The Radio Hall of Fame welcomed eight new members Thursday night at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Bobby Bones served as host, adding a perfect blend of humor and charm to the festivities. The Class of 2026 offered a mixture of laughs, tears and a reminder of why radio still matters.
Boomer Esiason, Helen Little, Rickey Smiley, Bob Pittman, Charlie Van Dyke, Dennis Green, Fred Winston and Shotgun Tom Kelly made up this year’s class. Nine lost legends were recognized as well. Four speeches from the evening especially stood out.
Boomer Esiason Makes It About the Team
WFAN producer Al Dukes introduced Esiason and admitted he was nervous when they first teamed up. Dukes had just come off the David Lee Roth show. He expected another alpha male who needed control.
Esiason proved him wrong. Dukes said Boomer checked his quarterback ego, let everyone play their role and trusted them to do their jobs. He also took the jokes. When a caller noted that a Jets greatest plays DVD left Esiason out, the show talked about it on air.
Esiason then compared a radio show to a football team. He joked that playing for the Bengals, Cardinals and Jets was his Bermuda Triangle.
He admitted he first turned down mornings in New York because radio didn’t pay like playing quarterback. Weeks later he said yes, and WFAN paired him with Craig Carton. Esiason said he never had a bad day with Carton until the FBI arrested his partner. Management’s advice that morning was simple: be genuine.
Losing his Monday Night Football television job also opened a door. It led to 19 years on radio and 19 straight Super Bowls. Esiason praised Gregg Giannotti, a fellow Long Islander who missed the ceremony due to an airport ID debacle. He thanked Dukes, Eddie Scozzare and Jerry Recco, and said though the honor wasn’t on his bingo card, he’s honored to be recognized for the work he’s done.
Helen Little Answers Her Doubters
Helen Little used her time to answer everyone who said she wouldn’t make it. The 106.7 Lite FM midday host listed what she heard over the years. She didn’t sound right. She didn’t deserve the job. She’d never get to New York.
When she left programming Power 105.1 to return to the air, some predicted she’d last six months. January marks 19 years. Little said she now leads the largest audience of any non-syndicated show in the country. Her suggested title was cume queen.
She described herself as a shy kid from Salisbury, North Carolina who preferred listening to talking. Radio gave her a quiet strength. She has since worked in seven formats and every daypart, on air and off. Her younger sister once teased that she’d end up inside the radio. And she did.
Rickey Smiley Always Shows Up For His Listeners
Rickey Smiley delivered one of the night’s most emotional moments. His son died on a Sunday three years ago. His bosses told him to take all the time he needed. By Wednesday he was back on the air, and he worked through the week before Saturday’s funeral.
His reason was simple. It isn’t about him. Someone in Chicago, Dallas or elsewhere needed to hear his voice. Smiley called radio a lifestyle, not a job, and a cornerstone of the community.
He recalled driving 55 miles from Birmingham to work on the air for free. Show prep then meant a stack of papers and daily aircheck sessions. He thanked Steve Harvey, Doug Banks, Cathy Hughes, Alfred Liggins, David Kantor, David DuBose, Deon Levingston, Colby Colb and his co-host Da Brat. Smiley said he never expected the Hall of Fame to call. He just kept going to work.
Bob Pittman Credits It All to Radio
Bob Pittman closed the show by crediting radio for what it has brought to his life. The iHeartMedia chairman and CEO explained that he has worked in many businesses and the skills he acquired all came from radio.
Radio taught Pittman math and magic. It taught him how to promote, how to make a dime look like a dollar and how to serve a community.
Pittman also shared his improbable break. He was 20 when general manager Charlie Warner hired him to program WMAQ in Chicago. Pittman called it a crazy move that put Warner’s career at risk. Five years earlier he was making $1.65 an hour. That one job changed his life.
Final Takeaways
Great speeches by a diverse group of broadcasters, all with different paths and stories. Congratulations to Kraig Kitchin, Dennis Green and all involved on a special night. Radio changes lives when people show up, trust their teammates and serve the audience. The Class of 2026 proved it in Chicago.
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