The Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame officially announced its Class of 2026. The class includes radio personalities and stations from across the state of Tennessee. The class will be inducted on July 25, 2026 during an award ceremony at the performing arts center at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. ( Get tickets )
The inductees are:
- Pete Weber: the original voice of the Nashville Predators. He has called over 2,200 Preds games and was recently inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
- Bill Cody: for over three decades the long time popular host of “Coffee, Country and Cody” on WSM radio. In 2024 he was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame.
- Whit Adamson: for 33 years the President of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. A champion for the growth of broadcasting n the state.
- Steve Conley: started his career in 1979 at WHBQ in Memphis. For the past 12 years the morning show host on FM100.
- Marty McFly: spent over 30 years in radio hosting morning shows in Nashville and Cookeville. Since 1998 he has hosted “McFly and the Ride Home” on WGSQ in Cookeville.
- Johnny Shaw: blazed the trail for black ownership in Tennessee radio. Started as a part time DJ at WBOL in Bolivar. Later he bought the station. He served 26 years in the state of Tennessee Legislature.
- Bobby Rader: a fixture in Tri-Cities radio in news and sports. Hosted the first high school football radio scoreboard show in the state. Spent 20 years as a scoreboard host on the Vol Network. Current news and sports director at WIKQ/ WGRV in Greeneville.
- Travis Hickman: in 1982 got a part time job at WEPG in South Pittsburgh and never left. He bought the station in 2016. Hosts the Swap and Shop Show which started in 1954 and is one of the longest running radio shows in Tennessee radio history.
- Dale Evans: began her career in 1928 as a vocalist on WREC radio in Memphis and later had her own show on WMC. She married Roy Rogers in 1947 and became an international star with a start in Tennessee radio.
- Arthur Wilkerson: put WLIL in Lenior City on the air in 1949. He later added WLIK in Newport, WLJI in Shelbyville and WDEW in Crossville. A former Tennessee Association of Broadcasting President he helped Lindsey Nelson establish the Vol Network in 1950.
- Carl Stump: founded WECO in Wartburg in 1970 and was its first announcer. For the next 40 years he was an on air personality, engineer and owner of the station. In high school was voted “most likely to be on the radio.”
- Mark Howard: a TV anchor at WTVF for 20 years when he moved to 104.5 the Zone. He hosted the “Wake Up Zone” for 21 years, the no. 1 rated show in Nashville and among the top rated nationally.
- Luther Award for Outstanding Community Service: WLIK in Newport will receive the Luther Award for Outstanding Community Service. The award named after Chattanooga broadcasting legend Luther Massingill is going to WLIK for its outstanding coverage of the floods in Newport as a result of Hurricane Helene.
- Johnny Eagle Impact Award: Ron Meredith from WYSH radio in Clinton and Clinton Broadcasters will received the Johnny Eagle Impact Award. This award given to a broadcaster showing great community service and making a difference. His career in radio began in 1979 at WLAF in LaFollete. Ron bought WYSH in 1990 and has been the morning show host since then while owning 3 other stations.
- Legendary Station of the Year: WEMB in Erwin will receive the Legendary Station of the Year Award. The station building was flattened and washed away by Hurricane Helene. Within days the station was back streaming with the help of other broadcasters in the Tri Cities area providing information to the people of Erwin.
Tickets for the July 25, 2026 Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame Award ceremony are now on sale on the website at this link or by check for $50.00 per ticket by mail at Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame P0 Box 159224 Nashville, TN 37215.
For more information, contact the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame online.