2022 in radio

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List of years in radio (table)
In music
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
In television
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2022. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, and station launches, closures and format changes, as well as information about controversies and deaths of radio personalities.

Notable events[edit]

January[edit]

Date Event Source
Moira Stuart, Kate Garraway and Margherita Taylor are among British broadcasters to be recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours. [1]
US station WWHX—Bloomington, Illinois, switches from rhythmic CHR to hot AC after four years at midnight, with a new slogan of "Now 100.7". [2]
3 US station Sports KZIA-HD4/K298BM—Cedar Rapids, Iowa flips from an 'Overtime' brand extension of co-owned KGYM to alternative rock "X107.5". [3]
6 US company Binnie Media makes format changes for their northern Boston metro cluster in New Hampshire. The adult hits trimulcast of WFNQ—Nashua, WLNH-FM—Laconia and WBYY—Somersworth/Portsmouth flipped to an adult-based Top 40 format, but retained its "Frank FM" branding, while CHR WJYY—Concord/Manchester shifted to rhythmic contemporary with a lean towards hip hop. [4]
9 Malaysian private radio station Molek FM is officially launched. [5]

February[edit]

Date Event Source
2 After identifying with the call sign for 96 years, all-news KOMO—Seattle and FM simulcast KOMO-FM—Oakville change calls to KNWN and KNWN-FM, respectively. The change was necessitated after Lotus Communications purchased the stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group, which retained KOMO-TV and all registered trademarks for the "KOMO" brand. KNWN AM-FM also re-brand as "Northwest News Radio"; the callsign change was prematurely made effective by the FCC at the end of 2021 (and reverted to KOMO AM-FM at Lotus's request), prompting KIRO-FM—Tacoma, Washington to adopt the slogan "Your Northwest News Station". [6]
9 At 6:00 a.m. EST, after a last playing of "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men, WMIA-FM—Miami dropped its all-90s format after two years and returned to its previous hot AC format and "93.9 MIA" branding. [7]
14 Friends of WLRN Inc., which has served as the fundraising arm for the broadcasting operations of the Miami-Dade County Public School District since 1974, agrees to take over full-time management of public radio station WLRN-FM—Miami (and its sister television station) and Florida Keys satellite station WKWM—Marathon. The group had clashed with the school board in recent years after Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and a committee recommended that a competing bid and effective merger into South Florida PBS (owner of WPBT—Miami and WXEL-TV—West Palm Beach) be selected. As with many current arrangements of the same type, the district will retain the license assets and final program authority over the radio and television stations. [8]

March[edit]

Date Event Source
1 Russian commercial radio station Echo of Moscow is taken off-air by Roskomnadzor because of its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9]
2 Paul Izard returns US radio station WGWE—Little Valley, New York, to the air after 11 months of silence. Izard later discovered predatory language in WGWE's tower lease agreement and a malfunctioning transmitter that forced WGWE off the air after six weeks; Izard, admitting he had failed to exercise due diligence on WGWE's previous owner the Seneca Nation of Indians, quickly gave the WGWE license (initially surrendered, then restored by the FCC at his request) to regional Christian broadcaster Family Life Ministries for $1 and assumption of debts. [10]
3 The Board of Directors of Russian commercial radio station Echo of Moscow vote to close the station down.[11] Russian radio station Echo of Moscow is taken off-air by Roskomnadzor because of its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12]
11 After nearly 3½ years carrying soft AC under iHeart's The Breeze format, US station WISX—Philadelphia changes format to Spanish CHR as WUMR "Rumba 106.1". [13]
21 Today FM is launched in New Zealand, a talk radio network replacing Magic Talk. Hosts include Tova O'Brien. [14]
28 Ideastream Public Media merges operations of NPR members WKSU—Kent (owned by Kent State University and operated by Ideastream via a public service operating agreement) and WCPN—Cleveland, which adopt a full-time news and information format employing all on-air staff between the two stations. Callsigns and formats are swapped between WCPN and classical music WCLV—Lorain; the former inherits WCPN's former jazz programming in late nights while the latter is turned into a full-power repeater for WKSU. WKSU drops all classical programming and simulcasts WCLV on their HD3 subchannel. [15]

April[edit]

Date Event Source
4 Ryman Hospitality Properties, parent company of Opry Entertainment Group and WSM—Nashville and co-owner of Circle, sells a minority stake in the company to a group consisting of Atairos and NBCUniversal, for approximately $300 million. Outside network news talent licensing agreements for newscasts and commentary and the defunct NBC Sports Radio network, it is the network's first involvement in a radio property since the NBC Radio Network wound down between 1987 and 1989. [16]
18 Cumulus Media purchases the intellectual property and associated trademarks for "Q101", including the q101.com domain name, from Broadcast Barter Radio Networks for an undisclosed amount. Broadcast Barter, which acquired the intellectual property from Emmis Communications in August 2011 after their sale of alternative WKQX—Chicago (and format flip to "FM News 101" WIQI), launched internet station Q101 Chicago, which operated up to this sale. WKQX, which reverted to alternative in 2014 but instead branded as "101 WKQX", readopted the "Q101" name on May 3 during the station's "10th anniversary" concert (which celebrated the launch of the current iteration of the format on then-WKQX-LP). [17]
20 Marquee Broadcasting purchases the Southeastern Ohio Broadcasting System, Inc. (d/b/a WHIZ Media Group), owner of WHIZ—Zanesville, Ohio (full-service–talk), WHIZ-FM—South Zanesville, Ohio (CHR), WZVL—Philo, Ohio (country) and WHIZ-TV. This ends nearly 75 years of continuous ownership of WHIZ AM-FM-TV by the Littick family, which retains the license for Columbus-market WWLG—Baltimore, Ohio (operated under long-term LMA by Urban One), while also becoming Marquee's first radio properties. [18]
28 After nearly 35 years of being known as either "Oldies 98" or "98.1 WOGL", classic hits WOGL—Philadelphia relaunches as "Big 98.1". Morning host Sean "Coop" Tabler is retained but all other air talent departs, though most of them were voice-tracked from other Audacy-owned stations. Bob Pantano’s Dance Party, which debuted with the original oldies format in 1987, is moved to WOGL's second digital subchannel. The "fresh start" rebrand is done as part of the long-term industry distancing from the oldies label of older music, as WOGL continued to be known casually as "Oldies 98" among listeners long after it dropped the branding. [19]
29 Danny Bonaduce announces a medical leave of absence from The Danny Bonaduce and Sarah Morning Show on KZOK-FM—Seattle. [20]
Spanish Broadcasting System takes over operations of both WSUN—Holiday/Tampa and WPYO—Maitland/Orlando from a divesture trust held by Cox Media Group since Apollo Global Management's 2019 takeover of the chain. The trust had a required deadline of December 2021 for a sale of both stations; a request from Cox to extend the deadline by one year prompted SBS to allege Cox was not acting in good faith after repeated delays in sale negotiations. The FCC extended the deadline to February, when the purchase was made. Cox moves the formats of WSUN (alternative rock) and WPYO (CHR) to HD digital subchannels elsewhere in the cluster, with the former adding a low-power analog translator. SBS begins stunting on both stations in anticipation of debuting Spanish tropical formats branded "El Zol". [21]

May[edit]

Date Event Source
3 After a 41-year run as morning host at WXKS-FM—Medford/Boston, Matt Siegel abruptly announces his retirement via a pre-recorded message and following a prior unannounced and unexplained two-week absence. Billy Costa, a co-host on Matty in the Morning, takes over as interim host. [22]
WSM—Nashville's Midnite Jamboree airs a diamond anniversary special which also acts as the series finale, concluding its 75-year run. The weekly program ended production in March after the Ernest Tubb Record Shop—which brokered the time slot from WSM and originated the Jamboree broadcasts—went out of business due to "circumstances out of (the shop's) control." [23]

June[edit]

Date Event Source
2 The State University of New York allows the licenses of four of its student-run college radio stations—WCEB from Corning Community College, WAIH from SUNY Potsdam, WQKE from SUNY Plattsburgh and WETD from Alfred State College—to lapse during the colleges' summer vacation, thus ending the stations' over-the-air operations. SUNY's other student radio stations were unaffected. [24]
3 TelevisaUnivision agrees in principle to sell 18 of their radio stations, including WAQI—Miami, WADO—New York City and KTNQ—Los Angeles, to Latino Media Network for $60 million in a year-long transitional process. The composition and financing of Latino Media Network, which includes several political activists affiliated with the Democratic Party, attracts negative attention from both WAQI's anti-Castro Cuban exile listenership and Florida Republican politicians. [25]
8 Russian radio station Kommersant FM is quickly taken off air after hackers take over and interrupt the lunchtime news bulletin by playing the Ukrainian national anthem and anti-war songs. [26]
10 Australian commercial radio station 2CH, owned by Sports Entertainment Network, changes formats to all-sports. [27]
29 After cancelling their morning show the day before, Canadian Hot AC "Kiss Radio" CKKS-FM—Chilliwack/Abbotsford/Vancouver abruptly dismisses the rest of their air staff and proceeds to play Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" in a loop for 24 hours, a stunt that unexpectedly results in international press coverage. CKKS-FM relaunches as modern rock "Sonic Radio" the next day; the brand had been previously used by CKKS-FM predecessor CFUN-FM from 2011 to 2015, but with a CHR presentation. [28]

July[edit]

Date Event Source
1 After 8 months of two iHeartMedia Rochester stations WDVI and WNBL playing an identical country format after WDVI's flip to country in October 2021, WNBL flips to 80s hits as "Big 107.3". [29]
14 After 14 Years as a slimualcast of KDVV 100.3 in Topeka KDVB 96.9 In Effingham Changes formats from Rock to R&B and Hip Hop and call letters to KQRB making it the Second Time that R&B and Hip Hop has entered The Topeka Market. [30].

August[edit]

Date Event Source
1 Following a weekend of stunting, WOTW—Windemere/Orlando adopts a rhythmic-leaning Top 40 format as “Fly 103.1”, taking the callsign WFYY. [31]

September[edit]

Date Event Source

Deaths[edit]

Date Name Age Nationality and notability Source
January 1 Dan Reeves 78 American football player (Dallas Cowboys), coach (Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons) and broadcaster (color commentator for the NFL on Westwood One Sports) [32]
January 15 Ralph Emery 88 American country music disc jockey (WSM—Nashville) [33]
February 3 Dieter Mann 80 German actor, director, university professor, and radio personality [34]
February 12 Frank Beckmann 72 German-American talk show host (WJR—Detroit) and sportscaster (Michigan Sports Network) [35]
February 15 P. J. O'Rourke 74 American political satirist, journalist, and frequent panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! [36]
March 13 Mary Lee 100 Scottish singer and broadcaster (Radio Clyde) [37]
March 17 Bobby Nalzaro 58 Filipino broadcast journalist and radio commentator [38]
April 18 Sid Mark 88 American radio host best known for nationally syndicated Frank Sinatra-themed broadcasts (WHAT-FM/WWDB, later WPHT—Philadelphia) from 1957 to 2022 [39]
April 28 Vira Hyrych 54 Ukrainian journalist and radio producer (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty), killed in missile attack [40]
May 3 Bobby O'Jay 68 American R&B disc jockey (WDIA—Memphis, Tennessee) [41]
May 7 Bob Romanik 72 American paleoconservative shock jock (KQQZ—Fairview Heights, Illinois) later revealed to be a silent partner in the ownership of KQQZ and three other AM stations in Greater St. Louis despite being a convicted felon. [42]
May 8 André Arthur 78 Canadian radio host and politician [43]
May 20 Hillar Palamets 94 Estonian historian and radio presenter [44]
June 4 John Berks 80 South African radio presenter (Radio 702, Johannesburg) [45]
June 10 Baxter Black 77 American writer, poet, and essayist for NPR's Morning Edition [46]
June 12 Vello Lään 85 Estonian sports journalist, writer and radio broadcaster, director of Tartu Radio [47]
July 5 Cacho Fontana 90 Argentine broadcaster [48]
August 2 Vin Scully 94 American sportscaster (Los Angeles Dodgers) [49]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Year Honours announced for radio presenters and volunteers". 31 December 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  2. ^ "WWHX Is Now 100.7 FM". Radioinsight.com. January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ^ "Alternative X107.5 Debuts In Cedar Rapids". Radioinsight.com. January 3, 2022. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "Binnie Makes Musical Shifts In New Hampshire". Radioinsight.com. January 6, 2022. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "#Showbiz: Molek FM to serve East Coast radio listeners". New Straits Times. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ^ Lacitis, Erik (January 28, 2022). "So long, 'KOMO Country': KOMO Radio sold, gets new name". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  7. ^ "WMIA Drops All 90s; Launches New On-Air Lineup As DJ Laz Returns To Mornings With Kimmy B". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  8. ^ Venta, Lance (February 14, 2022). "Friends Of WLRN To Take Over Management Of South Florida Public News/Talker". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  9. ^ ""Эху Москвы" исполнилось 25 лет". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  10. ^ "How Not To Buy A Radio Station" by Lance Venta, May 18, 2022 (radioinsight.com)
  11. ^ Anton Troianovski (3 March 2022). "Echo of Moscow, a liberal Russian radio station, is shut down". The New York Times.
  12. ^ ""Эху Москвы" исполнилось 25 лет". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  13. ^ "Rumba 106.1 Debuts In Philadelphia". Radioinsight.com. March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  14. ^ "MediaWork's new talk station Today FM to launch on March 21". Stuff. 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  15. ^ Venta, Lance (February 25, 2022). "Ideastream Sets Cleveland Public Radio Frequency Change Date". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (April 4, 2022). "'Grand Ole Opry' Owner Sells Minority Stake to Atairos and NBCUniversal for Nearly $300 Million". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  17. ^ Venta, Lance (May 3, 2022). "WKQX Completes Its Return To Q101 Identity". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  18. ^ Venta, Lance (April 20, 2022). "Marquee Broadcasting Acquires WHIZ Media Group". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  19. ^ Venta, Lance (April 28, 2022). "WOGL Rebrands As Big 98.1". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (April 29, 2022). "Danny Bonaduce Taking Medical Leave From Radio Show to "Focus on My Health"". The Hollywood Reporter.
  21. ^ Venta, Lance (February 11, 2022). "SBS To Acquire WPYO Orlando & WSUN Tampa". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  22. ^ Venta, Lance (May 3, 2022). "Matty Siegel Retires From Mornings At Kiss 108 After 41 Years". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  23. ^ "Famed Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville up for sale". AP NEWS. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  24. ^ FCC Seeks Additional Information About TEGNA Acquisition
  25. ^ Venta, Lance (June 3, 2022). "Latino Media Network To Acquire Univision Radio Properties in Ten Markets". Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  26. ^ Anugraha Sundaravelu (8 June 2022). "Hacked Russian radio station plays Ukraine's national anthem and anti-war songs". Metro. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  27. ^ "Brandy and Brantz join 1170 SEN Sydney".
  28. ^ "Rogers Launches Sonic Radio Vancouver". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  29. ^ "iHeartMedia Launches Big 107.3 Rochester With All 80s". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  30. ^ "Topeka Finds Its Beat With Launch Of Hip Hop And R&B Station". InsideRadio.com. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  31. ^ “103.1 The Wolf Orlando Preparing to Fly Away”. Radio Insight headlines, August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  32. ^ Newberry, Paul (January 1, 2022). "Former Broncos, Falcons, Giants coach Dan Reeves dies at 77". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  33. ^ Country Music Hall of Famer, Nashville broadcasting star Ralph Emery dead at 88
  34. ^ Wengierek, Reinhard (3 February 2022). "Zum Tod von Dieter Mann: Der Wahrhafte". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  35. ^ WJR's longtime voice Frank Beckmann dies at 72 The Detroit News, February 12, 2022
  36. ^ Evans, Greg (February 15, 2022). "P.J. O'Rourke Dies: Satirist, Author & NPR Panelist Was 74". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  37. ^ "'An exceptional comedic talent': Tributes paid to British dance band star Mary Lee for 100th birthday". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  38. ^ Lagunda, Kevin A.; Lim, Cherry Ann T. (17 March 2022). "Tri-media personality Bobby Nalzaro dies". SunStar. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  39. ^ "Philadelphia Radio Icon Sid Mark Passes At The Age Of 88". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  40. ^ "RFE/RL Journalist Dies in Russian Air Strikes on Kyiv". VOA. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  41. ^ Venta, Lance (May 3, 2022). "WDIA Memphis Legend Bobby O'Jay Dies". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  42. ^ Holleman, Joe (May 9, 2022). "Controversial radio host Bob Romanik dead at 72". STLtoday.com. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  43. ^ "Décès de l'animateur polémique André Arthur". TVA Nouvelles (in French). Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  44. ^ Tooming, Marko (20 May 2022). "Suri ajaloolane ja raadiohääl Hillar Palamets" [Historian and radio presenter Hillar Palamets died]. err.ee (in Estonian). Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  45. ^ "'Godfather of radio'– Tributes pour in for John Berks". The Citizen. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  46. ^ Obituary for Baxter Black from NPR.org, 6/13/2022
  47. ^ "Suri raadioajakirjanik Vello Lään". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  48. ^ "Cacho Fontana murió a los 90 años". Infobae. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  49. ^ Hipes, Patrick (August 2, 2022). "Vin Scully Dies: The Voice Of The L.A. Dodgers, And Their City, Was 94". Deadline Hollywood.
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