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By PAMELA DAVIS
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 13, 2000
Area stations grab handful of honors
Local radio stations recently brought home some Billboard/Airplay Monitor Radio Awards. The honors were handed out in New York last weekend during the publications' annual seminar.
The Tampa Bay area competes in the secondary market category against other comparable size markets such as Cleveland, Denver and Las Vegas.
Stan "The Man" Priest of WFLZ-FM 93.3 was named Mainstream Top 40 music director of the year.
Scott Chase of WSSR-FM 95.7 (Star) was named Adult Top 40 program director of the year.
WSSR was named Adult Top 40 station of the year.
WXTB-FM 97.9 (98 Rock) was named Mainstream Rock station of the year.
Orlando Davis of WLLD-FM 98.7 (Wild) was named Rhythmic Top 40 music director of the year.
Jay Roberts of WQYK-FM 99.5 and WRBQ-FM 104.7 (Q105) was named Country music director of the year.
WLLD also won a Jammy for Rhythmic/Crossover Top 40 station of the year. The award is given by Elite/ADM, a New York-based marketing company specializing in radio promotions and was presented the same weekend as the Billboard/Airplay Monitor Radio Awards.
M.J. Kelli and B.J. Harris, the morning team at WFLZ, were recently nominated for two Radio Music Awards. They're up for overall Air Personality of the Year and contemporary hit radio Air Personality of the Year.
Kelli isn't expecting to win but said, "It's just an honor to be recognized as one of the best morning shows in the country."
Mike Culotta of WQYK was nominated as country Marketing Director of the Year.
"It's flattering," Culotta said. "Ultimately in some way, it's somebody's elses acknowledgement of what you do."
Unlike the Billboard/Airplay Monitor awards, the Radio Music Awards are not broken down by market size, so Kelli and Harris will be competing against powerhouse Rick Dees from Los Angeles, among other big names.
In addition to the industry related categories, radio listener-based awards such as the most requested artist, most requested song, slow dance of the year and party song of the year will be presented.
The Radio Music Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas Nov. 4 at 9 p.m. on ABC affiliate WFTS-Ch. 28. The MJ and BJ Morning Show will broadcast live from Las Vegas Nov. 3. Both WQYK and WRBQ will broadcast from there Nov. 3 and 4.
Robert Peterson III is the new program director at public radio station WUSF-FM 89.7.
He replaces Susan Johnson, who left WUSF in April after four years in the position. Johnson is now the program director of Classical Public Radio Network. WUSF afternoon concert host Russell Gant served as the station's interim program director.
Peterson has more than 19 years of radio experience. He most recently served as program director of KWMU in St. Louis and was perviously program director at public radio station WMFE in Orlando.