 2009 KOOI AC - Tyler/Longview, TX 2010 - 2011 KKUS Classic

Gary Walker’s journey in the radio industry is a testament to his unwavering passion and dedication. Beginning his career in 1974, Gary has worked in radio for over 50 years. He worked at several stations before joining KPLX-FM and KLIF in 1983. In 1985, Gary received the call to work afternoons at KYKX 105.7 in Longview, Texas, where he was honored as the CMA Country Music Association Small Market Air Personality of the Year in 1987. Eventually, he found his home alongside Tom Perryman on 104.1 The Ranch Morning Show, forming a legendary partnership.

Gary's commitment to community service is equally commendable. Through his volunteer work with Meals on Wheels, the East Texas Food Bank, and his deep dedication to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Gary has significantly impacted countless lives. Under his leadership, 101.5 KNUE raised over one million dollars to support St. Jude’s mission to eradicate childhood cancer.

“Gary has a voice smooth and golden, and he’s one of the nicest guys anyone could ever meet. Everyone that knows him just loves him.” - Tony McCullough, former KYKX air staff.

Gary Walker's contributions to East Texas and beyond are immeasurable. His generosity and passion for radio have touched countless lives, making a lasting impact on the community. Thank you, Gary, for your enduring impact and unwavering dedication to making a huge difference.

Val Wilson

KMJQ Majic 102.1

As an advocate for the less fortunate, Val Wilson set great examples for those coming after her. As a Community Advocate, she always had great relationships with community leaders, stayed informed of all current events, and shared with listeners.

Val was part of the morning show team at KMJQ and was co-host on Sunday Morning Live. She is now a professor of broadcasting at Texas Southern University.

A native Houstonian, Val got the radio bug when she was young. In 1982, she got her 1st job at KTSU 90.9. She worked on the air at some of Houston’ biggest stations, including KRLY (Love 94), KYOK, KMJQ (MAJIC 102), KNUZ, KHYS, KBXX (97.9 The Box) and others. On MAJIC 102, she was a big part of the “Funky Larry Jones Morning Show) Val is still working in radio. She is working as an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University, School of Communication in Houston. Currently, she is the Streaming Channel Coordinator at KTSU2 since April 2018. It doesn’t stop there as she is on Salem Radio Houston on KKHT and KNTH, where she does a lot of voice work including station imaging.