Rubber City Rearrangement
• More changes are happening inside the Rubber City Radio broadcast complex in Akron, OH — earlier this week we reported on the COVID-created, budget-related departure of two longtime employees — Ken Steel, PD/afternoon personality on Country WQMX (29+ years) and MD/Promotions Director Jody Wheatley (19 years).
RAMP has now confirmed that Akron OM Jeff Lynn has annexed PD stripes for WQMX, working closely with APD/morning co-host Sarah Kay. Steel’s former afternoon shift on WQMX will now be handled by Craig Michaels, who will retain his evening shift across the hall on Classic Rock sister 97.5 WONE.
And speaking of WONE, Lynn has removed those stripes and awarded them to a familiar face — longtime Canton, OH radio pro John Stewart, who joined WONE in February to do middays. It’s a welcome return to the programming chair for Stewart (pictured), who notably spent six years with Alpha Media (and before that, NextMedia) Canton as OM/Content Director and afternoon personality at Hot AC WHBC (Mix 94.1) and OM of News-Talk WHBC-AM until August 2018. Before that he spent nearly a decade across the street as PD of DA Peterson Top 40 WDJQ (Q92).
Stewart’s earlier programming/production/on-air resume includes WXRC/Charlotte, WBTT/Dayton and WSSR, WMTX & WSUN/Tampa. He was also instrumental in the launch of Top 40 KBKS (106.1 Kiss FM)/Seattle in 1996.
RAMP caught up with an elated Stewart, who said, “Big thanks to [owner] Thom Mandel, [SVP] Nick Anthony and Jeff Lynn for handing over the Zoom Meeting ID and password to me for this heritage station!” Your best wishes can be sent to John at Jstewart@rcrg.net.
