Women in broadcasting ownership

[Alan Tolz]

Dolly Banks...the "D" in WWDB FM, Philadephia.  She, along with her brother 
Billy ("the B"), pioneered FM talk in the late 1970's after having run that 
station as a jazz station, along with WHAT AM in Philadelphia through the 
50's and 60's.

Two other interesting points surrounding her ownership...she was the VP/GM, 
her brother was not at the radio station daily.  Her Ops. Mgr was Sid Mark, 
he of the longest running radio show in Philadelphia history, "Friday with 
Frank" - a 4 hour Sinatra show, still on the air at WPHT 1210.

She was also the original "Mary Mason", on WHAT AM...a morning drive talk 
host with programming focused on the African-American community.  She turned 
over the reigns in the late '60s to Bea Elmore who became "Mary Mason" and 
had continued that show for 30+ years...

Alan Tolz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Larsen" <tlmedia@triad.rr.com>
To: "Doug Drown" <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>; 
<boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>; "Dan.Strassberg" 
<dan.strassberg@att.net>
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 7:39 AM
Subject: Re: Women in broadcasting ownership


>I hope I'm not going too far off-point, but the legendary Music Director of 
>WNEW, Gertie Katzman
> is worthy of mention. When I lived in the Big Apple the air staff would 
> often give her credit for
> finding a special record just for their show.
>
> I believe she also worked for WIP, Philly and later became a record 
> promoter.
>
> If any of you know more I love to know.
>
> Cheers,
> Ted
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Doug Drown" <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>
> To: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>; "Dan.Strassberg" 
> <dan.strassberg@att.net>
> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 11:28 PM
> Subject: Re: Women in broadcasting ownership
>
>
>> Indeed. And then there was Ruth Meyer, the legendary former PD of WMCA, 
>> WHN and WNEW in New York, who died early this year. Like the late Mac 
>> Richmond, Miss Meyer had an instinct for knowing what constituted great 
>> radio. -Doug
>>
>> On Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:51:52 -0400, "Dan.Strassberg"  wrote:
>> I don't remember her name, but (Kathy <something>), the CEO of Radio
>>> One, which owns a bunch of stations, is a woman--an African-American
>>> woman, at that. And in its heyday, wasn't the legendary WDIA Memphis
>>> owned by a woman? I also wonder how many names you might turn up if
>>> you were to Google "women owners of US radio stations past and
>>> present."
>>>
>>> I suppose that being the general manager of a hightly successful
>>> independent station in market #1 in the 1940s doesn't really count in
>>> the ownership category because I don't know how large her ownership
>>> stake (if any) was, but in the '40s, Bernice (Tudi) Judis was, I
>>> believe, PD, and eventually GM, of the legendary WNEW (AM) in New York
>>> City. She is credited with originating the music-and-news format, with
>>> which WNEW competed very effectively against the major-network O&Os of
>>> the day.
>>> I don't know whether Ms Judis's life story has ever been turned into a
>>> book, and if it hasn't, it may be too late to write such a book, since
>>> Ms Judis and nearly all of the many show-biz legends who often paid
>>> homage to her are also long gone, but if no such book was ever written
>>> and Donna wanted to write another potential best-seller, a biography
>>> of Ms Judis would seem to be an excellent candidate. If the book
>>> turned out well, I can even imagine it being turned into a movie
>>> staring, say, Meryl Streep;>)
>>>
>>> -----
>>> Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
>>> eFax 1-707-215-6367
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Drown" 
>>> <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>
>>> To: <boston-radio-interest@BostonRadio.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 5:52 PM
>>> Subject: Women in broadcasting ownership
>>>
>>>
>>> > Here's an interesting question for everyone on the Board: Who can
>>> > come up with names of women who have owned broadcasting stations?
>>> > This occurred to me this morning. I can think of two off the top of
>>> > my head: Katharine Graham, obviously, of Post-Newsweek; and Helen
>>> > Sloane Dudman and daughter Martha, who for years owned WDEA and WWMJ
>>> > in Ellsworth, Maine. Beyond them, I'm scratching my head trying to
>>> > think of others. -Doug
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>
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>