Scott Shannon will forever be linked to the incredible worst-to-first story of WHTZ, Z100 New York. On December 16, 2022, Shannon hosted his last show on WCBS.
People don’t always remember his trip west to Los Angeles in 1989, when he started “Pirate Radio,” KQLZ.
Listening back to this aircheck from July 1989, it’s interesting to hear things that most programmers would frown upon today, like horoscopes and canned bits, that Shannon integrated into the flow seamlessly and made them blend almost without noticing the start and the end.
The pacing allowed him to be entertaining, blend the characters and giveaways, and still live up to the station’s “more music morning” promise.
A good takeaway is how he tied station giveaways to the station’s music and pop culture, which allowed those who did not want to call in to play along vicariously and be entertained.
Enjoy Scott Shannon’s “Pirate Radio” June 21, 1989
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
