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Elroy "R.C." Smith - Star Programmer of the Year
Say what you will, but through all the ups and downs and good and bad and ugly and beautiful in urban radio this year, Elroy
Smith continued to stay on top without batting an eye, at the same time developing as an entrepreneur with his own radio station
in his native Bermuda. Chicago may be the third largest radio market, but WGCI-FM (107.5) is undoubtedly the No. 1 urban station
in the country, period, and that goes to his credit. No super star staffers, just damn good programming in a market that has
a variety of options for radio and entertainment.
A key to his success I believe is the way he re-invents his No. 1 station... he started its own music/radio mini-convention
and even a "Chicago Idol" event. And this year he wisely co-chaired the NABFEME conference. Several times in interviews
I have done with programmers this year, such as maverick PD Scrap Jackson, his name came up as a programmer to aspire to...
The awards and the accolades are cool, but the most amazing thing about Elroy "R.C." Smith to me is where he
came from and where he is today. This is a person who as a young adult did not know how to read. After he got his first taste
of radio as a personality, he realized he wanted more, and thus began a journey filled with uncertainty and rejection but
fueled by dreams, desires and determination. The end result - after more than 10 years - he still helms the No. 1 station
in Chicago. Here is his story...
Smith was born and raised on the island of Bermuda, the youngest of six children born to Ismay and Littenfield Smith.
He wasn't excited about school as a child, and in fact, preferred doing just about anything over studying and behaving in
class. As a teenager, he began to develop a keen interest in music. He joined a singing group, the Universal Five, which soon
became the Universal Four when Smith was fired! He decided to look at other ways to get involved in the music business.
Smith's fascination with radio led him to ZFB in Bermuda, where he was told by the PD that he would never make it because
of his inability to read. Determined, Smith went to New York to attend Announcer's Training School, and when he returned home,
PD Sergio Dean offered him a part-time job at ZFB as an on-air personality.
Smith wanted to go to college, even though he didn't have a high school diploma. After getting a letter from a politician
and a minister in Bermuda, he was admitted to Graham Junior College in Boston. No one knew
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his secret, that he was a college student who could not read. So Smith took it upon himself to learn to read, and he did this
by reading the encyclepedia every night, teaching himself to read.
After finishing the two-year program at Graham, he enrolled at Emerson College seeking a bachelor's degree in mass communications.
At Emerson, he did an air shift on the college station, WERS, and then started an internship at WILD in Boston. Steve Crumbley,
who was the PD at the time, offered Smith a slot doing a Caribbean show on the weekends, which eventually led to a full-time
air shift.
In 1983, Crumbley left the station and Smith was offered the PD position, but there was a major problem now, as his school
visa had run out. Ken and Bernadine Nash, who owned and managed WILD at the time, didn't want to lose the blossoming Smith,
so they not only sponsored Smith, they even paid his legal fees, making it possible for him to stay in the United States.
In 1988, Summit Communications hired Smith to program its new station, 100.3 Jamz in Dallas. He ended up back in Boston.
Once again an opportunity in another city called, and this time it would be permanent. Smith replaced James Alexander at WGCI
in Chicago in 1992 and the station has consistently been a ratings leader in a number of demographics ever since. Smith, in
fact, made history in 1993 by carrying WGCI to the No. 1 slot in the metropolitan area for three consecutive ratings periods.
He has maintained WGCI as the No. 1 music station in Chicago for the last 13 years.
In November 2000, he also became PD of Urban AC station WVAZ-FM (V103) and has maintained it as one of the top adult stations
in Chicago.
In 2003, WVAZ-FM received the prestigious Marconi Award for Urban Station of the Year from the National Association of
Broadcasters (NAB). Smith has received numerous awards and accolades over the years, but he will readily tell you that one
of his proudest moments was at the 2005 Grammys, when Alicia Keys thanked him for making sure her award-winning song got played.
Smith is a member of the Chicago Church of Christ. He and his wife Vonda are the proud parents of one son, Colin Spencer
Smith.
Starpoynt salutes Elroy "R.C." Smith as Star Programmer of the Year!
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