Guess Who Made the RI Radio Hall of Fame?
Monday, April 04, 2011
Salty is of course a member of the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame, which was established in 2008, with a goal to celebrate the now 89-year history of the radio broadcast industry in Rhode Island, and to honor the men and women who have played a part in its growth.
Some of the best known inductees beyond Salty Brine, are Sherm Strickhouser, Jack Comley, Don Pardo, Charlie Jefferds, Gene and Gary DeGraide, and Arlene Violet – just to name a few.
The newest class – the 2011.
Geoff Charles – Charles was hired away from a Palm Beach, FL station in the late ‘80’s, when St. Pierre was program director at WPRO-AM. Charles and St. Pierre created the "Great Big Blue Bug Radio Escapade" that made the national news wires and remains one of the most-remembered promotions in the history of local radio. Charles moved onto WHJY for overnights, worked a morning show at WALE, and finally back again to WHJJ/WHJY for nights, and back to afternoons. Today, he celebrates nearly two decades as host of WHJY's afternoon drive show, the third longest running radio show in the history of Rhode Island radio.
David Jones – is now in his 3rd incarnation on local radio, which spans more than 40 years. Starting in the late ‘60’s on WICE with “The Davey Jones Locker,” his career moved onto WPRO, then into private business, then back to radio in Boston…and finally a return to RI radio on WSNE with “Jones & Joan in the morning” (with Joan Edwardsen) for 17 years. “Jones & Joan” were the longest running non-married, male-female duo at the same station in the country. Presently, he’s teamed up with Heather Gersten on WWLI-FM’s “Jones & Heather in the morning,” where the show has been voted “Best of Rhode Island” for four straight years.
Florence Markoff – a well known, successful voice and personality, Markoff has long fascinated Rhode Island listeners with her signature “Rhode Island Portraits in Sound,” and “There’s A Word For It” features and programs. Educating and enlightening listeners since the 1960’s on WEAN, WJAR, WICE and WLKW, Markoff brought her talents and style to audiences young and old throughout southern New England by writing, producing and voicing her radio features.
Ed Pearson – a show host and personality for 30 years, Pearson began his career on WOR in New York in the 1930’s as a newscaster and radio drama performer. He moved to WEAN-AM and WPJB-FM in 1946 with the “Uncle Eddie Club,” and in 1948, “Ed Pearson’s Open House” began mornings on WEAN. The show ran for 20 years - the longest running locally-produced daily radio program at that time. After retiring in 1975 at age 62, Pearson passed away in 1987.
Monroe “Bud” Toevs – known as the “dean of Rhode Island newscasters,” Toevs trained in journalism at Brown University. After his service in the military through WW II (and afterward in the US Merchant Marine), Toevs worked in Rhode Island radio for 40 years on WRIB, WEAN, WFCI, WADK, WHIM and WPRO. His radio career began as a disc jockey with “The Five O’Clock Rush,” giving commuters a dose of classical, big band and other music on their way home every day. During his news reporting career, much of Toevs’ work came from the air – as an honorary member of the Navy’s Blue Angels flight team. Toevs passed away in 2000, at age 77.
Chuck Wilson – an international award-winning interviewer, reporter and sports talk show host who is widely credited for bringing modern “sports talk” radio into the Ocean State. Hired by WEAN-AM, Wilson began the first regular daily sports talk program in 1981, and subsequently appeared on WICE-AM and WPRO-AM with “Chuck Wilson on Sports” through April of 1993. Chuck then moved full time onto the national airwaves with ESPN Radio until 2005, when he joined XM Satellite Radio’s Major League Baseball programming. He returned to ESPN Radio in 2009, where he still works today.
The inaugural Shepard Award winner is Bob Fish. Fish was a 1968 graduate of Bryant College, and early in his career, was regional sales manager for WPRO. Involved in station ownership and management throughout his career, from 1984-89 Fish was president and CEO of Federal Communications Corp., which owned and operated WHJJ-AM and WHJY-FM. At the time of his passing in 2010, Fish was president and CEO of RI PBS station WSBE, and a member of the RI Telecommunications Authority. He was also president of the RI Broadcasters Association.
Dinner and Ceremony
The official induction banquet for the Class of 2011 will take place at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick, RI on Thursday, May 12th, 2011, beginning with a cocktail reception at 5:30 pm. Dinner and the induction ceremony will begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $50 each (table of 10 is $450), and are available to the general public by calling (401) 258-7423, or by visiting www.rirhof.org.
Proceeds from the awards dinner and ceremony will benefit Special Olympics Rhode Island. More than $25,000 has been raised over the past three years for local charity.
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