Remembering Herb McCord
• On Wednesday we received late word that veteran broadcast executive Herb McCord, longtime President & CEO of Granum Communications, has died at the age of 77. We understand that McCord had been dealing with serious heart and kidney issues over the past year.
In an e-mail, Peter Ferrara, a close friend of McCord and a Founding Partner & COO of Granum Communications, said, “It is with great sadness that I tell you Herb passed away early this morning. He had been struggling with serious health issues recently and had been going downhill steadily the past year. His family was with him as he died peacefully under the care of hospice.”
McCord, who was also well known for his stint as GM of the legendary CKLW (The Big 8)/Detroit, later spent a decade as VP of Radio for Greater Media and co-founded Granum in 1990. In 2015 McCord was one of the recipients of the prestigious Ward L. Quaal Leadership Awards, presented by the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
RAMP caught up Erica Farber, Pres./CEO of the RAB, who told us, “Herb loved this business and appreciated the people in the business. He put just as much effort in the business of the business as he did enjoying the business. I personally enjoyed a cocktail or two or three over the years with Herb. And as a woman he always treated me as an equal and reinforced how important it was to have a sense a humor and enjoy what you do. A sad day indeed.”
Pictured, several years ago during one of Art Vuolo’s famous birthday parties, four CKLW greats, (l-r): Tom Shannon, Herb McCord, Big Jim Davis and Dick Purtan. [Photo courtesy of Art Vuolo]
