People in the News

Northern Michigan radio icon "Big Dog" Dave Sherbert is retiring May 19 after being a presence on the air since there since the 1970s. He is a familiar voice for Blarney Stone Broadcasting’s Q-100 (WQON, 100.3-FM). “It’s time,” Sherbert said.

Salem's Chicago GM Jeff Reisman has been promoted to Operational Vice President for Salem's Radio Division. Reisman joined Salem in 2004 as GSM in Chicago. He was promoted to GM in 2010. Reisman will now oversee the Boston and Philadelphia markets in addition to Chicago.

Beasley Media Group has named Heidi Raphael as Vice President of Corporate Communications. She replaces Soni Dimond who left the company to pursue other opportunities. Raphael is no stranger to many of the Beasley stations, having served as Senior VP of Corporate Communications at Greater Media before Beasley purchased that company.

Jim Brown is the new Sales Manager for Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, as well as local traffic ad sales across the CBS Radio Philadelphia cluster. Brown began his career in Philadelphia media in 1983 as an AE at KYW-TV3, now CBS-3. He's worked as as SVP and D.O.S. at Shadow Networks and he was a founding partner at Traffic.com.

The Classic Hip Hop jocks debut their new weekend show May 20. The two-hour show is called Weekend Blast and has been taken up in 15 markets to date, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dallas. Ed Lover (pictured) is a Grammy-nominated member of the the Hip Hop Hall of Fame.

The students of Edgewood High School were getting ready for prom when six tornadoes hit their town of Canton, TX, including the barn where the prom was to be held. New arrangements were made and Big Al and Jenna from The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show stepped back in time to attend and host the evening.

The show, which has a listener base across 60 Country stations, is returning to Compass Media Networks. Said Dee Jay Silver, “I am thrilled to rejoin Compass Media Networks. This is where it all began for me a few years ago and I look forward to a long-term partnership.”

Lisa Stephens, sister of The Country Oldies Show host Steve Warren, passed away in Indiana on May 4, from complications of COPD. Stephens lived and worked in New York City for 20 years at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, CBS records, Warner Brothers and several music management companies.

Troy Hanson, PD for Chicago Alternative station 101 WKQX-FM, and VP, Programming, Rock Formats, has scored a promotion to the newly created position of VP, Operations, for the company's four-station group in Chicago, while Chicago’s Classic Hits 94.7 WLS-FM PD Brian Thomas has landed a multi-year contract extension.

Beth Arroyo Utterback is a 35-year public media veteran, and WWOZ/New Orleans believes she’s the right person to be the station’s new GM. Utterback comes to WWOZ from her position as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at WYES-TV (PBS). She starts June 1.