(Nashville, Tenn. – February 23, 2022) The Country Radio Broadcasters have announced the Class of 2022 Country Radio Hall of Fame honorees. This year’s list includes two off-air radio broadcasters and four on-air radio personalities. The off-air honorees are Becky Brenner and Barry Mardit. The on-air honorees are Whitney Allen, Debbie Conner, Cathy Martindale, and Rachael & Grunwald.
Multi-platinum and award-winning artist Jason Aldean revealed the class during CRS Honors at CRS 2022. The new class will be inducted during the annual Country Radio Hall of Fame Ceremony on June 30 at the Virgin Hotel.
CRB’s Country Radio Hall of Fame Committee Chairman, Joel Raab, commented, “This Radio Hall of Fame Class has made us all proud! Congratulations to this esteemed group of dedicated professionals who have given so much of themselves to Country Radio.”
The Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner will be held on June 30, 2022, at the Virgin Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Exact times and ticket information will be released closer to the event.
Country Radio Seminar is currently taking place at Omni Nashville Hotel. Single-day passes are available for purchase on-site. Single-day passes (limited to two-day passes per person) will be $249. Day passes include access to panels, speakers, luncheons, and networking destinations on the day of pass purchase, except for Friday’s New Faces of Country Music show. Day passes will only be available for purchase on-site.
About the 2022 Honorees:
Becky Brenner is a 45-year industry veteran and one of the most respected programmers in Country radio. Currently, she is a Consulting Partner with Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Country Radio Specialists. Her combined 26 years at KMPS/Seattle, handling on-air, promotions, music, programming and Dir./Operation duties, led KMPS to win two CMA Station of the Year Awards. She is the recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award in Programming from the MIW Organization, a 20-yearlong CRB Board member and past President of the organization, and has served on the CMA Board since 2005.
Barry Mardit has spent 47 years in the radio industry. His successful career includes major market programming stops at WEEP/Pittsburgh and WWWW/Detroit. During his 12-year tenure at WWWW, he earned Billboard, CMA Program Director, and Station of the Year honors, and a NAB Marconi Award. Mardit is still active in radio with Barry Mardit Consulting and he services on the CRB/CRS Agenda Committee.
Whitney Allen began her career in 1979 and quickly segued to Country radio in 1982. After spending two years at Country KCBQ/San Diego, she jumped to the Los Angeles market at Top 40 Pirate Radio, followed by KIIS. After joining the nationally syndicated “After Midnite” in 1995 where she handled weekends for eight years, she was hired for afternoons at KZLA/Los Angeles (2003). She since has created and hosted the nationally syndicated weekend show “America’s Hot List” (2005) and expanded tonight’s shows “The Big Time” and “Big Time Saturday Night.” Whitney holds multiple CMA and ACM Personality of the Year nominations is a Radio Hall of Fame nominee and is a 2018 Gracie Award recipient.
Debbie Conner began her radio career in 1966 and soon become a pioneering female broadcaster and programmer. She’s left her mark in many markets throughout her career, including stops at KHAK/Cedar Rapids, IA, WMPS/Memphis, WSAI/Cincinnati, WCAO/Baltimore, WYCT/Pensacola, and WIL/St. Louis. She spent 12 years at WIL/St. Louis, where she earned multiple ACM and CMA Personality of the Year Nominations and won the Billboard Personality of The Year award. She previously served as a midday host on the Sirius Satellite Roadhouse Channel and has hosted Country Oldies Hall of Fame Segments since 2014.
Cathy Martindale is a trailblazing female figure on the radio. She began her country radio career in 1974 at KSCS/Dallas, where she served as PD, APD, and MD. In 1983, she took a job with WSM AM/FM, which she held for 17 years, doing mornings, afternoons, and even working as the Music Director. She became the first female to achieve the #1 rated drive-time show on Nashville radio during that time. From 1984 to 1994, she hosted Nashville Network (Video PM, Country Beat), and in 1993, she began co-hosting Racing Country/Racing Country Classic, which is heard in roughly 200 markets. She is a three-time finalist for CMA Large Market and/or Syndicated Personality of the Year and is a member of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.
Rachael & Grunwald have been a part of the morning team at WYCD/Detroit since 2005 and are both deeply embedded in community service efforts. Rachael is a 2013 Gracie Award recipient and Grunwald is a part-time police officer in his community. They received the NAB Marconi Award in 2012 and 2016 as well as Best Morning Show from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters in 2017 and 2019. Additionally, they have received multiple CMA and ACM Personalities of the Year nominations.
For more information and a list of past inductees, visit https://www.countryradioseminar.com.
For more information, visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com and follow CRS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional information can be obtained by calling 615-327-4487.
About Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc ®: The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc ® is a 501 © 3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to bring radio broadcasters worldwide together with the Country Music Industry to ensure the vitality and promote growth in the Country Radio format.
About Country Radio Seminar: Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention that gathers key business leaders in various radio and music industry fields, featuring presentations on best business practices, emerging technology, personal career development, and new music showcases. CRS 2022 will be held February 23-25, 2022 at Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.