By Kris Freeman of SMS Multimedia for the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame
NEW YORK CITY – Ron Olson and Karen Perrin of WRVR 104.5 the River in Memphis were honored as the Medium Market Personalities of the Year at the 2026 National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Awards on Tuesday, October 20 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Ron Olson is a 2020 member of the career class of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. Ron and Karen start each day from 6-10 am weekdays on 104.5 the River. They began the show in 2017-18 together, after each previously working in Memphis for more than three decades combined at another station.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the winners of the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, presented by Xperi, celebrating the nation’s outstanding radio stations and on-air personalities during a memorable evening at the Edison Ballroom on the eve of NAB Show New York.
WRVR in Memphis is an adult contemporary radio station on 104.5 FM The River, playing soft rock hits from decades of music dating back to the 1970s to present. The station makes a switch in mid-November each year to go Christmas music until December 25th. The station is owned and operated by Audacy.
The celebration was also supported by Quu, the Winners’ Scorecard sponsor, and ENCO, the closed-captioning sponsor. The event was hosted by veteran radio personality Déjà Vu, while longtime Philadelphia radio personality Matt Cord lent his distinctive voice to the evening’s prerecorded announcements.
The evening also paid tribute to Joel Oxley, President & General Manager of Hubbard Radio Washington, D.C., who received the 2026 NAB National Radio Award in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the industry. A respected champion of local journalism and public service, Oxley has spent more than three decades helping shape WTOP and Federal News Network into trusted sources of news and information for the Washington region.
Legendary Station of the Year: WIVK-FM/Knoxville, TN
Legendary Radio Manager of the Year: Julie Koehn, WLEN-FM/Adrian, MI
Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year: The Bob & Sheri Show, WKQC-FM/Charlotte
Major Market Personality of the Year: Karson and Kennedy, WBMX-FM/Boston
Large Market Personality of the Year: Karen Dalessandro, KSLX-FM/Phoenix
Medium Market Personality of the Year: Ron Olson & Karen Perrin, WRVR-FM/Memphis
Small Market Personality of the Year: Chris Lawrence, WCHS-AM/Charleston, WV
Major Market Station of the Year: WBMX-FM/Boston
Large Market Station of the Year: WYXB-FM/Indianapolis
Medium Market Station of the Year: WYCT-FM/Pensacola, FL
Small Market Station of the Year: KBHP-FM/Bemidji, MN
Best Radio Podcast of the Year: Purple Daily, KSTP-AM/St. Paul, MN (Hubbard)
AC Station of the Year: KBIG-FM/Los Angeles
CHR Station of the Year: KRBE-FM/Houston
Classic Hits Station of the Year: WCBS-FM/New York
College Radio Station of the Year: WRRC-FM, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Country Station of the Year: KKBQ-FM/Houston
News-Talk Station of the Year: WSB-AM/Atlanta
Religious Station of the Year: WGTS-FM/Washington, DC
Rock Station of the Year: WIYY-FM/Baltimore
Spanish Language Station of the Year: KOVE-FM/Houston
Sports Station of the Year: WEEI-FM/Boston
Urban Station of the Year: WHQT-FM/Miami
Established in 1989 and named for inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards honor radio stations and on-air personalities demonstrating outstanding achievement and service to their communities.