Eight New Country Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced

New honorees revealed

COUNTRY RADIO BROADCASTERS (CRB) revealed this morning (6/2) the eight broadcasters who will be inducted into its COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME, Class of 2021. The group is divided into the four who will be inducted in the off-air category, and four being recognized for their work on air.

The first group includes KYGO/DENVER GM/Market Mgr. BOB CALL, CRB Executive Dir. RJ CURTIS, longtime WXBQ/BRISTOL programmer (now consultant) BILL HAGY and former CAPITAL CITIES/ABC Pres./Owned Radio Stations NORM SCHRUTT, who will be inducted posthumously. The on-air group is KFRG/RIVERSIDE APD/MD/West Coast talent HEATHER FROGLEAR, KIIM/TUCSON PD/afternoon host BUZZ JACKSON, AUSTIN radio veteran BOB PICKETT and WUBL/ATLANTA APD/midday personality ANGIE WARD. (See more details about each inductee below.)

The dinner where the eight will be inducted has been set for WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13th at the WESTIN NASHVILLE hotel. Tickets will go on sale on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th

The COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the Country format. See a list of past inductees here.

BOB CALL has been directly involved in the Country music format as an air personality, PD or Market Mgr. for 44 years, the last 41 at KYGO/DENVER. He was the first PD at KYGO, signing on the station in 1980. He was elevated to OM in 1987, and has served as KYGO’s GM/Market Mgr. since 1989, KYGO has earned numerous industry honors during CALL’s tenure, including COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION and NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS' MARCONI Station of the Year honors, plus individual awards for its personalities and PDs.

RJ CURTIS is a 41-year Country radio/MUSIC ROW executive whose career has impacted nearly every aspect of the format. His resume features 30 years in radio, where he served as PD, OM, MD and on-air talent for iconic radio brands such as KNIX/PHOENIX, KCYY/SAN ANTONIO and KZLA/LOS ANGELES, as well as the nationally syndicated “After MidNite” show. CURTIS later spent 13 years providing insight, analysis, and commentary on the Country music industry while writing and reporting for RADIO & RECORDS magazine, BILLBOARD, COUNTRY AIRCHECK, and ALL ACCESS MUSIC GROUP. His experience includes time in the record industry, too, with ARISTA NASHVILLE, where he was Dir./Regional Promotion. A 20-year CRB Board member and the organization’s past Pres., VP, Secretary, and Treasurer, CURTIS transitioned to his current role as CRB Executive Dir. in 2018. 

BILL HAGY had already established himself as a successful radio programmer when he assumed Head of Programming responsibilities for BRISTOL BROADCASTING COMPANY in 1984. While anchored in BRISTOL, TN, HAGY took direct oversight of Country outlet WXBQ, leading the station to decades of overwhelming ratings and revenue success, with audience listening shares consistently reaching north of the 20s, often making WXBQ the highest-rated radio station in AMERICA. During his career, HAGY has been instrumental in launching the careers of artists including KENNY CHESNEY, BRAD PAISLEY, MONTGOMERY GENTRY and many others, while maintaining WXBQ’s dominance and influence in the promotion of live and local music in the TRI-CITIES. Even in retirement, HAGY continues to serve as a programming consultant for BRISTOL BROADCASTING.

NORM SCHRUTT joined CAPITAL CITIES in 1963 as WKBW/BUFFALO Account Executive. In 1971, he was named LSM, and was elevated to GSM in 1974 before taking the VP/GM role in 1977. In 1980, CAPITAL CITIES sent SCHRUTT to manage the company’s two LOS ANGELES-based radio stations, including KZLA, which he flipped from AC to Country, making it the first FM Country station in the market. The following year, he was transferred to ATLANTA to manage the company’s new purchase of WKHX-A-F and WYAY. SCHRUTT also oversaw KSCS/DALLAS, where he hired COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAMER TERRY DORSEY for mornings. SCHRUTT was named to his final post in 1987 due to restructuring following the acquisition of the AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANIES by CAPITAL CITIES. He retired from radio in 1996 as CAPITAL CITIES/ABC Pres./Owned Radio Stations, where his corporate responsibilities included supervision of the company’s stations in CHICAGO, WASHINGTON, DALLAS, ATLANTA and MINNEAPOLIS. He was inducted into the BROADCASTERS HALL OF FAME OF WESTERN NEW YORK in 2006. SCHRUTT passed away in 2020.

HEATHER FROGLEAR has been an important member of the KFRG/RIVERSIDE, CA on-air and programming team since 1993, currently serving as APD/MD/West Coast talent, co-hosting a nationally syndicated afternoon show for parent company AUDACY. FROGLEAR began her career at KFRG, doubling as Dir./Promotions and middays, eventually co-hosting morning drive and segueing to a programming role as KFRG MD, rising to APD in 2019. She has received multiple best radio personality honors in the RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO market. She is a four-time COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR Agenda Committee member, and is an architect of the event's popular and always well attended Women’s Mentoring Breakfast.

BUZZ JACKSON is the longtime PD/afternoon personality for KIIM/TUCSON, where he has enjoyed consistent ratings dominance, and garnered national industry recognition, winning ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (2009) and COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (2014) Broadcast Personality of the Year honors, in addition to COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR/COUNTRY AIRCHECK Awards for both PD and Air Personality of the Year. JACKSON also hosts a nationally syndicated show for three-dozen WESTWOOD ONE Mainstream Country affiliates. Prior to establishing himself as a TUCSON radio staple, JACKSON enjoyed programming and on-air success at WCFB/ORLANDO and WROO/JACKSONVILLE.

BOB PICKETT has been a member of the TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME since 2015 and a programming/on-air fixture in the AUSTIN radio market since 1981 when he first arrived at KOKE. He joined crosstown KVET in 1984, then moved to Country sister KASE in 1988. While at KASE, PICKETT helped lead the station to four COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION Station of the Year trophies before transitioning back to KVET in 2011. As PD and MD for both over many years, he’s been honored with multiple COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR/COUNTRY AIRCHECK Large Market PD honors. PICKETT began his radio career in SWEETWATER, TX in 1977 at KXOX, and currently hosts the “Tales of the Broken Spoke” podcast.

ANGIE WARD is the APD/Midday personality for WUBL/ATLANTA, where she moved in 2009, following success at WTQR/GREENSBORO, NC, where she served as MD/middays and morning drive. Her resume includes time at WNEU/HIGH POINT, NC, WSTH/COLUMBUS, GA, and WMXA/AUBURN, AL. In addition to her day-to-day duties in ATLANTA, WARD voice tracks shows for 10 iHEARTMEDIA Country sister stations, including WKKT/CHARLOTTE, KVET/AUSTIN, WFUS/TAMPA, and WESC/GREENVILLE, SC. WARD has earned multiple industry awards for both programming and air personality achievements, including the 2000 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION Large Market Personality of the Year.

« see more Net News