OCTOBER 19, 2023

After a 31 year career at LEX 18 spanning multiple awards and accolades, journalist Nancy Cox will be stepping away from the anchor desk, effective immediately. After taking a leave of absence earlier this summer, Cox has made the decision to retire.

"I realized early on that journalism was my calling, but serving the people of Kentucky became my passion," said Cox. "My goal was to always bring the community the information you needed about our world with impartiality, context, and compassion."

A respected and award-winning journalist, Cox is one of the most recognized and popular anchors in the history of Lexington television.

Beginning as a reporter and producer at WKYT-TV, Cox came to WLEX-TV in 1992 as a reporter and anchor and moved to the main anchor desk, playing a key role at LEX 18 over the decades.

Over her career, Cox has been honored with two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards, eight Regional Emmy Awards, and numerous Kentucky Associated Press Awards, including "Best Anchor" honors. In addition, she served as President of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Ohio Valley Region.

Among the many memorable moments in her outstanding career, Cox covered the first inauguration of President Barack Obama and had an exclusive one-on-one interview with Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign; covered the NTSB hearings on the crash of Comair Flight 5191; anchored at multiple Kentucky Derbies and Breeders' Cup events; and covered several Final Fours and NCAA Basketball Championships for her favorite team, the Kentucky Wildcats.

A summa cum laude graduate of Western Kentucky University, Nancy was Miss Kentucky and represented her beloved home state in the 1990 Miss America Pageant. She has served on the boards of both Miss Kentucky and Kentucky Junior Miss, where she was also a participant and finalist.

Over the years, she's been an in-demand speaker and singer for church and charity organizations. Cox has made hundreds of appearances, including hosting the annual "Central Kentucky Go Red" fundraiser for 10 years, the Salvation Army, Race for the Cure, and Habitat for Humanity. She has inspired many with her determination while undergoing major back surgeries to correct scoliosis and has been invited to share her story with civic and religious groups.

"Nancy will always be part of the LEX 18 family," said Andrew Shenkan, LEX 18 VP and General Manager. "Her immense contributions and service to both our newsroom and communities in Central & Eastern Kentucky have been unparalleled and she leaves behind a legacy of excellence."

In June, Nancy became engaged to marry Justin Galli. They will make their home in Millbrook, New York, and Wellington, Florida. And, of course, Kentucky.

"God has truly blessed me with a beautiful new chapter of life," said Cox. "I'll be eternally grateful to everyone I've worked with in my 31 years with LEX 18. I've had an amazing career and a lifetime of memories to cherish."

Story courtesy of WLEX-TV

Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital is excited to name a new General Manager for their radio stations in London, WWEL SAM 103.9 FM, WANV Kool Gold 96.7 FM, and WFTG 1400 AM/106.9 FM The Wolf.   Meredith Frye will begin as the stations’ General Manager on October 6th.  Meredith has years of management and leadership experience and has worked in the London and Corbin areas prior to joining Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital London.  Meredith joins the current London stations’ team of radio veterans, Dave Begley and Terry Harris. 

 

Meredith spent years working in management and sales for local, regional businesses and a chain retail store.  Her professional background in working with local businesses will help her connect with the London area business community.  Meredith is also a professional photographer.

“We look forward to Meredith joining our Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital leadership team,” says Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital President/CEO Mike Tarter.  “Her career experiences and her ability to professionally relate to and communicate with the public and local businesses makes her a great addition to an already outstanding group of radio broadcasters.  We are excited for Meredith to begin her career with us,” Tarter continues.

Meredith will oversee the day-to-day operations of SAM 103.9, Kool Gold 96.7, and WFTG The Wolf.  She will also represent the radio stations at community events and meetings.  “I am excited to begin my career with Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital London.  I am also excited to meet with the London community and our radio station listeners.  We have a strong future in London, and I am proud to be a part of it,” Frye says

The Kentucky Broadcasters Association is proud to sponsor a new one-hour KET documentary on the life of collegiate sports marketing pioneer, Jim Host. From his experiences as an athlete, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and public servant, Host has left an indelible imprint on national sports as well as his home state of Kentucky.

Women in Leadership: Building a Diversified Broadcast Team

With Tammy Wellbrock, Girl Twin Solutions, LLC

Did you know that organizations with higher counts of female leaders are more likely to report enhanced creativity and improved productivity? The reason is that more diverse organizations create conversations that lead to decisions founded on a variety of opinions, experiences, and perspectives. This results in greater progress and success for these organizations.

Learn how a 3-Tier approach can aid your organization in assessing, evaluating and implementing various strategies that not only help in recruiting, but to create a supportive and sustainable culture that retains female professionals.

This webinar is provided as a complimentary member service to KBA member stations. Please use code: NASBA2023

Jeff Hoover out and about with "All Things Russell" live in Jamestown. The show airs each Friday at 8am on WJRS, Laker Country 104.9 FM.

We want to promote YOU! Send us your staff additions, promotions and special events. Email Chris at chris@kba.org

I CONSIDERED LISTENING TO THE RADIO TODAY

“I considered listening to the radio today” was how the text exchange with my son Carver began. Carver is a software engineer at Apple in Austin, Texas. In some ways, Carver is a typical 20-something, and here is a proud dad coming through; in many ways, he’s exceptional. He loves to try and get under his radio-loving father’s skin, thus the way he started the text.

Practicing what we teach about handling objections, rather than take the bait and share all the research with Carver (like the fact that 74% of people his age choose radio as their in-car audio choice or that 83% of adults his age tune into radio each week (see Why Radio Slide deck on RAB.com), I instead asked questions. Here’s the exchange:

Carver: I considered listening to the radio today. I didn’t do it, but I considered it.

Dad: LOL. Thanks for sharing. What caused you to consider this?

Carver: Well, I’ve run out of music to listen to. It’s a constant problem. I’ll put music on indefinitely when I’m doing work, but when the playlists start looping, it gets repetitive and old fast. Radio wouldn’t necessarily solve that because if I listen to a station long enough, I’ll hear the music repeating. Still, it would be interesting to have someone come on occasionally and say things. Radio has hosts that talk and make it interesting.

Dad: Tell me more…

Carver: Like a talk show all day, it’s like an infinite podcast. So that’s like the thing that radio has going for it, the hosts.

And there it is again! This time from a 23-year-old. Our talent is the point of differentiation for radio among Spotify, Pandora and other curated personal music playlists. The “hosts,” as Carver calls them, come on every so often and say things. When he was in school in Rochester, New York, I asked him if he ever listened to Brother Wease. He said, “How could I not? The guy is everywhere. There’s even a restaurant with a Brother Wease Burger!”

Because we work in the same building, we can easily take our on-air team for granted. We sometimes think they are nothing special other than just more workers in the building. But to the audience – even a younger audience member – they are the key difference between all the different audio options. They are the stars that keep our industry fresh, current, relevant and personal. They do fantastic work connecting with our communities.

If it’s been a while, go down the studio hall today and thank the on-air staff for the incredible work they do. They make a difference, and for radio, talent is THE difference that sets us apart. Then talk about leveraging their relationship with the audience to benefit your clients through live reads, endorsements and appearances.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep working on Carver.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can also connect with him by email JSchmidt@rab.com or on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Your active KBA membership entitles you to complimentary access to RAB's online certifications.

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

KBA Board of Directors Meeting - Bowling Green, KY

*All times shown are Eastern

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