Local Radio Networks (LRN) is welcoming its 19th 24/7 music format, and it is an offering that began as an ABC Radio Networks-delivered offering created by a man who at the time was co-host of the morning show for WPLJ in New York.
Exclusive syndication of Scott Shannon’s True Oldies Channel has come to LRN, and CEO Steve Swick says, “We are thrilled to have legendary radio personality and innovative programmer Scott Shannon entrust LRN with his 24/7 music format. I’ve personally had a longstanding friendship with Scott, and he really is one of the last ‘Boss Jocks’ of the genre. The True Oldies Channel with Scott on the mic is just fantastic — It takes listeners back to a time of big Detroit iron automobiles, fins, chrome, and fuzzy dice.”
Shannon commented, “On behalf of my operations manager Gary Reynolds and the entire True Oldies Channel team, we’re thrilled to join LRN. I’m a longtime fan of Steve’s, and I know what an incredible team he’s put together. We’re confident they will develop and expand the True Oldies brand across the country. We also look forward to working with our friend Donna Halverson, who was with us when we started the channel at ABC Radio.”
Shannon is the recipient of the prestigious Marconi Award for Syndicated Personality of the Year. He is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame, the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
His achievements, which are well-known across the radio industry, include receiving record-breaking nighttime ratings at WABB/Mobile and WMAK/Nashville before joining WQXI in Atlanta in the mid-1970s. After a sojourn at Ariola Records, as an A&R rep, he returned to radio as Program Director of WPGC-AM & FM in Washington, D.C. From there, Shannon took on similar duties at WRBQ-AM & FM in Tampa for Edens Broadcasting, developing the “Q-Zoo” at a time when Top 40 music was at a post-Disco low. The success attracted the attention of Milton Maltz and the team building WHTZ “Z100” in New York. Shannon is the iconic Top 40 station’s architect, and served as its Program Director and “Morning Zookeeper” from August 1983 through early 1989, when he would leave for a job with Westwood One in Los Angeles. While KQLZ “Pirate Radio” proved to be a bust, it brought him back to New York and Z100 rival WPLJ. He would remain at the station until “retiring,” only to retire shortly thereafter at WCBS-FM. He formally retired from that station under Audacy Inc. ownership.
