Obituary
Industry Veteran Dick Rakovan Dies
One-time WJR-AM (Detroit) General Sales Manager Dick Rakovan has passed away. For 20 years, Rakovan, known to many as “Rackets,” served 20 years with the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) where he was Senior VP of Membership. Rakovan began his broadcast career at the former WKBW-AM (Buffalo, NY) working as a salesman. His first role in…
Read MoreLongtime Host of African American Inspiration Radio Show in Flint Passes
Bettye Jean Hendricks, 16-year host of the African American Inspiration radio show on WFLT-AM (Flint), heard on Saturday mornings died peacefully at her home on April 19 at age 74. In a story in MLive, the publication wrote that Hendricks’ impact on the Flint community is hard to describe because it was shown in so…
Read MoreFormer WJBK-TV Reporter Kathy Walsh Passes at 63
Former WJBK-TV Reporter Kathy Walsh has lost a battle with Huntington’s Disease and passed away April 14 at age 63. Walsh, a reporter at the station in the 1990s, had a reputation for her fearless tenacity. It was just the kind of fighting spirit she would need years later as she battled Huntington’s Disease. “She…
Read MoreRetired WNEM TV-5 Reporter, WRIF-FM DJ Jay Brandow Dies
Retired WNEM news reporter Jay Brandow passed away this past Tuesday (4/12) at the age 67. He worked as a reporter at WNEM starting in 1984 up until his retirement in 2011. At his retirement, he told his colleagues about working at WNEM, “It’s been my home. It’s been my family. If I had to…
Read MoreEric O. Furseth Passes at 91
Eric O. Furseth, legendary radio personality and the voice for both MSU Athletics and Michigan High School Athletics, passed away this past Monday (2/28) in Traverse City. Furseth initially came to Michigan State University in the early 1950s on a full-ride scholarship to play football for Clarence “Biggie” Munn, but after suffering an injury in…
Read MoreUpper Peninsula broadcaster Elmer Aho Dies at 90
Longtime Upper Peninsula broadcasters Elmer Aho, host of “American Country Gold” on WFXD-FM in Marquette, passed away this past Sunday (2/20) at the age of 91 following a brief illness. Aho was a Saturday-night fixture in U.P. radio for decades. His show consisted of classic country music, “home-spun” stories, and listener requests. Born and raised in…
Read MoreDetroit Radio Jazz Personality Rosetta Hines Passes
Detroit radio personality Rosetta Hines-Loving, best known for her work at the former WJZZ-FM (now WDMK-FM) passed away February 14 at the age of 82. Hines was known in the Motor City as the first lady of jazz. “Her career was her life, she just loved music,” said her son Mir Loving in a Detroit…
Read MoreFrank Beckmann: 1949-2022
This past weekend, the MAB was saddened to learn the passing of longtime WJR personality Frank Beckmann at age 72. According to his wife Karen, Beckmann died Saturday night (2/12) of vascular dementia. He reportedly had been in hospice care for several days. He began his career at WJR as a reporter in 1973, launched…
Read MoreFormer Marquette Broadcaster Lou Chappell Dies at 85
Former WLUC-TV (Marquette) General Manager and radio station owner Lou Chappell passed away Monday, February 14th at his home in Marquette. Chappell worked at WDMJ-TV and WLUC-TV from 1956 through 1973. He was first hired when the station was launched. He eventually became general manager. The Dollar Bay native’s obituary says he spent some of…
Read MoreFormer Michigan Radio Broadcaster Keith Curry Passes
AllAccess reports that veteran programmer and personality Keith R. Edwards (Curry) has died. As of press time, no details on the cause of his death have been made public. Curry spent quite a few years of his career in Michigan, working at Cumulus’ WKFR-FM (Kalamazoo) and WDRQ-FM (Detroit). He also spent time at iHeartMedia’s WSNX-FM…
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