Country Radio Industry Mourns Lisa McKay

Lisa McKay

As ALL ACCESS first reported yesterday (NET NEWS 1/14), CURTIS MEDIA GROUP VP/Programming and WQDR/RALEIGH PD LISA MCKAY passed away early SUNDAY, following a brief battle with cancer. The news was especially heartbreaking and shocking, as it quickly followed FRIDAY's (1/12) initial revelation that MCKAY would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from her duties for health reasons (NET NEWS 1/12). What had first been set up as a prayer wall on the station site quickly became a tribute page, as did the station's FACEBOOK page.

MCKAY arrived at WQDR as PD in 2002 following success at Top 40 WRVQ/RICHMOND, VA and quickly found even greater results at Country radio. In 2014, the company upped her to VP/Programming for the RALEIGH cluster (1/24/14). Under MCKAY's leadership, WQDR was named CMA Large Market Station Of The Year in 2011, 2014, and 2017. Similarly, the ACM honored WQDR with Large Market Station Of The Year accolades in 2009 and 2011. On a more local level, the NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS recognized 'QDR as Station Of The Year in 2014. But, MCKAY was recognized on an individual level, too, winning the 2014 ACM Large Market Personality Of The Year Award and "Best Afternoon Show" from CARY MAGAZINE's "MAGGY AWARDS" in 2012. Notoriously modest, MCKAY said of the latter honor, "I didn't even know I was nominated."

In addition to industry awards, MCKAY was highly respected by her peers in Country radio and on the label side as one of the format's top programmers. Editor's note: Whenever I was in search of insight for a column on ALL ACCESS that dealt with format trends and topical issues, MCKAY was always a go-to programming source. She was certainly a strategic thinker for WQDR, keeping specific programming tactics for 'QDR close to the vest, but she demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of what was happening with Country music and radio on a national, 30,000 foot level. I have no doubt that MCKAY was such a gifted programmer that her success at WQDR could have been duplicated at any market AMERICA.

Outside of radio, MCKAY was famously devoted to animals, particularly dogs. As the WQDR web site explains, "LISA had an enormous heart and passionately worked with local animal shelters to find homes for abandoned animals. For anyone wishing to honor LISA, we ask that you make a donation to a local animal shelter in her honor." Services for MCKAY are still pending; ALL ACCESS will share when we know more.

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