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Who would you put in a MS Radio Hall of Fame?

T

the golden boy

There is one in Georgia and perhaps other states too. As far as a I know, there isn't one that exists here in Mississippi, but if there was one, who would you like to see go in it? I choose Bob Pittman, founder of MTV and now with Clear Channel. He is a native Mississippian who has worked in radio, including at the legendary WNBC in New York. MTV, no doubt, has influenced what is and was played on popular radio for almost 30 years now. I would also induct long-time Jackson radio news anchor Randy Bell. What more can you say about him?

The only criteria I have are the obvious ones: that the inductee would have to be either be from Mississippi or worked in the state. If you want to place stricter limits (such as the amount of time he or she had to work in radio in MS, community influence, etc.), go right ahead.

I get the feeling this will get a lot of responses, but be fun as well.
 
Those mentioned above as well as Bill Tanner, Burt and Kurt, the longtime newsman for Farmer Jim whose name will come to me right after I post!
 
Robin Mathis and his brother Ralph, his sister in-law Jeannette and brother in-law J.B. Skelton put WCPC AM (Houston MS), WSJC AM (Magee, MS), WSAO AM (Senatobia, MS) and WXTN AM (Pickens, MS) on the air and ran them for many years. WCPC & WSJC were/are 50 kW daytime that cover large parts of the state. Jeannette’s husband was involved in the family business before he was killed in an accident in the early 1960's (1962?). They also had a station or two in Tennessee in the late 70's/early 80's

Robin lives (?) in Houston and managed WCPC he was also active in the MAB. I worked for the Mathis family at WSAO from 1974 until 1976 while I was in High School and second the of Robin Mathis.

I also would add Joe Phillips to the list. Joe put Starkville's first station, WSSO, and first FM station, ex-WSMU, on the air. He along with three other partners started Starkville Cable. Joe was very active in the community, the MAB and the NAB. He was the quintessential small town radio broadcaster. I worked for Joe and his family from 1978 until 1982. Unfortunately, Joe passed away in December 1978....I just wish I had been able to spend more time with him.


Dr. Bob
 
I would put Bob Lima in. Arguably the best programmer the MS Coast has ever seen. Took 94QID, 57VMI and K99 to numbers that most stations have never seen.
 
J.B. Skelton was my mothers first cousin, nice guy. He died a good many years ago. Cancer if I'm not mistaken. Wasn't Marvin Mathis of WCPC/WSJC killed by a train or something?
 
I had a great list going, complete with exhaustive reasoning behind the selections, then the computer crashed (maybe the list was too long).

Off the top of my head Hoyt Wooten, who started KFNG, Coldwater, MS in 1922. Early Wright, the Perkins family, Eddie Fritts, Howard Lett, Dave Adcock, Stan Torgerson, Jack Cristil... Of course, as soon as I push Post I will think of many others. J. Boyd Ingram and Larry Fuss come to mind as representatives of scores of folks who are still active and have enjoyed decades of success as small and medium market Mississippi radio owners and operators.

I am sure recognition is due the folks who realized that a vast swath of Mississippians were being underserved by broadcasters and brought us WOKJ, WKXI, WESY and other dedicated soul and R&B stations.

If we are including folks who, like Bob Pittman, had their biggest successes once they left MS, don't forget Gerry Cagle and Harry Nelson who hit it big in LA, San Francisco, New York and Boston.
 
Eddie Holladay belongs in that select group ... large group of successful stations in Mississippi and elsewhere.

Dr Bob, one correction: WXTN is in Lexington, not Pickens (you're in the right church, but the wrong pew).

Such a list should include people who made it big outside the state... that should include Randall Pinkston, now a reporter for CBS TV news, who started in Jackson radio.

The Roden brothers, E.O. and Zane, belong on the list ... Booneville, Tupelo, Jackson, and elsewhere.

And John McLendon, posthumously, who had WOKJ and many others.
 
The fact that this discussion has not yet brought up the name of Bob McRaney Sr is an oversight of the first magnitude.
 
A-ha! I had the McRaneys on my list that crashed!
 
Maybe Walt... he's the talented one. But thanks for the thought. Mom would be proud. Dad, however, was positioning me for a career in Termite and Pest Control. I was a miserable failure in the "crawling around under houses" prerequisite.

I'm still looking for someone who will let me be a disk-jockey in 2011...
 
Withers Gavin as a Mississippi radio pioneer as well as Birney Imes jr should be on that list.
 
A very long time ago I was in Mississippi radio. Kinda of famous behind the scenes. Then I was exiled to Texas, where we do have a radio hall of fame. And they have an annual meeting where we all get together and talk about the good ol' days.

Well, let's do it in Mississippi. I will help in any way I can. But we need someone in Mississippi to take charge and run with the ball.

Let's throw out some nominations here.
 
It would seem to be a worthwhile project for the Mississippi Broadcasters Association to undertake. The MBA does still exist doesn't it? ( I was last involved in that erstwhile organization 30 years ago)...
 
Thanks! Best wishes to you and all our radio friends as we ring (wring) out 2010!
 
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