Alabama Broadcasters Association To Add Six To The Hall of Fame

Alabama Broadcasters Association

Saying "these individuals have made great contributions to the broadcast community over the course of their careers," the ALABAMA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME announced its Class of 2022. The group will consist of five longtime ALABAMA broadcasters, along with the yet unnamed Broadcaster of the Year.

Three of the inductees come from the same family; BILL, CYRIL and DAN BRENNAN.  

BILL BRENNAN got his start by taking a radio correspondence course and began selling radios, and along with CYRIL and DAN, worked together to start WVOK-A (690), which became known as "The Voice of Dixie" and later "The Mighty 690." Their radio station hosted concerts that included The ROLLING STONES, the BEACH BOYS, ELVIS PRESLEY, and the BEATLES.  DAN BRENNAN became known on the radio as "DAN the Music Man." He passed away in 2020 at the age of 90.  

BRENNAN's presence on the radio dial would include WBAM-A/MONTGOMERY; WAPE-A/JACKSONVILLE; CHATTANOOGA's WFLI-A; and later, WSLA-TV in SELMA.

MICHAEL ST. JOHN joined HUNTSVILLE's WAAY-A (1550) while he was in high school, when the owner of the radio station was in a supermarket and heard ST. JOHN on the in-store microphone making an announcement. He was so taken by his voice that he invited ST. JOHN to the radio station and offered him a job. After college, ST. JOHN joined WERC/BIRMINGHAM, where he created the "Love Hour" that set the ALABAMA record for the largest-ever ARBITRON rating in the state with 72 percent of the audience. He would later purchase WAFN-A (1310)/ARAB, and spend a total of 53 years in radio.  

ST. JOHN said, “Anytime you are recognized by your peers or by an organization in the field that you have been in for 53 years, it’s a great, humbling honor. And to think that people hence forth will look at the names in the ABA’s Hall of Fame and learn from the great job and the wonderful work that all of the members have contributed to broadcasting not only in ALABAMA, but nationwide … to join that elite fraternity is a very, very humbling honor.”

PAUL WHITE was a civil rights pioneer who worked in radio in ALABAMA in the 1960s at stations including WENN-A and WEUP-A. "TALL PAUL," as he was known, passed away in 2001 at the age of 65.   

GARY RICHARDSON, owner of WJLD-AM said, "PAUL was the guy on the radio. He was the guy that we heard in the mornings, and he was the guy we heard in the afternoons. He was listened to, and people respected what he said. He didn’t mince words, that’s for certain.”   

The Hall of Fame luncheon will be held on AUGUST 13 during the ALABAMA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION's annual conference at the ROSS BRIDGE GOLF RESORT AND SPA in BIRMINGHAM.

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