Posted Friday, June 1, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame this years has nominated several legendary radio personalities from Atlanta this year including Bert Weiss of Q100, Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott from Fish 104.7 and Silas "SiMan Baby!" Alexander at Majic 107.5/97.5.
Weiss' Bert Show and Kevin and Taylor are the two longest-running morning music shows in Atlanta. Kevin and Taylor arrived in 2000 when Fish launched. Weiss launched the Bert Show in 2001 at that then brand new station Q100. And SiMan has been on air in Atlanta for more than 20 years collectively at Majic 107.5, Kiss 104.1 and V-103 over the years.
"I have????" Weiss responded via text to the news of his nomination. "Wow. Quite an honor. We started 17 years ago on 3K watts. Could have never imagined this would ever be a possibility."
"I just appreciate the love," said SiMan.
Scott said, “There are so many greats who have been inducted who have gone before us. We never dreamed when we came to Atlanta back in 2000 to sign 104.7 The Fish on the air, that we would be at this point. It’s all thanks to the greatest listeners in the world. They’ve laughed, with us, cried with us, reached out to love others in the community with us, and created this tight on-air family who get to do life together. It’s hard to believe we’re coming up on our 20th anniversary of the “Kevin & Taylor Show” on the Fish. You can sum up how we feel in one word: grateful.”
Kevin added: “What!? We aren’t old enough to be in any Hall of Fame! But, we are honored to be considered and wouldn’t be here without the love and support of our families, having the greatest listeners in the world and working for a company that has believed in us for almost 20 years now, Salem Communications. And of course, Hall of Fame or not, we would be nothing without the unconditional love of Jesus. (C’mon…you had to expect that from the Christian morning show…right!)”
Others nominated:
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Rob Stadler: the morning news guy at Star 94 for a whopping 28 years before hosting the morning show at what was then News/Talk 106.7 for a couple of years.
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Denis O'Hayer: He worked at WGST for many years, followed by a long run at 11Alive before moving to WABE-FM as a host. He is planning to retire next month. "That's very nice!" he said in response to the news. He is already in the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame.
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Jamie Dupree: WSB Radio's Washington correspondent. He lost his voice a couple of years ago due to an unusual vocal condition but he continues to work off air.
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Eric Seidel: The long-time program director at WGST-AM when that station was super popular, he hired and developed nationally syndicated radio/TV hosts Sean Hannity and Clark Howard as well as fellow nominee O'Hayer. "It's certainly an honor," he texted me from Ireland, "but when you are blessed with the staff we had, both in news and talk, they're the ones who helped make this possible."
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Steve Mitchell: Now retired, Mitchell manned the airwaves on now deceased stations 96rock and Eagle 106.7. "Wow!" he said, when told the news. "Someone must think I'm fixing to die!"
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Mitch Faulkner: He worked at WCLK-FM, WIGO-AM and V-103 before joining what was then Kiss 104.7 in1986. He left and came back to Kiss multiple times over the years under three different owners. From 2004 to 2007, he worked for Tom Joyner's syndication operation in Dallas. He is now at Classix 102.9 doing imaging for the station and hosting the Classix House Party on Saturday nights.
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Bob Neil: He worked at Cox 25 years, starting as station manager of WSB-AM and WSB-FM before moving up the ranks to become general manager, then a vice president and president for Cox Radio. He was an executive vice president for Cox Media Group by the time he retired in 2011.
Myrna Taylor Ransom: She has been in radio and TV locally for many years including stints at WPLO-AM, V-103, WAOK-AM and WCLK-FM.
Jeff Winter: He was the first morning man on 96rock in 1974 and is now primarily a voice-over guy.
These are the nominees from other cities in Georgia:
Vernon Arnold from Valdosta, Edgar Champagne from Columbus, David Nolan from Columbus, Bill Shanks of Macon and Laura Starling of Macon.
Members of the hall of fame vote and typically six to eight nominees get inducted but this is an especially large class of nominees so there may end up being more than normal. Anyone can be a member if they pay a $25 lifetime membership fee here.
John Long, who created the Hall of Fame, said he is allowing members now to vote for up to three nominees instead of just one. And he expects to induct 12 members out of the 18 nominees. (Since Atlanta is so over-represented, he breaks nomination pools geographically to give folks in Valdosta or Macon a shot at getting in as well.)
The 12th annual ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 20 in LaGrange at the Callaway Conference Center. Tickets will be available June 1. More details here.
Past inductees include Kaedy Kiely, Mark Arum, Moby, Neal Boortz, Ryan Cameron, Steve & Vikki and Randy & Spiff.
2018 legacy inductees, who have already passed, include Hugh Wilson, the ad man who was the brainchild behind "WKRP in Cincinnati," which used many Atlanta radio personalities for inspiration. He recently died.
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