Originally posted Sunday, October 27, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Two 95.5 WSB Atlanta's News & Talk hosts - one past and one present - were inducted into the 13th annual Georgia Radio Hall of Fame Saturday night: reporter Sabrina Gibbons Cupit and former morning host Bob Coxe.
“I’m extremely humbled and proud to be included in such a great group of talented people,” said Cupit, 52, who has been with the station since 2000 and was previously nominated in 2017. She has been in radio since she was 15.
“I realize there are many more deserving people than me,” she added. “I have been blessed with so many wonderful co-workers over the years.”
Credit: Facebook public photo of Bob Coxe
Credit: Facebook public photo of Bob Coxe
Coxe, a 72-year-old Kennesaw resident, was an anchor for the WSB's morning news for more than 20 years before retiring in 2013. He worked at WGST for 12 years prior to his WSB gig.
"You could ask Bob a question on the air and without prompting, he will always give you a great answer," said Scott Slade, WSB morning host in 2013. He is a Georgia Radio Hall of Famer himself. "He is legendary with his dry wit."
Coxe, in a Facebook Messenger note Sunday, said he recently had back surgery so was unable to attend the ceremony in LaGrange.
“It's a great honor to be recognized for a career in radio,” he wrote, “and to be included with so many of the talented people I worked with. It's also flattering to be remembered six years after I retired.”
Among the other seven inductees, three had Atlanta connections: Atlanta-based radio consultant Dwight Douglas, former Fox 97.1 marketing and promotions manager Tim Johnson and Ron Parker, a former air personality for 790/WQXI-AM (the Quixie in Dixie).
Two notable Atlanta-based omissions among the nine nominees who did not get inducted: RenéMiller, long-time host who specializes in jazz and Joyce Littel, V-103's veteran late-night host.
There were 18 nominees total.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Among the "legacy" inductees who are no longer alive, founding 99X program director Sean Demery was honored. Demery passed away a year ago after a severe stroke. Other legacy inductees include former WSB-AM voice-over man and weekend host Gary Guntor, former WAOK host Burke Johnson and former "Miss America" host Bert Parks.
The people who vote (technically anybody inside or outside of radio who paid a single $25 fee) have not inducted some pretty big names.
Three of the most successful morning hosts of the past two decades in Atlanta radio were nominated in recent years but didn't get in: Kevin Avery & Taylor Scott of 104.7/The Fish who have hosted the morning show since the station's inception 19 years ago; Frank Ski, who was No. 1 for 14 years at V-103 from 1998 to 2012 and returned as host in 2017; and Bert Weiss, who has dominated morning pop radio in Atlanta for much of his 18-year run. And Kim "The Kimmer" Peterson has inexplicably never been nominated.
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