Opinion: Cincinnati's Top 40 Radio Personalities

John Kiesewetter

Cincinnati media writer John Kiesewtter has come up with his list of Cincy’s All Time Top 40 Radio Personalities.

Kiesewtter has been covering radio since 1975 and he enlisted the help of  four radio veterans with a combined 120 years of experience: Rich Walburg (WKRQ-FM, WLW-AM), Tom Sandman (WEBN-FM, WRRM-FM, WMKV-FM), Fred Slezak (WSAI-AM, WWNK-FM) and Mike Martini (WVXU-FM, WMKV-FM).

The list inclues commercial and public radio on AM and FM, and all formats –hard, soft, new, old and classic rock; classical music; jazz; talk; sports and news. One-third of them are still on the air today.

1. Jim Scott

His cheery voice has woken us up since Scott’s WSAI-AM debut on March 23, 1968. He’s dominated every decade since the 1970s for WSAI-AM and WLW-AM, around brief stints at YES95, WINK94.1 and New York’s WNBC-AM. At 70, he’s still up at 2:30 a.m. to host 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WLW-AM.

2. Gary Burbank

He kept us laughing all the way home afternoons with Earl Pitts, Gilbert Gnarley and other crazy characters. The National Radio Hall of Famer and his writers produced more original comedy in a day at WLW-AM (1981-2007) than all the other DJs in town combined.

3. Marty Brennaman & Joe Nuxhall

What a pair! The Cincinnati Reds announcers provided our summer soundtrack for 33 years (1974-2007), until Nuxhall’s death. Marty & Joe made listening fun, even when the Reds lost. Marty’s the Hall of Famer, and still the best in baseball, but nothing beat his seasons with the Ol’ Lefthander.

4. Robin Wood

For Baby Boomers, Wood’s sultry voice was WEBN-FM for the 20 years (1975-95) she hosted mornings on her father’s album rock station. She eventually was joined by Eddie Fingers, newsman Craig Kopp, sportscaster Dennis “Wildman” Walker and Bob “The Producer” Berry (all make our list). She left broadcasting in 2000 to open Robin Wood Flowers.

5. Jerry Thomas

He did it all at WKRC-AM (1962-2006) – top-rated morning DJ, program director, salesman, talk host and the radio manager who changed classical WKRC-FM into rocking Q102. You still hear him on commercials, or calling son Brian at 7:05 a.m. Mondays on WKRC-AM.

To See #6 through #40, Click Here.