Jaan McCoy, a Dallas-area station owner and a producer for Westwood One’s 24-hour classic hits format, passed away Oct. 18 in Dallas. According to a report he was found dead in the broadcast chair at the Westwood One studios in Dallas.
Born Jaan Kalmes, he was born in Brazil but grew up in the United States, notably in Syracuse, N.Y., where he started radio at age 16 with a Saturday morning stint.
His radio career included stints in the Hamilton/Toronto and Ottawa markets in Canada, then to Dallas for FM classic rock, rock hits on the ABC Radio Network, and 20 years as morning host of “The Breakfast Club,” with 10 of those years at KAAM(AM) in the Dallas area. Most recently he was one of the principals in the ownership of Hunt Country Radio country stations KIKT(FM) and KGVL(AM) in Greenville, Texas. He was also an on-air talent for KIKT.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
“Jaan loved radio and anything to do with music and programming,” said Westwood One Classic Hits Program Director David Felker. “We’d talk for hours about it. He was dedicated, hard-working, always willing to be there to help out, and he always did it with a smile. Jaan was a true professional, an inspiration and a friend to us all. He’ll be missed.”
Here is a local notice.
