Several years ago, V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron was nominated for the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. He didn't get in.
But this past weekend, in his second try, the hometown favorite was inducted with seven others.
"Tonight, unbelievable," said Cameron, who has been on Atlanta radio for more than 23 years with V-103 and the original Hot 97.5, after the induction ceremony at the Hilton in Marietta Saturday. "Everybody who was monumental to my radio career was in the room, which made it that much sweeter."
Cameron was thrilled to have former V-103 morning host Mike Roberts (Georgia Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 2013) in the room with him. Also inducted was Rick Mack, current GM at Star 94 who was the GM at V-103 when Cameron started his career in the early 1990s.
Roberts, he noted on stage, was still morning host at V-103 when Cameron, then an employee at Blockbuster Video, asked to meet with him. When Cameron showed up four hours late, Roberts told him a tidbit of advice he treasures to this day: "Everyone gets one free pass." Roberts gave a young Cameron a shot as an intern and the rest is history. And believe me: Cameron doesn't show up late to anything!
Mary Catherine Sneed, who ran V-103 before starting the first hip-hop station in Atlanta in 1995 at Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9), was at the dinner as well. She hired Cameron as the first morning host at Hot in 1996.
Sneed remembers telling Cameron when he was first nominated seven years ago that he was too young. "You don't want to get in too early," she told him. "You'll be old before your time." She said it was a blessing he didn't get in then but felt now was the right time.
After working as an intern, then a night guy at V-103, Cameron joined the brand new Hot 97.5 as morning host. He turned that station into a worthy competitor to V-103 before V-103 stole him back for afternoons in 2005. He thrived there as well. Last year, he took over for Frank Ski to become the current morning host at V. While he has faced some ratings challenges and staff turnover, he is now the dominant face of the station, a funny, well-respected entertainer who loves radio with his heart and soul.
Organizers did make Cameron sweat: he was the final person named. President John Long said that was purely by chance. (The Hall of Fame nominating committee named 16 career achievement nominees but only eight made it in. They also named 10 "legacy inductees" who have passed away.)
"I was just glad he got in," Sneed said. "We were going to flip the table over if he didn't. He was so nervous!" When Cameron jumped on the stage and thanked his mentors and family, he was legitimately happy, she said. "It was a big deal for him," she said.
Cameron even thanked me of all people for covering him all these years "whether I wanted you to or not," he said, semi-facetiously. Then, ever the jokester, he grabbed my hat and wore it for a second. I should have snapped a photo but was so taken aback, I just laughed and let the moment happen.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Other on-air radio hosts who were inducted Saturday with direct Atlanta radio ties:
- Craig Ashwood. Best known as the radio voice of Outback Steakhouse ads for two decades, he was also an announcer at 94Q from 1980 to 1990 and Fox 97.1 from 1998 to 2000. He was also director of site services for Cox Radio Interactive from 2000 to 2009 before retiring. He was unable to make the event but wrote on Facebook: " I appreciate the people who listened over the years when I was fortunate enough to be behind the microphone. Those were fun days!"
- Willard Arbour. He was a host on 96rock for 21 years, then six more at Z93 until 2004 when the station became Dave FM. (He did sales for awhile there, then moved up to the North Georgia mountains.)
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
- Scott Woodside. He spent 25 years in radio, including several at WQXI-AM when it was a top 40 station and rock station Z93 as a morning host. He left radio in 1997. He is now a sales manager at a funeral chain.
- "Big" John Wetherbee. He is a meteorologist who now does syndicated weather reports all over the country. He was best known when he was on Fox 97 in its heyday with Randy & Spiff.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
The 2014 Founders and Directors Honoree Brad Burkhart is considered the architect of the current Christian AC format you hear on Fish 104.7. He rambled so long on the stand that the producer began to play music to shut him down, Oscar style. He just kept right on going for several more minutes. "Thanks to you Brad," cracked co-host Spiff Carner, "you're all going to miss the opening kickoff to the Falcons game!"
Also, there was a Y106/Y104 reunion. That was an upstart country station that took on Kicks 101.5 in the late 1980s and early 1990s until Cap Cities, owner of Kicks, purchased Y106 in 1993 and the competition was neutered. Rhubarb Jones was the morning host at the time. You have to love the ridiculously fun commercials they used to run back in the day!
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