2016 In Radio
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The following is a list of events affecting
radio broadcasting Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
in 2016. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, and station launches, closures and format changes, as well as information about controversies.


Notable events


January


February


March


April


May


June


July


August


September


October


November


December


Debuts


Closings


Deaths

*January 5:
Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...
, 90, conductor, composer and broadcaster *January 17 **Kris Kelly, 45, American radio personality and programmer in the R&B/Hip-Hop and Top 40/CHR genres. **
Ramblin' Lou Schriver Louis Albert "Ramblin' Lou" Schriver (July 19, 1929 – January 17, 2016) was an American country musician and radio broadcaster who lived in western New York State. Schriver began his radio career in 1947, performing live music at WJJL in Niagara ...
, 86, American
Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
performer (''
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
'', ''
WWVA Jamboree The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second oldest country music radio broadcast in the United States after the ''Grand Ole Opry''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in Wheeling, West Virginia on WWVA (AM), WWVA, the first radio station in West Virginia ...
''), radio personality ( WJJL Niagara Falls, New York and
WWOL WWOL (780 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed to Forest City, North Carolina, United States, broadcasting a Southern Gospel format. As of October 29, 1989, the station is owned by Holly Springs Baptist Broadcasting. WWOL began broadc ...
Lackawanna, New York) and longtime owner-operator of
WXRL WXRL (1300 AM) is a commercial radio station in Lancaster, New York, serving the Buffalo metropolitan area. It broadcasts a classic country radio format. WXRL is owned and operated by the family of Ramblin' Lou Schriver, a well known local coun ...
/1300:
Lancaster, New York Lancaster is a town in Erie County, New York, United States, centered 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo. Lancaster is an outer ring suburb of Buffalo. As of the 2020 Census, the town population was 45,106. Located within the town is the villa ...
from 1970 to his death. **Velia Taneff, 86, American air personality at
WLTH WLTH (1370 AM) is a radio station in Gary, Indiana east of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is owned by Michilliana Broadcasting, LLC. The station's current format is African-American Talk Radio. Notable radio alumni of WLTH include Steve King ...
Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the ...
. *January 28:
Buddy Cianci Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. (, ; , ; April 30, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American politician, attorney, radio talk show host, political commentator, and convicted felon who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 1975 ...
, 74, American politician and broadcaster from
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
. *January 31:
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekd ...
, 77, Irish-British broadcaster. *February 2: Bob Elliott, 92. Longtime, US radio comedian and half of the comedy team of ''
Bob and Ray Bob and Ray were an American comedy duo whose career spanned five decades, composed of comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990). The duo's format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such ...
''. *February 8: Alejandro Nieto Molina, 48, SVP and GM/Radio for Univision Radio and radio executive/programming alumni for Spain's Cadena Ser, Groupo Prisa US, and Caracol. *February 20:
Ove Verner Hansen Ove Verner Hansen (20 July 1932 – 20 February 2016) was a Danish opera singer and actor. He played the character, "Bøffen" (or "Biffen" in Norwegian, literally meaning "the steak" in both languages) in 16 of the ''Olsen-banden''-movies (11 d ...
, 83, Danish opera singer and actor who began his career with the Danish National Radio Choir *February 24:
Eddie Einhorn Eddie Einhorn (January 3, 1936 – February 24, 2016) was minority owner and vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox. Biography Einhorn grew up in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of Mae (née Lippman) and Harold B. Einhorn and resi ...
, 80, presenter of the first nationwide radio and television broadcasts of
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
in the United States. *February 29: Charlie Tuna, 71, US radio personality most recently known as a syndicated
classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
jockey. *March 23: **
Jim Roselle James Roselle (April 15, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American radio personality. Roselle worked at WJTN in Jamestown, New York from 1953 until his death in 2016. Early life Roselle was born in Jamestown in 1926 and graduated from Jamestown ...
, 89, US radio personality (61 years at
WJTN WJTN (1240 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed to Jamestown, New York. The station is owned by Media One Radio Group. On December 31, 1924, the station signed on, making the station the oldest in southwestern New York and third-longe ...
Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamestown is the largest pop ...
). **
Joe Garagiola, Sr. Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball catcher, later an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. Garagiola played nine seasons in Major League Basebal ...
, 90, American baseball player turned commentator (radio work included the St. Louis Cardinals Radio Network, '' MLB on NBC Radio'' and the
New York Yankees Radio Network The New York Yankees Radio Network is an Audacy-owned radio network that broadcasts New York Yankees baseball games to 52 stations across 14 states. The network's flagship station is WFAN, which succeeded sister station WCBS as the flagship in 2 ...
). *March 27:
Mother Angelica Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo; April 20, 1923 – March 27, 2016), also known as Mother Angelica, was an American Roman Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She was best known for the t ...
, 92, US Catholic nun and founder of
WEWN WEWN is the shortwave radio outlet of the EWTN, a large Roman Catholic international broadcaster based in Irondale, Alabama. It was launched by Mother Angelica on December 28, 1992. WEWN broadcasts from the city of Vandiver, Alabama, in the vici ...
Vandiver/ Irondale,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. *April 9: Stacy Fawcett, 45, US radio and television personality in the Dallas-Ft. Worth media market, working as an air personality at KVIL-FM. *April 11:
Doug Banks Calvin Douglas Banks Jr. (June 9, 1958 – April 11, 2016) was an American radio personality and host of The Doug Banks Radio Show. Career highlights The Philadelphia-born, Detroit-raised Banks began his radio career broadcasting on his high sc ...
, 57, American syndicated radio host whose '' The Doug Banks Show'' had aired nationwide since 1997. *April 14:
Rod Reyes Rodolfo T. "Rod" Reyes (August 10, 1935 – April 14, 2016) was a Filipino multi-awarded journalist and media executive. He served as Cabinet Press Secretary to two Presidents - President Fidel V. Ramos and President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. He ...
, 80, Filipino radio executive, former vice president and general manager of GMA Radio Television Arts *April 19: Denise Stewart-Bohn, US air personality at
WCXT WCXT (98.3 FM, "The Coast") is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format, serving the southwestern Michigan area. WCXT is licensed to Hartford, Michigan and focuses on the cities of St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and South Haven. The ...
(
Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, of ...
) *May 1:
Sydney Onayemi Abayomi Sydney Onayemi (3 November 1937 – 1 May 2016), also known as Big Brother Sydney, was a Nigerian-born Swedish disc jockey. His other name "Abayomi" means "he brings me joy and happiness" in the Yoruba language. Onayemi came to Sweden i ...
, 78, Nigerian-born Swedish DJ *May 25: Sherry-Ruth Francis, 52, US air personality at KRHN (
Kerrville, Texas Kerrville is a city in, and the county seat of, Kerr County, Texas, Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population of Kerrville was 24,278 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Kerrville is named after James Kerr (Texas politi ...
) *June 1: Lacy Neff, 49, US on-air personality at
WVAQ WVAQ is a Contemporary Hit Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Morgantown, West Virginia, serving North Central West Virginia. WVAQ is owned and operated by West Virginia Radio Corporation WVRC Media is a media corporation ...
(
Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...
). Winner of the
National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more than ...
'
Marconi Award :''"Marconi Award" links here. Note that in the Netherlands, the radio academy awards are also called Marconi Awards.'' The Marconi Radio Awards are presented annually by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to the top radio stations and ...
for Small Market Personality Of The Year twice, first in 2006 and again in 2009. *June 5: David Gilkey, US
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
photojournalist and Zabihullah Tamanna (Gilkey's translator) *June 12:
Janet Waldo Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from '' B ...
, 96, US radio, television and voice actress best known in radio for the title role in ''
Meet Corliss Archer ''Meet Corliss Archer'' is an American radio program from radio's Golden Age that ran from January 7, 1943, to September 30, 1956. Although it was CBS's answer to NBC's ''A Date with Judy'', it was also broadcast by NBC in 1948 as a summer repla ...
'', among other various guest spots. *June 23:
Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...
, 89, US bluegrass music pioneer whose radio career included 12 years at WCYB (
Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State S ...
) and membership in the ''
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
''. *June 26: Donna Kelley, 66, US news anchor on
KARN-FM KARN-FM (102.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station, licensed to Sheridan, Arkansas, and serving the Little Rock metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a talk radio format. It has long been the flagship station of the ...
(
Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...
). *July 4: Rod Hansen, 75. Multiple award-winning investigative reporter on WJR/760 (
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
) from 1967 to 2005. *July 28:
Jerry Doyle Jerry Doyle (July 16, 1956 – July 27, 2016) was an American talk radio host, right-libertarian political commentator, television actor and founder of the content platform EpicTimes. His nationally syndicated talk show, ''The Jerry Doyle Show ...
, 60. Actor turned radio host, heard on
Talk Radio Network Talk Radio Network (TRN) was an independent radio producer and syndicator of news and talk radio programming headquartered in Central Point, Oregon. TRN consists of a number of associated companies, which have launched or re-built some of the U ...
from the mid-2000s until his death. *August 16: Dennis Alvord, 68. Radio personality, an alumnus of
KPWR KPWR (105.9 FM) – branded as ''Power 106'' – is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. KPWR is owned and operated by Meruelo Group and airs a Rhythmic Hot AC format. KPWR's studio ...
/Los Angeles and
KTFM KTFM (94.1 FM, "San Antonio's Sports Star: ESPN AM 1250 and 94.1 FM") is a radio station serving the San Antonio area. The Alpha Media outlet operates with an effective radiated power of 10.5 kw and its city of license is Floresville, Texas. ...
/San Antonio, known on air as "Joe Nasty" *August 19:
Horacio Salgán Horacio Adolfo Salgán (June 15, 1916 – August 19, 2016) was an Argentine tango musician. He was born in Buenos Aires to an established Afro-Argentine family. Some of Salgán's most well-known compositions include ''Del 1 al 5 (Días de pago)'' ...
, 100, Argentine tango musician *August 27:
Joy Browne Joy Browne (born Joy Oppenheim; October 24, 1944—August 27, 2016), also known as Dr. Joy, was an American talk show host, specializing in advice counselling. She hosted a nationally syndicated call-in talk show for several decades, heard ...
, 71. Psychologist whose radio program had been on air since 1978 and aired nationwide since the early 1990s. *September 8: Eric Von Broadley, 58. Television and radio journalist, personality, and publisher in the Milwaukee media market, an alumnus of WMCS, WAWA and
WNOV WNOV (860  AM) is a community-oriented urban contemporary radio station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. WNOV is the only station owned by Courier Communications, but on January 18, 2008 it was leased to a new company called Radio Multi-Med ...
. *September 9: Bill Nojay, 59. Republican politician, attorney and syndicated radio host (show originated from
WYSL WYSL (1040 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Avon, New York, and serving the Rochester metropolitan area. It broadcasts a talk radio format and is known as "The Voice of Liberty." The station is owned by Robert C. Savage under the ...
Avon, New York Avon () is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. It is south of Rochester. The town population was 7,146 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the River Avon in England. The village of Avon is in the northwest part of ...
). *September 11: "Crazy" Eddie Antar, 68. Electronics retailer infamous for his ubiquitous radio and television advertisements. *September 16: Tom Torbjornsen, 60, host of ''
America's Car Show {{More citations needed, date=May 2021 ''America's Car Show'' was a weekly American call-in radio program and a magazine format television program focusing on cars and the automotive industry. Callers call into the radio program with their difficul ...
''. *September 26:
Ioan Gyuri Pascu Ioan Gyuri Pascu (; also credited as Ioan Ghiurico Pascu, Gyuri Pascu, and Ghyuri Pascu; August 31, 1961 – September 26, 2016) was a Romanian pop music singer, producer, actor, and comedian, also known for his participation in the comedy grou ...
, 55, Romanian singer, manager, producer and actor, originally discovered by Radio Vacanţa *September 30:
Oscar Brand Oscar Brand (February 7, 1920 – September 30, 2016) was a Canadian-born American folk singer-songwriter, radio host, and author. In his career, spanning 70 years, he composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Can ...
, 96, Canadian folk singer-songwriter and broadcaster *October 20:
Mieke Telkamp Mieke Telkamp (; 14 June 1934 – 20 October 2016) was a Dutch singer. Her career spanned over 50 years, both as a singer and a TV personality. Telkamp's most popular song was the 1971 Dutch version of ''Amazing Grace'', which sold over 1 million ...
, 82, Dutch singer *October 22:
Herb Kent Herbert Rogers Kent (October 5, 1928 – October 22, 2016) was "the longest-running DJ in the history of radio", a radio personality in Chicago, Illinois, for more than seven decades. As a high school student, Kent began hosting a classical music ...
, 88, US radio host, WVAZ-FM,
WVON WVON (1690 AM "The Voice of the Nation", originally "Voice of the Negro") is a radio station serving the Chicago market, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is owned by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, and broadcasts at 169 ...
. *November 4:
Jean-Jacques Perrey Jean Marcel Leroy (; 20 January 1929 – 4 November 2016), popularly known as Jean-Jacques Perrey, was a French electronic music performer, composer, producer, and promoter. He is considered a pioneer of pop electronica.Allan Zavod Allan Zavod (16 October 1945 – 29 November 2016) was an Australian pianist, composer, jazz musician and occasional conductor whose career was mainly in America. Zavod completed a music degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium, University ...
, 71, Australian composer, many of whose works were premiered on radio *December 2: Chelsea Dolan, 27, US DJ/musician who also did an airshift at
KALX KALX (90.7 FM) is an FM radio station that broadcasts from the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, United States. KALX, a community and student-run radio station licensed to the university, broadcasts in stereo with 500 ...
Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...
-
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. *December 12: Tom Moffatt, 85, US television/radio personality and concert promoter who was as a fixture in the
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
media market as a DJ at KHVH, KPOA, KPOI, and, until his death,
KKOL-FM KKOL-FM (107.9 MHz, "Decades 107.9") is a commercial FM radio station serving the Honolulu, Hawaii media market. The Salem Media Group outlet broadcasts at 107.9 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW and is licensed to Aiea, Hawaii. Its transmit ...
. *December 17:
Bob Coburn ''Rockline'' was a nationally syndicated radio interview program hosted by Bob Coburn that was broadcast live via satellite every Monday and Wednesday night from 8:30pm-10pm PT to radio stations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981, ...
, 68, US radio personality at
KLOS Klos or KLOS may refer to: *Klos (surname) *Klos, Dibër, a town in eastern Albania ** Harketari Klos KF, a defunct football club based in Klos, Dibër *Klos, Elbasan, a village in central Albania * Klos, Mallakastër, a village in south-central Alb ...
Los Angeles and host of ''
Rockline ''Rockline'' was a nationally syndicated radio interview program hosted by Bob Coburn that was broadcast live via satellite every Monday and Wednesday night from 8:30pm-10pm PT to radio stations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981, ...
'' *December 18: Bill Florian, 84, Founder and original owner of WNIB (now WDRV) Chicago from 1955 to 1997.


References

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