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(AUDIO) Radio Stations Across America Honor Whitney Houston
2-13-2012
The outpouring of prayers, thoughts, feelings and condolences was immediate and overwhelming according to KISS-FM Program Director Jay Dixon. The Emmis station was paying tribute to Whitney Houston immediately upon hearing of her tragic death in Beverly Hills. Listeners and fans were calling in to the station in disbelief as the weekend staff took calls and played Houston's music. We spoke to Dixon yesterday about the death of Whitney Houston and how the New York station was interacting with listeners and Houston fans being just a few miles away from where the pop icon grew up in New Jersey. Dixon says, "there will never be another Whitney."
Houston was found dead in a hotel room in Beverly Hills. She was in town for the Grammy awards. The Grammy awards are tonight in L.A. and will be seen on CBS. Houston was 48. Listen to KISS in New York HERE
What is your station doing to pay tribute to Houston. Post details below.
In Birmingham Alabama, Cox Responded Quickly
Cox's WBHK (Urban AC) was on the story immediately as well, as were other Cox stations in the market according to GM David Dubose. "98.7 Kiss broke in with news coverage immediately on air, on line, on Twitter and Facebook. We stopped normal programming and went all Whitney, opened the phone lines for instant requests and to let the audience grieve. Our news folks came in on Saturday night to cover the story with correspondents on the ground in LA. We immediately started giving away Cd’s of Whitney’s greatest hits."`
Dubose said even the Cox Gospel station was involved in the coverage. "WAGG we started featuring all of her Gospel cuts. And we are giving away CD’s from “ The Preacher’s Wife”. We carried the coroner’s news conference live yesterday and created special content on the websites. Plus, we have an hour long tribute today at 12 noon on 98.7 Kiss. Yesterday Kiss featured Whitney with Mini-Concerts , triple plays of her music and news coverage all day."
ABC and Cumulus Sending out Whitney Houston Special
It's called “Remembering Whitney Houston.” This one-hour special celebrates the life and talent of Houston through her music and is programmed for music formats. It will be available for in-market broadcast at 1pm local time today via ABC XDS and www.abcnewscall.com There is no network inventory associated with clearing this program, although affiliates must notify Dennis Green dennis.green@cumulus.com or Marcella Turk marcella.turk@cumulus.com in advance of their intent to clear this show and to receive channel information.
- Geno Jones of WCSC in Charleston will dedicate his entire drive time show today to Houston. Jones grew up in Chicago, which is where he first crossed paths with Whitney Houston at a 1985 listening party for her first album.
- The Lifetime cable channel will air one of her most popular films, The Bodyguard, co-starring Kevin Costner, on Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
- A Whitney Houston Tribute Channel popped up today at 3 p.m. ET on SiriusXM channel 48. It will run through 11:59 p.m. ET Monday
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(2/13/2012 11:56:59 AM) What a blessing she was to the entire music industry . There is only one Whitney .Across the nation she is being honored . Thank you Whitney for the love and music . |
| - Susie Waller |
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(2/12/2012 7:50:05 AM) In Birmingham, WUHT (Hot 1077) began playing Whitney Houston songs and taking phone calls as well right after the news broke and was still doing it late last night. Tasha Simone and John Long were hosting the coverage. |
| - Jeff A. |
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