Have you ever been to a National Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony? I have. In fact, I was there the night Jim Harper inducted Jim Kerr, and the evening in Chicago when Beth Bacall welcomed her husband Broadway Bill Lee into the Hall. I even had the pleasure of attending at least one of the nights Scott Shannon — longtime member of the National Radio Hall of Fame — emceed the show. These three legends will tell their stories next week in New York at the Barrett Media Audio Summit, and it’s bound to be memorable.
Scott Shannon: Programmer, Morning Man, Legend
While most everyone in our business knows of Scott Shannon‘s accomplishments as a programmer, he may also be the greatest morning show ringmaster in the history of radio. He had the uncanny ability to know when Mr. Leonard needed to be part of a break at Z100 in the ’80s, or when weatherman John Elliott’s punchline would pop on CBS-FM 40 years later. While he was the PD and morning man for much of his career, the radio trades spent more time highlighting the programming side of that combo. Did Scott the programmer make Scott the DJ better? Perhaps we’ll find out next week.
Jim Kerr: New York’s Morning Drive Icon for Over 50 Years
If you’ve never followed New York radio, you might have no idea how prolific Jim Kerr’s career has been. At just 21 years old, Jim became the youngest morning drive host in the biggest market in America when he took over that shift at WPLJ. I would venture to say nobody has done more morning shows in New York radio than Jim. After all, he’s been doing it for over 50 years. There are not many people who have held the same job in the same market for that long. How has entertaining a market of 17 million people changed over that time? I can’t wait to hear his story.
Broadway Bill Lee: A Career Defined by Historic Moments
Broadway Bill Lee’s résumé is a listing of some of the greatest stations in American radio history. Throughout that time, he has let his audience know about some of the most monumental events in the world. He was already an on-air talent at the legendary KFRC in San Francisco on that Monday night when John Lennon was shot and killed. He first brought his fast-talking rap style to New York in 1987 at Hot 103, before it moved to 97.1. He’s one of the city’s most familiar talents, having spent significant time at WKTU and then WCBS-FM since its relaunch. How has doing a show at so many legendary stations changed him over the years? You’ll see that radio life through his eyes next week.
During my time as a programmer in New York, I had to compete with all three of these amazing personalities. I can’t tell you how many times I was listening to one of them on a competitor station and heard a break that totally demoralized me. How can you compete with Scott, Jim, or Broadway? They are three of the greatest to ever crack a mic. Moreover, their longevity, success, and place in the National Radio Hall of Fame tell part of the tale. Don’t miss them next week in New York at the Barrett Media Audio Summit to hear the rest of their stories.
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Jim Ryan is a Music Radio columnist for Barrett Media. In addition, he runs Jim Ryan Media LLC, a consulting company which assists major market radio brands and top talent including national radio personality Delilah. Prior to relaunching his consultancy in 2025, Jim spent 15 years with Audacy/CBS Radio, serving as SVP of Programming. Among his responsibilities included programming WNEW-FM and WCBS-FM. His career includes additional programming stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Jim was voted the #2 PD of 2024 in Barrett Media’s Top 20 series in the AC category. He can be reached by email at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.
