Your MAB is sad to pass along word that former WOOD Radio (Grand Rapids) news anchor/reporter John Christopher “Smitty” Smith passed away May 11 at age 64, just three days before his 65th birthday. Smith started his broadcasting career while a student at Michigan State University at WILS-AM (Lansing).
Radio’s Best Friend and Michigan’s very own Art Vuolo, Jr. shares news of the passing of Bob Kelly. Born Norman Plumer in Akron on May 15, 1941, Bob Kelly died on his 84th birthday after an impressive five decade career on Toledo radio, with a five year insert at WWJ in Detroit.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS)/Michigan has announced the nominees for the 47th Annual Regional EMMY® Awards. The award ceremonies will be held with a banquet on June 14 at The Fillmore Detroit. Broadcast stations and non-broadcast production entities throughout the state have received multiple nominations.
The FCC’s 2024 decision to reinstate Form 395-B, after its use had been paused for over 20 years, was invalidated this week by a decision of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In yet another instance of courts limiting the authority of administrative agencies, the Fifth Circuit judges found that the FCC has no statutory authority to require the filing and public posting of the form requiring broadcasters to report on the race and gender of all of their employees.
The MAB has learned that former Grand Rapids country music programming Doug Montgomery is retiring. Montgomery is best known in Michigan for the 20 years he programmed Clear Channel/iHeartMedia’s WBCT-FM (Grand Rapids). He was also the original programmer for the company’s Country Premium Choice service.
The National Association of Broadcasters has announced the results of the 2025 NAB Radio and Television Board of Directors elections. The two-year terms of the elected board members will begin in June 2025. Of note is the re-election of longtime Michigan broadcaster (and 2016 Michigan Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) Julie Koehn to the NAB Radio Board.
Audacy has unveiled Sound Space @ Audacy Detroit on on the second floor of Hockeytown Cafe in Detroit, Michigan. The studio launched this past Wednesday Night (5/14) with an exclusive grand opening event and ribbon-cutting ceremony featured ACM’s 2025 On-Air Personality of the Year Winner and WYCD-FM hosts Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter and Steve Grunwald.
Longtime WKQI-FM (Detroit) morning host Mojo, who leads the Mojo in the Morning Show, has been nominated for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class. The personality was previously nominated in 2022 and 2024.
WGHN, Inc. has sold its WGHA-AM (formerly WGHN-AM) and associated translator W235CM (Grand Haven) to Grand Rapids-based Cano’s Broadcasting I, LLC. The application was filed on May 9, 2025.
On May 5, Connoisseur Media (“Connoisseur”) and Alpha Media (“Alpha”) announced they have entered into a definitive agreement in which Alpha will be acquired by Connoisseur. The combined company will retain the Connoisseur name and be led by Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw.