Frank “Bo” Wood, the creative force behind one of the most daring and influential FM rock stations in the country, died Tuesday at age 83. The longtime Cincinnati broadcaster had been living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statement from WEBN.
With his father, Frank Wood Sr., he launched WEBN in 1967, initially broadcasting classical and jazz. But it was Wood’s late-night Jelly Pudding show that started the station’s transition to progressive rock. In the absence of advertisers, Wood began running faux commercials for fictional products, helping to define the station’s unique brand.
Wood’s signature brand of radio theater turned WEBN into the Queen City’s top station with 18–34 audiences by the mid-1970s, and a dominant cultural force in the city.
That spirit would carry through in everything from skydiving stunts and hot air balloon promotions to the now-legendary decision to sync fireworks to a rock soundtrack over the Ohio River in 1977, which would eventually grow to become the city’s Riverfest.
At WEBN, Wood helped launch the careers of countless broadcasters, including Eddie Fingers, Jay Gilbert, Craig Kopp, Brian O’Donnell, and his sister Robin Wood. After selling the station to Jacor Communications in 1986, he continued in leadership roles at Jacor, working with Randy Michaels, and later formed his own companies, including Secret Communications and Broadcast Alchemy, managing clusters in multiple cities.
Michaels told Radio Ink, “Bo was a great partner and friend. He not only encouraged but demanded the intelligent risk. Today, complaints get talent fired. Bo was concerned about talent who didn’t generate complaints. He understood that not everything worked. He had a high tolerance for creative ideas, whether they worked or not. That’s what made WEBN such a great iconic radio station.”
Regent Communications’ Bill Stakelin said, “Bo was one of the most creative persons I ever met in our great industry. His dedication to the industry was unequaled. Rest in peace and thanks for the memories.”
Eddie Fingers added, “Bo was a radio savant – super creative, incredibly driven, and sharp as a razor. He also, as our owner, knew what so many of the powers that be seem to have forgotten – prioritize programming before sales. If the product is right, the money will follow. He died a very wealthy man… enough said.”
