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Kasell, Hemmert join Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010
National Public Radio veteran Carl Kasell and Chicago rock radio icon Terri Hemmert will be among this year's inductees in the National Radio Hall of Fame. But once again, voters have snubbed two of America's pioneering shock jocks -- Howard Stern and Steve Dahl -- denying them entry in the Chicago-based shrine.
Other 2010 winners announced Wednesday include country music personality Ralph Emery, who began at Nashville's WSM-AM, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's weekly "Music and the Spoken Word," billed as the longest-running radio broadcast in America.‚ In addition, the late Sam Phillips, owner of radio stations and Sun Records (and the man credited with discovering Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, among others), and‚ Cathy Hughes, a groundbreaking African-American broadcast entrepreneur and founder of Radio One, was chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame steering committee.
Voting, which was open to the public online for free, ran from June 14 to Aug. 1. Winners will be inducted Nov. 6 during a live national radio broadcast from Chicago.
Kasell, whose more than 50 years in broadcasting included 35 years at NPR, retired in 2009 as news anchor of "Morning Edition." He continues as announcer, judge and scorekeeper of the weekly news quiz show "Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!," produced by Chicago Public Media and airing here on WBEZ-FM (91.5). On the WBEZ Blog last week, Kasell posted a tongue-in-cheek video response to Stern's ridicule of him and the Radio Hall of Fame. (Here is the link.)
Hemmert, a 37-year veteran of CBS Radio adult rock WXRT-FM (93.1) who's featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Rock and Radio" exhibit, made local radio history in 1981 when she became the station's first female morning drive personality. Known for her social conscience and her encyclopedic knowledge of the Beatles, she's been hosting middays since 1992.
Although this marks Stern's fourth rejection for induction in the Radio Hall of Fame, it's not likely to faze the self-styled King of All Media. He's consistently opposed having anything to do with the institution, brutally mocking it as insignificant and exhorting his listeners not to vote for him. If Stern had won, he vowed not to accept the honor. Ironically, announcement of this year's nominees was moved up by several weeks after one of Stern's fans, acting on the pleas of actor David Arquette, started a Facebook page called "Howard Stern for the Radio Hall of Fame."
Dahl, on the other hand, who's been nominated three times unsuccessfully, has expressed ambivalence about the Radio Hall of Fame over the years.
Administered by Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Hall of Fame has inducted more than 165 broadcasters and programs since its inception.
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When do they empty Bruce DuMont's car trunk and take out the Radio HOF artifacts for the gala?
I sit on the Steering Committee of the Radio Hall of Fame and am proud of this year's class of inductees. The event on November 6th will be fabulous!
Although as a radio consumer I've never had any use for Steve Dahl or Howard Stern, it's pretty clear that the voting process for the radio HoF is even more messed-up than the process for the baseball Hall of Fame. Hemmert's deserving to be sure (and this is great news for her), but for her to be in *and* for Dahl and Stern to be out is ridiculous.
Bruce, you need to change the process. Sometimes members of the public have better instincts than some kind of exclusive committee. This isn't one of those times.
It's really no surprise that Stern and Dahl haven't made it, as their talent features the 'lowest common denominator' listener.
Congrats to Terri for the HOF honor. It is an espedcially great day because Howard Stern did not get in again. As far as Steve Dahl goes, I equate his lukewarm attitude to the National Radio Hall of Fame to the old Groucho Marx line: I would never want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.
Tomorrow Stern and Dahl will take potshots at "Dumont's Folly" and claim they didn't want to get in anyway, and then their respective fans can claim each host "stole that Radio Hall of Fame Rant bit" from the other one!
Stern's been very specific on why he doesn't want to be in. But if you know anything about radio, has there been any talent on radio that's had his impact? Lowest common denominator or not, the man has made his mark.
As for Dahl, Stern is who he is because of Dahl.
I'm of the mind that this Radio Hall of Fame is a bunch of garbage and I don't care when the money was appropriated, $6 million of IL taxpayers' dollars for it in a time when we're in a financial meltdown is revolting to consider.
Congrats to Terri Hemmert.
The Radio Hall of Fame is a joke. This is a museum that voted in the polarizing Rush Limbaugh long before voting in a radio pioneer like Studs Terkel...posthumously, I might add. My disagreement is not political, albeit Limbaugh and Terkel are at opposite ends of the spectrum. However, when you look at their careers, it is obvious Terkel's development of what radio could achieve is far more accomplished in scope and execution than the "mega dittos" stuff of Limbaugh's show.
Honoring Studs posthumously was easy. Failing to recognize his accomplishments over someone who earns an enormous salary for just talking is shameful.
Stern and Dahl are rightfully glad not to be "honored" by and "enshrined" in this silly organization
Is that Hemmert or Roger Ebert?
Carl Kasell rocks, and this honor is very well deserved. Congratulations, Carl!
Both Carl Kassel and Terri Hemmert certainly deserve the recognition, they are class acts.
I can understand why Howard "Stool" has been bypassed but I cant figure out why Steve Dahl has been passed over 3 times. Cheer up Steve I've been in Chicago radio for 49 years and never have even been nominated!
Clark Weber
Clark Weber needs to be on next year's ballot!!
Never understood Stern's popularity. He's a funny looking guy who talks dirty on the radio. Of course, there's a lot of the lowest common denominator out there, judging by the number of people who watch every move Lindsay Lohan makes, think Sarah Palin would be a perfectly acceptable President and that Randy Michaels is a radio programming god.
I hope that some day the Veterans Committee votes in Ron Santo. His work with Pat Hughes has been priceless.
Speaking in my capacity as "Old Big & Ugly", I agree that Clark Weber (and Steve Dahl) are at least as deserving as Terri Hemmert and Carl Kassel. And that's not to say I disagree with either...both truly deserve it. I suggest those of us who feel the same way as me all go down to the Boom Boom Room and start a petition on behalf of Mother Weber's oldest. I'll wager that even Ron Reilly would sign!
If anyone deserves the term 'class act', it would be Clark Weber. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Mr. Weber on a handful of occasions through my father, Dale Juhlin. Class, graciousness, and professionalism personify Mr. Weber.
Gregg Juhlin
Not making the Radio Hall Of Fame with Howard Stern is way cooler than making it with Terri Hemmert. Not that Terri would let me make it with her, anyway. It would sort of be like making out with the Steve Dahl who let myself go. I really don’t care about being in a HOF that doesn’t even exist. Even if it did exist, I wouldn’t really care. I don’t like losing, but I am even more pissed off that I allowed myself to get caught up in even the slightest bit of campaigning for it. I shouldn’t have put the voting slide up at dahl.com, and I shouldn’t have let that fan start a Facebook fan page for it either. I appreciate any and all efforts on my behalf, but I really don’t care, and am relieved that I don’t have to attend some sort of geekish ceremony in November. What really concerns me is the State of Illinois (Pat Quinn) giving the so-called Museum Of Broadcasting $6,000,000 (six million dollars!) of taxpayer money to be built. We are broke! Our first priority as a State should not be a stupid fake Radio Hall Of fame. Aren’t there orphans to feed or something like that? As a thrice- failed inductee and a taxpayer, I am outraged!I generate more than 200 jobs a year without any taxpayer help. It figures that blogo had omething to do with it too. Perfect!!!
STERN IS KING and congrats for not making it into the Radio HOF again.
Sergio:
If Stern is king, please tell me how many listeners he has on satellite radio and then tell me how many listeners he had on terrestrial radio. And while you're at it, tell me how many listeners Limbaugh, "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" have--in fact, tell me EVERY SINGLE NATIONAL PROGRAM that has more listeners than Stern.
Congrats to Terri and Carl! Both are very deserving of this honor. I am scratching my head over Steve's "pass-over" however, as well as that of Clark Weber. I grew up during the very best radio years (60s and 70s), and having older brothers, during my earliest years WLS was always playing nearby. I didn't realize how lucky I was to grow up on iconic WLS until later. We gradually became more "sophisticated" and moved over to FM (WDAI!) blasting out of our bedroom stereo sets, but I always snuck back to WLS on my clock radio dial through high school. Just as I started college, Steve Dahl started broadcasting in Chicago and I was hooked. He was a pioneer. He was doing something that hadn't really been done before. He involved his listeners in his exploits. I became a White Sox bleacher bum along with him and many others. And Disco Demolition will always live in infamy. I enjoyed his on-air chats/rants/antics. So love him or hate him, he changed the game. He deserves credit.
Good for those inducted. They certainly deserved it. I agree with those above who said that stern owes all to Dahl. stern claims to have had his brilliance in Detroit. Guess who was there doing his show already? Steve Dahl. He belongs in the HoF if anyone does. Disclaimer: i was a huge Dahl fan until 90ish and haven't listened since.
Seems like you're more interested in Stern and Dahl than paying Terri Hemmert the praise she is due. Any woman in radio today has glass shards in her hair thanks to Terri for smashing through the glass ceiling. I'm very happy that she was elected into the Radio Hall of Fame and think it was a great choice. She paved the way for a lot of woman and she did it with class.