The year 2006 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting. [edit] Events - January 3 - The BJ Shea Morning Experience switches to KISW in Seattle, Washington, from the former FM Talk (now country) station KKWF.
- January 21 – Kix Brooks, one half of the country music superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, takes over as host of the long-running "American Country Countdown." He succeeds Bob Kingsley, who had left the program after 27 years a month earlier, and had since started a new program called "Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40."
- Dial Global takes over operations of the Transtar 24-hour networks from Westwood One.
- June 13 – VNU Media, the publishers of Billboard, acquires Radio & Records. The following July 14 Billboard Radio Monitor will cease publication, followed by Radio & Records three weeks later on August 4. On August 11 both trades are merged into a "newly relaunched" R&R.
- In September, Mediabase, associated with the original R&R for 19 years until their final issue (as an independent trade), begin publishing their chart listings in USA Today and in the following December debut their online website.
- 7 November – BBC radio airs the 15,000th episode of its (near) daily drama serial The Archers, begun in 1951.
[edit] Debuts - The Rhythmic Adult Contemporary branded MOViN makes it debut on May 1, at KQMV/Seattle, Washington.
- Mike McConnell, launched into national syndication after several years at WLW on July 1.
- On August 17 KZLA/Los Angeles drops Country after 26 years and becomes the second station in the United States to pick up the Rhythmic AC "MOViN'" format as KMVN. The flip would leave Los Angeles without an FM Country station until March 2007 when KKGO fills the void.
- Nova M Radio, a progressive talk radio network featuring Mike Malloy. October 18.
- Greenstone Media, a female-oriented talk radio network
- Kevin Barrett begins hosting a twice-weekly talk show on GCN called The Dynamic Duo, and another talk show, hosted weekly on RBN, titled Truth Jihad Radio. The topic of both shows is mainly conspiracy theories surrounding September 11, 2001.
- San Francisco/Oakland oldies Station KFRC debuts a Rhythmic Contemporary format as Movin 99.7
- October 2 – KMVK in Fort Worth, Texas (formerly KOAI) begins their Rhythmic Contemporary format as MOViN 107.5. This change has caused a lot of criticism to former KOAI (Smooth Jazz) listeners.
- December 30 – "Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The 70's," digitally remastered airings of selected "American Top 40" shows from 1970-1979.
[edit] Closings [edit] Deaths - George Balzer, 91, wrote for Jack Benny's radio and TV shows, natural causes. [1]
- Ernie Baron, 65, Filipino radio/TV host and meteorologist, myocardial infarction brought about by diabetes.[citation needed]
- Dick Bass, 68, American pro football player and radio analyst. [2]
- Ramona Bell, 47, wife of broadcaster Art Bell, asthma attack.
- Dick Brooks, 63, American NASCAR race car driver and radio broadcaster, heart attack. [3]
- Harry Browne, 72, American libertarian writer, politician, U.S. Presidential candidate and radio talk show host.
- Pye Chamberlayne, 68, American radio journalist, heart attack. [4]
- Nick Clarke, 58, BBC Radio 4 presenter and journalist, cancer. [5]
- Casey Coleman, 55, Cleveland sports broadcaster who won 4 Emmy Awards, pancreatic cancer. [6]
- Steve Crosno, 66, longtime El Paso radio DJ whose career spanned nearly 50 years, kidney failure. [7]
- Jaye Michael Davis, 62, veteran U.S. radio deejay, motorcycle accident. [8]
- Robert Dentith, 29, British radio presenter of "The Unsigned Show" on Kerrang! Radio. [9]
- Mike Dickin, 63, British talkSPORT radio presenter, car accident. [10]
- Sir John Drummond, 71, former controller of BBC Radio 3 and The Proms. [11]
- Ernest Dudley, 97, British novelist, journalist, screenwriter, actor, radio broadcaster. [12]
- George Edwards, 87, American radio host for WQXR. [13]
- Paul Eells, 70, voice of the Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball for radio and television, car accident. [14]
- Kurt Emmerich, 76, German radio reporter.
- Alan "Fluff" Freeman, 79, former BBC Radio DJ, natural causes. [15]
- Christopher Glenn, 68, American CBS News radio and television news anchor, liver cancer. [16] [17]
- Larry Henderson, 89, first regular broadcaster on CBC's The National, natural causes.
- John Hinde, 92, Australian film reviewer and journalist. [18]
- Dick Johnson, 69, veteran Maine radio broadcaster and news reporter, complications of a heart attack. [19]
- Bob Lassiter, 61, American talk radio personality. [20]
- Al Lewis, 82, American actor (Grandpa Munster on The Munsters), Green Party political candidate, restaurateur, and radio host. [21]
- Don Lunn, 72, Australian breakfast radio DJ. [22]
- Scott Mateer, 46, American Grammy-nominated songwriter and DJ, complications of diabetes and high blood pressure. [23]
- Gwen Meredith, 98, Australian writer of all 5,795 episodes of the long-running radio serial Blue Hills, after heart trouble. [24]
- Mavor Moore, 87, Canadian writer, actor, radio & TV producer and founder of theatrical institutions, illness. [25]
- Lister Sinclair, 85, Canadian playwright and CBC broadcaster, pulmonary embolism.
- Jack Snow, 62, former National Football League player and radio announcer, complications from a staph infection. [26]
- Ralph Story, 86, American radio broadcaster and television show host (The $64,000 Challenge), emphysema. [27]
- October 20 — Mary Gay Taylor, 71, radio journalist for WCBS-AM. [28]
- Stan Torgerson, 82, radio announcer for Ole Miss football and basketball games. [29]
- Michael Vestey, 61, former BBC correspondent and radio critic on The Spectator magazine. [30]
- Paul Walters, 59, BBC radio and TV producer. [31]
- Ross Warneke, 54, Australian television commentator and radio broadcaster, cancer. [32]
- Neville Willoughby, 69, Jamaican radio broadcaster, car accident. [33]
- Robert Eric Wone, 32, American general counsel to Radio Free Asia, stabbing. [34]
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