The Radio Hall of Fame has announced the class of 2026 inductees. The Class of 2026 will be honored October 8 at a ceremony taking place at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago.
What We Know: Eight honorees were selected. Six by a voting panel of more than 950 industry professionals, and two by the Nominating Committee. Balloting was conducted confidentially and overseen by Miller Kaplan’s Andrew Rosen. The inductees are as follows:
2026 Radio Hall of Fame Class
- Boomer Esiason (WFAN – New York City)
- Dennis Green (COO Sun & Fun Media – Key Networks)
- Shotgun Tom Kelly (60’s on 6 – SiriusXM Radio)
- Helen Little (WLTW – New York City)
- Bob Pittman (Chairman/CEO iHeartMedia)
- Rickey Smiley (Urban One – Reach Media)
- Charlie Van Dyke
- Fred Winston (Former WLS-Chicago)
What They Said: Radio Hall of Fame Co-Chair Kraig Kitchin “Our congratulations to each of our 2026 Inductees, on this well-deserved recognition. Each of these inductees has performed at the highest levels for a sustained period of time to make our industry that much more impactful to listeners and advertisers as a result. I’m thrilled to see them properly recognized by this announcement and the forthcoming Induction ceremony this October.”
What Remains Unclear: The official vote count was not revealed by the Radio Hall of Fame.
What It Means: This class reflects both the on-air and business sides of radio. The 2026 class brings together talent from major markets, satellite, and syndication, reflecting the medium’s remarkable range. Furthermore, names like Pittman and Smiley signal that both boardroom brilliance and on-air magic matter equally. Tickets are on sale now at: www.radiohalloffame.com. A portion of ticket purchases is a tax-deductible charitable donation to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, home to the Radio Hall of Fame.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
