The Country Radio Hall of Fame announced its 2015 class of inductees at the opening ceremonies of the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Wednesday. Their official induction will take place at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards ceremony, June 24, at the annual Country Radio Broadcasters summer board and agenda meeting.
The inductees are Randy Carroll, Karen Dalessandro, Sammy George, Mike Kennedy and Joel Raab.
Randy Carroll has spent three decades at San Antonio’s KAJA(FM) as on-air talent, for which he is best known, and in management. He’s been nominated several times for most major country music on-air personality awards and won the Academy of Country Music Personality of the Year Award in 2012.
Karen Dalessandro has been at WMIL(FM) in Milwaukee since 1998. She won the Country Music Association Personality of the Year Award in 2001. She’s known for a keen nose for finding new talent and is credited with being an early supporter of stars such as Keith Urban, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum and Luke Bryan.
Sammy George has almost four decades of radio experience in front of and behind the mic. He has had almost every job imaginable at a radio station. Over the last 22 years, he guided WUSY(FM) in Chattanooga, Tenn., to 73 consecutive no. 1 books, nine CMA Station of the Year awards and two ACM Station of the Year awards.
Mike Kennedy has been ensconced at KBEQ(FM) in Kansas City, Mo., since 1991. In 1993, he led a switch to country music. He’s been the PD and morning man for decades.
Joel Raab started out a 15-year-old on-air talent at WTHE(AM) on Long Island, N.Y. Since then he’s been in front of and behind the mic at many stations eventually branching out into a lucrative country music consulting business.
In other Country Radio Seminar news, the organizers announced that next year’s Country Radio Seminar will be held at the Omni Hotel in Nashville, Feb. 7–10.
