 Scott Shannon It's almost impossible to listen to a contemporary radio station anywhere in America today and not hear the sound of Scott Shannon. Both as an Air Personality and a Program Director. Shannon's impact has been so far-reaching that his peers in the radio business named him the "Most Influential Programmer of the Past 20 Years," according to a special survey conducted by the trade publication "Radio and Records."
The son of a career army soldier, he spent his youth moving from one town to another, soaking up the local radio scenes. His first job, at age 17, was in Mobile, AL. Then it was on to Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Tampa -- where he created the incredibly successful format known as the"Morning Zoo" with Cleveland Wheeler, Pat Brooks, Tedd Webb and Roger Schulman -- a daily 4-hour party-on-the-radio that set ratings records.
From there, it was on to New York's Z100, out to Los Angeles for Pirate Radio, and back to NY -- where he joined WPLJ in 1991. Today 'PLJ reigns as the most listened-to Adult Contemporary Station in America, and "Scott & Todd in the Morning" enjoys one of the biggest audiences in the USA.
Scott Shannon has received many awards, including Billboard Magazine's "Air Personality of the Year" in 1988, 1993, 1994 and 1995. In 2003 Scott was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Update: 5/2005
Most people think about a lot of things; sports, politics, religion - but Michael Scott Shannon lives and breathes only for radio... well alright, and some golf too.
Scott Shannon, the Forest Gump of radio, has stumbled into an amazing career. As a broadcaster, programmer and host of the True Oldies Channel, his is truly an amazing success story.
Along the way he's bamboozled so many people that he has even received fancy awards. Last year he was inducted in into the National Association of Broadcaster's Radio Hall of Fame. In a special survey by Radio and Records, his peers named him "The Most Influential Programmer of the Past 20 Years," and he's been enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
His one bedroom apartment in White Plains is jammed with many awards - including his Runner-up trophy in the Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest. On the broadcast side, first in 1988 and again from 1993 through 1997 he was named Billboard Magazine's "Air Personality of the Year." And in 1989 and 1994 through 1997 he also was honored as the "Program Director of the Year."
In 1985, Shannon went nationwide on over 200 stations with "The Rocking America Top 30 Countdown." To this day people don't know how he pulled that off.
Blessed with rugged bad looks, Scott has done his fair share of Television work. He was selected as one of the original VH-1 vee-jays in 1984 and hosted his own syndicated TV show, "Smash Hits Top 10 Countdown," which was seen in over 100 markets, by about 13 people, from 1989 to 1993.
Today, Shannon is one part of the successful morning team, "Scott & Todd in the Morning," which is heard on WPLJ/New York, and enjoys one of the biggest audiences in America. He also moonlights as the official voice of the Sean Hannity Show that is broadcast on over 400 stations across America.
Visit the Scott Shannon Website! www.scottshannon.com |
