Country Radio Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees: Passion, Peers, Perspectives

It’s official.

The class of 2017 has been inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame: Mike Dungan (President’s Award), Martina McBride (Career Achievement Award), Tim Closson (Radio), Joe Wade Formicola (On-Air Personality), Mel Owens (Radio), Jim Mantel (On-Air Personality), Charlie Ochs (Radio), Good Morning Guys (On-Air Personality) and Linda Lee (On-Air Personality).

It’s easy to think of a Hall of Fame as primarily a history lesson.

While the Country Radio Hall of Fame has chronicled its history and heroes, it’s far more than that for at least four reasons.

First, many of its members – including the majority of 2017 inductees – are not retired but are still working at their craft. That’s significant because these HOF members are proof positive in their own hallways that “what you do, day in and day out, matters” to listeners, peers, and to yourself.

Second, the Country Radio Hall of Fame is personal because these are our colleagues being honored. Unlike players we’ve watched form the stands, these are people we’ve worked with, rooted for, and they in turn have rooted for us. We share a common bond: a passion for what we do coupled with living through the emotional highs and lows of either being an entertainer or being tasked with managing them.

Relatedly, there’s something very human about the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Here, our version of stats is unlike Cooperstown or Canton. Our box score isn’t about ratings and call letters. Instead it’s about how radio has changed our lives and how we, in the course of pursing excellence, have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Finally, the stories told on induction night – as well as stories past and yet to be told – are the essence of what we do. Storytelling is a lifelong skill. Consequently, our careers are not measured like athletes in just a decade or two. Instead we’re evaluated over the course of a lifetime as we ply our craft to the delight of others on and off the air.

 

Here are some thoughts and paraphrases – humorous to pointed – from Wednesday’s inductees that illustrate why our Hall is so special.

 

Mike Dungan

I want to thank radio – well most of radio. Radio is the place to discover country-music

Whatever drives ratings for country radio helps us all.

On the value of the Country Radio Seminar: “All boats rise with the tide. “

 

Martina McBride

It takes a strong person to share your spouse with the world.

It’s about the songs. Songs that have the power to touch people and make them feel something; recording songs that matter. Country radio allowed me to do (this).

 

Tim Clawson On making it to the country radio Hall of fame

How does a kid from a dairy farm make it to the country radio Hall of fame: hard work, dedication to win, and be surrounded by great people. Tim repeatedly cited the importance of being surrounded by a great team.

 

Barry Mardit on Joe Wade Formicola

When Joe came in for the interview he knew it all… he knew about the town, the streets, the zip codes…

As a job applicant Joe sent a VHS of himself pumping gas and it stood out from everything else (which at the time were audio cassettes).

During a Radiothon he once got a $10,000 check for Saint Jude’s simply by asking.

 

 

Mel Owens

Buck allowed us to put the money back into the station and that enabled us to hire great people. We have people who have been here 20, 30, 40 years because they love coming to work every day.

I’m very proud of country-music.

 

 

Jim Mantel

I was listening to morning shows on the radio at my job. And I thought I’m a smart ass I can-do this.

If you let “praise” go to your head, it’s no good.  To prove that point he shared something he was told that has stuck with him for life: “If the radio goes out, people will still find their way to work. But if the garbage pickup stops coming around, we’re all in big trouble.”

(On meeting with morning shows from other formats): We share ideas and that sharing elevated all of our games.

We once gave away a free funeral from the 1st drunk driver killed on New Year’s Eve (a long story ensued). Bottom line was that the arrests for drunk driving that New Year’s Eve fell from 20 to 4.

My kids grow up with the knowledge and thread that anything they do were show prep but that’s great because everybody listening is going through this.

 

 

Kid Rock on (Linda Lee):  I hear she was a big fan of mine.  Well I was a big fan of hers

 

 

Charlie Ochs

Radio paints pictures. Country radio paints masterpieces.

You’ve got to know when to trust your people (his PD wanted to add a song from a new artist called “Unwound”).

 

 

Dave Collins in introducing The Good Morning Guys:  They have big hearts and they take their roles as community Leaders seriously

Good Morning Guys’ Susan Moore: I thank Mary Tyler Moore for showing us how to play with the big boys

Good Morning Guys’ Brian Gary: Every one of you is in the coolest business in the world. We can change the world… and (help listeners) have the same positive attitude that we do.

 

Congratulations again to this year’s inductees into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.

As Cincinnati ESPN 1530’s Mo Egger reminds us, “Public recognition is rare. Recognition from peers is even rarer.”

 

Related Posts

Honored by the Country Radio Hall of Fame Forever and Ever Amen

Why 5 More Inductees into the Country Radio Hall of Fame Matters

 

For information about the Country Radio Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: AllAccess.com; L-R: Mel Owens, Charlie Ochs, Good Morning Guys (Todd Harding, Susan Moore, Brian Gary), Tim Closson, Jim Mantel