Here’s a story I wrote in December, 2004 about Ryan Cameron:

Hot 107.9 morning host Ryan Cameron recently gave his audience insight into his life philosophy via a 24-year-old anecdote.

At age 15, he started as the weed puller at Taco Town on Cobb Parkway but soon became “king of the drive-through, ” he said.

When his boss asked him later to pull weeds again, Cameron refused — and quit. “I thought I was disrespected, ” he said, “made to go backwards.”

To this day, the 39-year-old Atlanta native has always strived to go forward. And that focus has paid off at Hot 107.9, where he’s become king of morning radio among 18- to 34-year-olds, where his ratings are up 30 percent since 2002.

Despite being on an inferior radio signal, Cameron is now competitive with Frank Ski on longtime urban station V-103. Few people thought this was possible eight years ago when he launched his show.

“I’m able to laugh in the face of those even in our own building who said it couldn’t be done, ” Cameron said.

With an average of about 217,000 listeners weekly, he’s in a strong position to negotiate a boost to his $500,000 annual salary. His three-year contract expires Dec. 31. But he hasn’t been able to close a new deal with Hot 107.9.

As a negotiating tactic, the radio station even took away his access card to its studios last week before he left for vacation; he is scheduled to be back on the mike Jan. 3.

Whether Cameron opts to stay put, go to a competitor or leave town, he has already made his mark in Atlanta as the clown prince of hip-hop, the hometown ambassador for a lifestyle that now dominates pop culture.

He was one of the first jocks in town to play rap at V-103 in the early ’90s. He introduced TLC to Atlanta. In 1996, he took over the morning slot at Atlanta’s first rap station, Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9), where he nurtured interns such as rapper Ludacris and MTV VJ LaLa. He rubbed shoulders with OutKast and Lil Jon before they were household names.

But he’s not a man who wears massive gold chains or carries a rap sheet. “Ryan gets love from the street, ” said Griff, a local comic who used to work on rival Ski’s show. “He talks in universal ghetto language, but he’s not ghetto at all.”

Cameron‘s show, which runs weekdays 6 to 10 a.m., is an on-air party, packed with hip-hop news and banter with listeners.

He recently spent an hour with callers debating whether Lil Jon should have gone on stage as Usher accepted a Billboard music award for his album, “Confessions.” (Lil Jon was a key player on the song, “Yeah!”) He traded laughs with hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari. He grilled Kilo Ali about why the rapper burned his house down while high on cocaine.

And he’s fanatical about serving listeners’ needs, running the same features for years because they serve as benchmarks for his time-pressed fans. The “Chris Tucker Rap, ” for instance, airs every day at 7 a.m. no matter what.

Cameron‘s got clout, too. When hip-hop mogul Dallas Austin needed to fill the Georgia Dome for his film “Drumline” in 2001, he went on Cameron‘s show. The result: 60,000 people showed over two days.

On air, he’s a cheerful goof, mixing smart-street talk and laughs. His humor turns perfectly on timing, delivery and inflection.

But don’t be deceived. Cameron is a serious, driven man who carries the weight of being a role model.

“Every time I do something, every time I say something, ” he said, “I’m representing black fathers, black men.”

He regularly makes school appearances for Another Way Out, a mentoring program, and has his own charity foundation.

His BlackBerry and cellphone are constantly in action. (The ring tone when his agent calls: “The Hallelujah Chorus.”) One day after his show ends at 10 a.m., he gabs with a TV station about Bill Cosby, works out, inhales a roasted turkey sub from Subway, holds a pep talk for at-risk kids, then meets with Hawks management about his gig as public address man at Philips Arena.

By late afternoon, he gets home, kisses his wife, Kysha, and plops his 15-month-old son, Cayden, in his lap. His Mableton home is stylish but not extravagant, filled with abstract paintings, Victorian-style furniture and a basement packed with boy toys: a home theater, coin-op video arcade games and pinball machines.

He plays Ms. Pac-Man and gets a Coke for his 3-year-old daughter, Kai, from the bar. (He also has shared custody of a 6-year-old daughter, Ryan Megan, from a prior relationship.) His wife won’t let the fidgety Cameron answer his phone during dinner. But he is a sponge for news, watching plenty of Fox and local news for material.

Cameron is as demanding on his staff as he is on himself. He’s gone through three producers and is on his fourth round of co-hosts, both of whom he selected in an “American Idol” style competition in 2002. Neither C.J. Simpson nor Rashan Ali had any professional radio experience.

“I tell everybody that if I can do my job, they can do their job, ” he said. “Then we won’t have a problem. Certain people get it. Some don’t.”

Ludacris got a dose of Cameron‘s perfectionism as an intern in the late 1990s.

“I used to get yelled at all the time for little stuff, like I didn’t have a song in the right order, ” Ludacris said. “Something minor. But he was adamant about certain things. Mainly, when the team messes up, that’s him messing up. And he is determined not to mess up.”

Cameron‘s parents were teens who he said conceived him on their first date. His grandparents raised him in the Bankhead area until age 7, when his mom took him to a mostly white Cobb County neighborhood.

He was the first black student elected senior class president at Campbell High School but never graduated from State University of West Georgia, where he admitted partying too much. He got his first break auditioning for “Showtime at the Apollo” in Harlem. But the cocky, wannabe standup comic tried an untested joke, wiggling his butt to the audience. No Jim Carrey, he bombed.

“I still have the videotape, ” Cameron said. “I had time to recover, but I froze.” That horrifying experience of being swept off the Apollo stage didn’t lead to stardom.

Instead, he worked at Blockbuster Video, making $13,500 a year. Then at a comedy competition on Labor Day 1990, he met Mike Roberts, top-rated morning host at V-103. He asked Roberts, who now owns a station in Macon, about internships.

“Meet me Tuesday at 10 a.m., ” Roberts said. Cameron arrived three hours late. Too late, he figured, but he caught Roberts in the elevator. Roberts liked him enough to still give him the internship. “I almost blew a big opportunity there, ” Cameron said. “I learned. You can mess up once, but don’t do it again.”

The ambitious intern soon became a fill-in jock on weekends and overnights. To get used to talking on the radio, he taped a picture of his grandmother to the console as a sounding board.

A year later, Cameron auditioned for a full-time night jock slot for $23,000 a year.

“He was terrible, ” said Mary Catherine Sneed, a V-103 vice president at the time and now chief operating officer of Radio One, owner of Hot 107.9. But he was the best of those who auditioned and given the slot temporarily.

With the pressure off, Sneed said, he was amazing. Within a week, he got the job.

“I was ‘Ryan Cameron — locked inside your radio, ‘ ” he said. “I was getting 40 percent of the teens.” His song, “It’s Ya Burfday, ” became his calling card.

Four years later, in 1995, Sneed launched Hot, Atlanta’s first hip-hop station, hiring Cameron as morning man. Playing the underdog, Cameron worked every promotion he could from club openings to car dealerships. “We needed the advertisers. We overpromoted. We had to make it clear that they needed us, ” Cameron said.

But early on, he faced a personal hurdle. In 1997, a former co-worker sued Cameron and the station, accusing him of harassment. The two sides settled out of court. As part of the settlement, Cameron cannot comment.

Unscathed, Cameron pressed on, and his hard work paid off. He’s now beaten V-103’s Ski in three of the last five quarterly Arbitron ratings periods among 18- to 34-year-olds.

Cameron has become more family-focused since he married Kysha four years ago. He also maintains a firm friendship with his oldest daughter’s mom, Dionne Battle, a Snellville-based financial consultant, whom he was briefly engaged to in 1990 but never married.

“Things weren’t always as smooth, but everybody has adjusted, ” Battle said. “You come to one of Ryan‘s parties, and you can’t tell who is related to whom. Our goal is to be the best parents for our daughter.”

Cameron today doesn’t do clubs much anymore. He’s joined the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund board. He even plays golf — and loves it.

But on air, he has managed to keep the teens interested while drawing more 35 year olds into the mix.

“I love how he can do hip-hop but is very articulate, ” said Sherry Moore, a 35-year-old CPA and longtime fan.

Cameron keeps a tight circle of friends and family, a circle that has gotten smaller the past two years as two close buddies and three grandparents died. As a result, he has committed himself to a healthier lifestyle because of his family’s medical history.

Akini Jeffrey, a former producer, said one day a year ago really sticks in his mind: when the normally controlled Cameron found out he had beaten V-103 for the first time. “He really got emotional, kind of broke down, ” Jeffrey said.

Cameron said he was thinking of his late grandmother, the one whose picture he kept on the V-103 console 12 years earlier. “She always told me I could do it, ” he said. “I wish she had been there to experience it.”

— Staff writer Sonia Murray contributed to this article.

One of V-103 host Ryan Cameron’s most popular charity ideas for his foundation over the years has been his annual father-daughter dance. Ryan himself loves to celebrate the special bond he and other dads have with their daughters.

Starting six years ago with 400 people, he’s now grown it to 750 people at the Marriott Marquis this Sunday.

Cameron said he has added a second dance floor this year in the Marriott’s biggest ballroom. “We didn’t want people dancing over their dessert. We’re outgrowing places. It’s amazing. Even with this economy, to have sold out a month in advance just shows what’s going on.”

His two daughters Kai and Ryan Megan join him every year. (He also has a son Cayden) This year, they bought vintage dresses at a local dress shop. He has a matching tux and bowtie. “It’s going to be something out of Walt Disney World,” he said.

The age range of the daughters is anywhere from 4 to 40s, he said.

The theme song? “Dance With Your Father” by Luther Vandross. “A lot of guys have never danced with their daughters,” he said. “This should be sponsored by Kleenex watching grown men cry.”

Here’s the summary of what his foundation does off his Web site:

The Ryan Cameron Foundation (RCF) was established to provide Atlanta’s youth with the tools needed to empower them for their future leadership roles. The Foundation strives to provide young people with a forum, which includes: mentoring, tutoring, volunteering, celebrity appearances, life experiences, self-reflection, leadership instruction and personal coaching

Sandra Rose has some lovely photos of Ryan from last year’s dance.

As anticipated, Frank Ski announced Thursday morning that he is leaving R&B/hip-hop station V-103 after 14 years. As a result, an hour later, his on-air partner Wanda Smith said she is out as well.

Atlanta native and long-time afternoon host Ryan Cameron will take over mornings in January. Big Tigger, a former BET “106 & Park” host last heard on the radio in D.C., will take over afternoons.

“We will definitely miss waking up every morning and coming into this studio and doing what we do every day,  but we know God has other plans and other things He wants us to do,” Ski said on air. Later, he added, “I want to expand and grow.”

He said their final day will be Thursday, Dec. 20.

Ski also said he doesn’t plan to leave Atlanta (though his Dunwoody home is now for sale for $2.2 million). He promised he will be heard again on the radio but wasn’t specific. Most personalities have a six-month “non-compete” which will keep him off the air during that time period.

Rick Caffey, market manager for V-103 since 1994, said Ski wanted a syndication deal to expand his footprint beyond Atlanta but the two sides couldn’t come to agreement. “We want to stay local,” he said. At the same time, he gave kudos for Ski and Smith for their “outstanding service.”

Ski , 48, read a formal statement on air just past 7 a.m. today. He noted how he moved to the city with his wife Tanya from Baltimore in 1998. He said Atlanta has participated with him in his biggest personal moments, including the births of his three children. He mentioned his weekend DJ club gigs, becoming friends with some of Atlanta’s biggest politicians, including the late Maynard Jackson and the current mayor Kasim Reed.  He recalled how he was the last person to interview Coretta Scott King, how he met Pres. Barack Obama before he became president, how he got to interview convicted child killer Wayne Williams. He mentioned all the travel he did all around the world and forming his Frank Ski Kids Foundation. He referenced 9′/11, Hurricane Katrina and Jena 6. He also noted his new restaurant he opened last year.

“This is not a good-bye, Atlanta, but instead to be continued… very soon,” he said.

Ski’s show with partner Smith was No. 1 for virtually the entire time he’s been on air here over his entire run at V-103, typically drawing one million listeners a week.

In a poll on my blog speculating on the change yesterday, about 56 percent guessed correctly that Ski was leaving.

The No. 1 station in the market will replace him with afternoon host Cameron, a move many have been anticipating for years. The minute he returned to V-103 in 2004, the speculation began. Cameron, nicknamed the “Ryan King,” is insanely popular in this town. He gets a fare higher percentage of positive comments on this blog than Ski. Three years ago during Ski’s last negotiations, I had posted a poll asking folks what they thought of Cameron moving to mornings. A vast majority were supportive of that move, but V-103 chose to keep Ski at the time.

Cameron returned to V-103 as afternoon host more than eight years ago after a long stint as morning host on rival Hot 107.9 (originally Hot 97.5). He was paid morning host money to be the afternoon guy, a luxury V-103 could afford. He was able to live normal working hours compared to morning hosts as well.

But alas, the time has come and Cameron’s move will occur the first week of January. Cameron’s new show, Caffey said, will include Chris “Crash” Clark and a third person who has yet to be hired. (That’s fueling rumors that Elle Duncan, now a traffic reporter for 11 Alive, might come back.)

Bottom line: Ski couldn’t come to an agreement with CBS Radio for a new contract. I’m not sure if he was asking for too much or if CBS gave him such an insultingly low offer, he couldn’t stomach it and was willing to walk. He has been under a temporary contract the past couple of months as the two sides negotiated.

Cameron signed a new deal earlier this year.

Smith tearfully gave her goodbye during the 8 a.m. hour. She clearly didn’t want to leave but she was collateral damage in a sense. She recalled how she was performing at Club Echelon in 2007 before 1,000 people. Then V-103 Program Director Tony Brown saw her stand-up comedy and impressed, he brought her on the Mike & Carol Show in 1997. A year later, when V-103 dropped Mike Roberts and Carol Blackmon for Ski, they kept Smith. The show was originally called the Frank Ski Show but eventually, she earned the dual Frank and Wanda Morning Show moniker.

A Florida native, Smith said she has adopted Atlanta as her home. “It’s been fun. It’s been overwhelming… Atlanta has been good to me,” she said.

At 8:55 a.m., comic, game show host and talk show host Steve Harvey (who is heard on rvial station Majic 107.5/97.5 locally) called in and lamented Ski’s departure, saying CBS got it wrong.”You’re a classy guy,” he said. “People made a mistake… Thank you for all the years of service to Atlanta.”

Ski said he has no ill will toward his bosses. “We did everything we could” during negotiations, he said. “I just thought there was so much more I could do.”

Fellow syndicated morning rival Rickey Smiley (heard locally on Hot 107.9) called in at 9:09 a.m., thanking Ski and Smith for putting Smiley on the map when he was an up-and-coming stand-up comic. “I’m looking forward to having you make appearances on my sitcom,” Smiley said. “You put a lot of comics on the map. And your restaurant is the nicest in the country. You are my family. We’re all just friends. Congratulations and God bless you.”

Smith then joked, wondering if Michael Baisden (heard locally on rival Majic in the afternoons) will call in. Indeed, at 9:34 a.m., Baisden did. “What the hell is going on? My Twitter is blowing up, dude!” he said. “To me as a friend, you’ve always been very supportive of me. You were genuinely happy for me… You’ve given so much to the community.”

Mayor Reed called in at 9:18 a.m.: “This is a victory lap… Frank and Wanda will continue to be part of the city. They’ve been the voice of Atlanta.”

Here is Ski’s statement in full:

Dear Atlanta:
Fourteen years ago, V-103 General Manager Rick Caffey and I set out to create a morning show that was
informative, entertaining and inspirational — and year after year, you’ve blessed us with #1 ratings in
every age category.
I’m beyond blessed to get paid to do what I love most, to be on the radio with more than a million
listeners every week. I have enjoyed waking you up every morning, deejaying the hottest parties every
week and whether it be in the streets, the grocery store, your school, a football game or in places of
worship, I have truly enjoyed getting to know you and your family.
When I moved here in 1998, I was newly married and hadn’t even started my family. Major milestones
and defining moments have happened while on the airwaves of V-103. My children were born here in
Atlanta, and you shared in that joy — all three times. Tanya & I started the Frank Ski Kids Foundation a
decade ago, and because you supported our annual Kids Week, Youth Bowl and Wine Tastings, you made
it possible for us to expose hundreds of kids to their future, and ultimately, realize their dreams.
I’ve grown personally from interviewing those who have made Atlanta the great city it is, and I’ve
flourished from genuine relationships with people like Maynard Jackson, Andy Young, Bill Campbell,
Bernice King, Shirley Franklin and my good friend, Kasim Reed, whose individual legacies will live
forever.
Atlanta, you’ve allowed me to bring so many important triumphs and tragedies to life. To be blessed with
the last interview with Ms. Coretta Scott King, challenged by the jail interview with convicted murderer
Wayne Williams, and completely honored to interview the young Senator from Chicago, President Barack
Obama. The list goes on — from the iconic and unforgettable Whitney Houston to the incomparable living
legend, Mr. Stevie Wonder, you’ve witnessed and experienced countless defining moments with me.
You encouraged me when I flew to New York hours after 9-11, when I drove to Louisiana for the Jena 6
story and even when we pulled our entire city together to raise hundreds and thousands of dollars for
Hurricane Katrina victims. You’ve been there when I suffered a loss, and when the hard work allowed me
to try things I never could have dreamed for myself.
We’ve traveled around the world together… to Asia, Africa, South America and beyond, and have returned
home with deeper connections to each other and our communities. You celebrated with me in 2011 when
my dream to open a restaurant became a reality. I thank you for all of those shared times — the laughter,
the tears and the victories.
And with that, Atlanta, I have decided to end my tenure with V-103
My decision to leave my V-103 family has been one of the most important and most spiritual decisions of
my life. For years, I’ve delivered the Inspirational Vitamin and have told you to live by faith, not fear, and
to believe in the power of God’s plan for your life.
I’ve encouraged you to ‘Let Go and Let God’ — and now it’s time for me to do the same.
It’s time for me to walk in faith — but chase my passions and spiritual purpose to expand my brand &
grow. It’s time for me to explore other opportunities that will allow me to serve more people on a greater
level.
Thank you to General Manager, Rick Caffey, for believing in my talent, and allowing me to be the leader
of a radio station that truly believes in service & community. Thank you to my cohost, Wanda Smith, for
trusting in my abilities to lead the Morning Show on a successful 14 year journey. Thank you to the entire
V-103 family — on-air and behind the scenes — your efforts, enthusiasm, hard work & support will always
be appreciated.
And thank you to YOU, Atlanta, for allowing me to be a part of your family, and unselfishly being a part
of mine. As the story continues, you will hear me again on radio & I will not leave the city I call home.
As one beautiful chapter ends and another begins, I will take the memories we’ve created and never forget
how the story began. I look forward to sharing the next chapter with you, and creating even more
unforgettable memories.
This is not a good-bye, Atlanta, but instead — to be continued… very soon.

Twice this morning, Ski played an inspirational talk by Pastor Craig Oliver called “Breaking the Holding Pattern.” You can watch it here.

Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter. Oh, and Google +, too!

I hear from two sources that Wanda Smith is going to return to V-103 and will make the announcement Monday morning.

[The original announcement was supposed to be made Friday but Smith posted on her Facebook page that it was pushed back to 7 a.m. Monday]

UPDATE: Monday, January 13, 2014, 10:18 a.m.: Smith indeed made her announcement at 7:08 a.m. “I am rejuvenated,” she said. She said she enjoyed the year off and was able to spend more time with her family, who joined her in the studio. She said she was grateful to come back and plans to do it even better with Ryan. She saved money and was not in any financial straits taking the time off. A highlight: Mayor Kasim Reed called in to wish her luck. With Cameron joining the Hawks to London for their game their later this week, Smith arrived just in time to do the show without him for a few days starting tomorrow.

She was with V-103 for more than 15 years, virtually the entire time as Frank Ski’s co host until he and CBS Radio split ways at the end of 2012. They were the top-performing morning show for pretty much the entire time they were on air as a team.

Smith, I’m told, will return to mornings, this time paired with Ryan Cameron, Ski’s replacement. Cameron, with ratings going down the second half of 2013, was forced to dump Kendra G and Christopher “Crash” Clark. V-103 kept Mo Ryan.

Smith’s a stand-up comic who hosts shows at Uptown Comedy Corner. She has worked with Cameron when Cameron subbed in for Ski.

After she was let go a year ago, she didn’t proffer any bitterness to me.

“This has become a beautiful beautiful long run for me,” she said. “I’m happy. I’m not mad. I feel great. My heart feels good.”

Smith and Ski balanced each other with Ski leading the show and Smith injecting bits of humor. Cameron is also a comedian so it will be interesting to see how the two play off each other over the long haul.

In the latest Nielsen ratings book, Cameron’s show rebounded, hitting a 10.2 share among 25 to 54 year olds, best since May. The 18-to-34-year-old demo bounced from a low of a 5.5 share in late October to 7.3 in the book that mostly covered November, finishing third. That younger demo is where V-103 used to be dominant until the summer.

Mo Ivory is off the air on V-103. CREDIT: publicity photo

Eight months ago, V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron added two new elements to his show, presumably on a permanent basis: Kendra G and Mo Ivory.

Kendra G, along with original host Crash Clark, were axed in December. (Crash is now a traffic reporter on 11 Alive.) The latest shoe to drop: Mo Ivory is out, too.

She was not on Monday’s show. And a link to her page has been scrubbed off the V-103 website. (Her old WAOK page remains alive with the last entry March 14, 2013. Her personal V-103 page’s last entry was March 6, 2014.)

On Sunday, Ivory posted this on her Instagram with a happy picture of herself:

I feel happy, peaceful and grateful today for all the pieces of my life and this I know for sure! #needtogivethanks #ItsAboutToGetReal #moknows

Based on feedback on this blog, a lot of V-103 listeners found Ivory to be too serious and analytical and ultimately a drag on the show. Her fans appreciated her in-depth reasoning and opinions. But ratings on the show slipped off sharply after Kendra and Mo joined mid-year, leading to the return of Wanda Smith in January.

Ivory, a former attorney with a colorful history, left a talk-show spot on WAOK for the chance to do morning radio with Cameron. (I interviewed her back in June.)

She also shows up regularly on HLN and CNN.

UPDATE 3/11: Ivory’s attorney Donald Woodard said he is talking to CBS today to find out her future there. It’s possible she could return to WAOK.

Ryan Cameron hosts V-103’s morning show. CREDIT: V-103

The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame has released the 17 nominees for this year’s career achievement awards, with plenty of familiar names to long-time Atlanta radio listeners.

The 600 members of the group can vote starting on July 1. (Membership is a one-time $25 fee and open to anybody, even folks who are just fans of radio.)

Ryan Cameron is by far the biggest name on the list. He still at the top of his game, hosting the top-rated morning show on V-103. The Atlanta native has been active on radio here for more than two decades, starting his career at V-103, moving to become the first morning host at the new Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9), then returning to V-103 in 2004.

Condace Pressley is assistant program director at News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and has been at the station for 28 years.

Steve Mitchell, a former 96rock and Y106/Eagle 106.7 jock and Mark McCain, who was part of the 96rock morning show with Mitchell from 1985 to 1987. Mitchell’s Atlanta career started in 1974 at 96rock as programming director. His last radio gig was at Eagle 106.7 until 2008.

Dave Cohen is currently the longest serving Division One radio play-by-play voice in Georgia. In 2014-15 he will enter his 32^nd season as the voice of Georgia State basketball, football and baseball. He started in radio at WRAS-FM and for thirteen years worked as a sports reporter and announcer at WGST-AM, WCNN-AM, WGUN-AM, and WSB-AM before joining Georgia State full-time.

Willard Arbour started his radio career at WRAS but spent a bulk of his 37-year radio career at 96rock. He ended his run at Dave FM (in sales) in 2008.

Craig Ashwood was a regular on 94Q in the 1980s and was the voice of Outback Steakhouse for 19 years.  He left radio a few years back.

Sandy Weaver came to Atlanta in 1994 and over the years was on air on WSB, Peach, Kicks and Eagle until 2008. She’s now operations manager and music director for the Moby Radio Network.

John Wetherbee was a long-time weather guy with Fox 97 during its heyday. He now does weather for 67 TV and radio  stations nationwide.

Scott Woodside was a morning host for a time at Z93 and a newsman at Quixie (WQXI-AM/790).  He left radio in 2007.

The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame holds its induction dinner October 25, 2014 at the Marietta Hilton. Tickets will go on sale soon at www.grhof.com.  Randy and Spiff, formerly of Fox 97, will do most of the emceeing.  And the radio station that will have a reunion will be Y106/Y104.

John Long, the organization’s founder with Sam Hale and a former WQXI radio man, now lives in St. Mary’s and is opening a Georgia radio history museum at the St. Mary’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. The museum features a replica of a 1940s era living room where the radio was king and a 1950s radio control room, plus plaques and info about the more than 100 inductees to date. The museum officially opens Saturday, May 24. He expects about 100 charter members to be there.

“It’s grown beyond my and Sam Hale’s wildest dreams,” Long said.

What part of the Radio Hall of Fame museum looks like. CREDIT: John Long

I spent an afternoon at V-103’s “For Sisters Only” event at the Georgia World Congress Center Saturday. I didn’t stick around for Keyshia Cole, Tamar Braxton and LL Cool J but I heard they were great.

The event included vendors, celebrities, a health area, a spoken word stage, a children’s play area and a chess master. I also came to talk to Michael Baisden, who left his radio show last year under murky circumstances, but he didn’t arrive when his business manager promised and I had to leave before his “Battle of the Sexes” segment at 6 p.m.

So here are some photos I snapped while there:

The film company promoting “Annie,” a film starring Jamie Foxx was on the floor. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Bev Smith, evening host on WAOK-AM, was part of a discussion panel on domestic violence. Unfortunately, it was sparsely attended. Attendees were more interested in McDonald’s giveaways and whatever music was playing on the opposite stage. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Bubby Love and Ramona DeBreaux talk to J Moss on the “For Sister’s Only” floor. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

G. Garvin, the Cooking Channel celebrity chef, right before his appearance on stage. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

The CW was there promoting its shows, including “The Queen Latifah Show.” Jacqueline Polk of Riverdale is a big fan.

Ken Hicks and Tracsa Mansion are ballroom dance experts showing off their stuff on the exhibit hall floor (though not dressed in sequins and such.). CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Big Tigger’s girlfriend and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam was on stage to promote her charity Kamp Kizzy (www.kampkizzy.org). CREDIT: Rodney Ho/@rho@ajc.com

Keshia Knight Pulliam poses for a picture at her Kamp Kizzy booth at “For Sisters Only. ” CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

“Good Day Atlanta’ morning host Buck Langford had a lot of fans at the Fox 5 booth Saturday. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Big crowd for Lyfe Jennings at the V-103 main stage. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Deirdre Dukes, Fox 5 weekend news anchor, worked the Fox 5 booth at “For Sisters Only.” CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Lisa Rayam, who has been with Fox 5 since 1994, anchors the noon and 6 p.m. news for the station. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Maria Boynton recently joined V-103’s Ryan Cameron with Wanda Smith morning show as the new person. She was previously at NewsRadio 106.7. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

McDonald’s was giving away freebies and had a steady long line as as result. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

I couldn’t track down former radio host Michael Baisden but he did have a booth where would-be actresses were trying out for his film “Men Cry in the Dark II.” CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Don’t mess with Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson. He knows his chess! CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Randy Travis, who has been with the I-Team for 20 years on WAGA-TV, enjoys a laugh with a fan.

The current V-103 morning team of Ryan Cameron and Wanda Smith on stage before Lyfe Jennings. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Tameka Raymon had a booth to promote her non-profit in memory of her son Kyle. She was recently on VH1’s “Atlanta Exes.” Fan Shandha Read from Snellville joins her for a photo. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Big Tigger of V-103 with fans from Dallas Taneshae Critten and Courtney Tullis (right) CREDIT: Rodney Ho

Wanda Smith has been with the new morning show for nine months and except for a one-year break, has been a steady V-103 presence going back to the 1990s. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Current V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron, a new inductee into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame, with former V-103 morning host Mike Roberts, who was inducted in 2013. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Several years ago, V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron was nominated for the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. He didn’t get in.

But this past weekend, in his second try, the hometown favorite was inducted with seven others.

“Tonight, unbelievable,” said Cameron, who has been on Atlanta radio for more than 23 years with V-103 and the original Hot 97.5, after the induction ceremony at the Hilton in Marietta Saturday. “Everybody who was monumental to my radio career was in the room, which made it that much sweeter.”

Cameron was thrilled to have former V-103 morning host Mike Roberts (Georgia Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 2013) in the room with him. Also inducted was Rick Mack, current GM at Star 94 who was the GM at V-103 when Cameron started his career in the early 1990s.

Roberts, he noted on stage, was still morning host at V-103 when Cameron,  then an employee at Blockbuster Video, asked to meet with him. When Cameron showed up four hours late, Roberts told him a tidbit of advice he treasures to this day: “Everyone gets one free pass.” Roberts gave a young Cameron a shot as an intern and the rest is history.  And believe me: Cameron doesn’t show up late to anything!

Mary Catherine Sneed, who ran V-103 before starting the first hip-hop station in Atlanta in 1995 at Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9), was at the dinner as well. She hired Cameron as the first morning host at Hot in 1996.

Sneed remembers telling Cameron when he was first nominated seven years ago that he was too young. “You don’t want to get in too early,” she told him. “You’ll be old before your time.” She said it was a blessing he didn’t get in then but felt now was the right time.

After working as an intern, then a night guy at V-103, Cameron joined the brand new Hot 97.5 as morning host. He turned that station into a worthy competitor to V-103 before V-103 stole him back for afternoons in 2005. He thrived there as well. Last year, he took over for Frank Ski to become the current morning host at V. While he has faced some ratings challenges and staff turnover, he is now the dominant face of the station, a funny, well-respected entertainer who loves radio with his heart and soul.

Organizers did make Cameron sweat: he was the final person named. President John Long said that was purely by chance. (The Hall of Fame nominating committee named 16 career achievement nominees but only eight made it in. They also named 10 “legacy inductees” who have passed away.)

“I was just glad he got in,” Sneed said. “We were going to flip the table over if he didn’t. He was so nervous!” When Cameron jumped on the stage and thanked his mentors and family, he was legitimately happy, she said. “It was a big deal for him,” she said.

Cameron even thanked me of all people for covering him all these years “whether I wanted you to or not,” he said, semi-facetiously. Then, ever the jokester, he grabbed my hat and wore it for a second. I should have snapped a photo but was so taken aback, I just laughed and let the moment happen.

Read my 2004 profile of Ryan here right before he left Hot for V-103.

Three of the Class of 2014 Georgia Radio Hall of Fame: Ryan Cameron, Scott Woodside (Z93) and Rick Mack (currently boss at Star 94 but previously at Fox 97, Kicks 101.5/Eagle 106.7 and V-103).

Other on-air radio hosts who were inducted Saturday with direct Atlanta radio ties:

- Craig Ashwood. Best known as the radio voice of Outback Steakhouse ads for two decades, he was also an announcer at 94Q from 1980 to 1990 and Fox 97.1 from 1998 to 2000. He was also director of site services for Cox Radio Interactive from 2000 to 2009 before retiring. He was unable to make the event but wrote on Facebook: ” I appreciate the people who listened over the years when I was fortunate enough to be behind the microphone. Those were fun days!”

- Willard Arbour.  He was a host on 96rock for 21 years, then six more at Z93 until 2004 when the station became Dave FM. (He did sales for awhile there, then moved up to the North Georgia mountains.)

The other four inductees: (l-r) WIllard Arbour, Mitch Gray, Al Haynes and John Wetherbee. (Craig Ashwood couldn’t make it). CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

- Scott Woodside. He spent 25 years in radio, including several at WQXI-AM when it was a top 40 station and rock station Z93 as a morning host. He left radio in 1997. He is now a sales manager at a funeral chain.

- “Big” John Wetherbee. He is a meteorologist who now does syndicated weather reports all over the country. He was best known when he was on Fox 97 in its heyday with Randy & Spiff.

Randy Cook (middle) and Spiff Carner (left) worked at five different radio stations in town and hosted the career achievement portion of the ceremony again. They made numerous jokes about being fired and their connection to various inductees, including their former boss Rick Mack. (right)

You can read more about the nominees here. 

The legacy winners list is here.

The 2014 Founders and Directors Honoree Brad Burkhart is considered the architect of the current Christian AC format you hear on Fish 104.7. He rambled so long on the stand that the producer began to play music to shut him down, Oscar style. He just kept right on going for several more minutes. “Thanks to you Brad,” cracked co-host Spiff Carner, “you’re all going to miss the opening kickoff to the Falcons game!”

Also, there was a Y106/Y104 reunion. That was an upstart country station that took on Kicks 101.5 in the late 1980s and early 1990s until Cap Cities, owner of Kicks, purchased Y106 in 1993 and the competition was neutered. Rhubarb Jones was the morning host at the time. You have to love the ridiculously fun commercials they used to run back in the day!

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List of Atlanta radio stations

April 23, 2010, by Rodney Ho

11 Alive’s 32nd annual Can-a-Thon for the Salvation Army collected more than 229,000 cans this year, the most in its history.

I stopped by Turner Field Friday morning in misty overcast weather and took some snapshots of the 11 Alive crew, the volunteers and V-103, which helps out every year as well to get the word out.

Karyn Greer with her Christmas sweater during the Can-a-Thon for the Salvation Army. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Moving cans at Turner Field. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

The morning team of Ryan Cameron, Wanda Smith and Jim Basile. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Ryan Cameron poses with a group of student volunteers. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Vinnie Politan with one of the Salvation Army staff. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Vinnie Politan of “Atlanta Live” helping out boxing canned goods. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Wanda Smith, always smiling. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Wanda Smith goofing with Karyn Greer on air.

Nobody beats the Wiz-o-meter! CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Ray Holmes, volunteering for the first time, moves cans into categories. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Crash Clark with the “original Bird Lady” Keisha Burns. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Crash Clark with recently married Ramona DeBreaux. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Crash Clark crashes his buddy Ryan Cameron’s morning show. Clark lost his gig at V-103 on Dec. 16, 2014 but has since become an 11 Alive traffic reporter. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO, originally filed Sept. 13, 2010

At 5:32 a.m. this morning, Chris “Crash” Clark did his first traffic report in Atlanta in  nearly five years. But instead of 99X, he’s now on rock station Dave FM and sister stations V-103 and news/talk station WAOK-AM.

The Dave morning show now consists of three former 99X jocks: Jimmy Baron, Yvonne Monet and now Crash. At 5:53 a.m., the trio did a mock greeting as if they didn’t know each other. “Who’s getting me my coffee?” Yvonne joked. “If I have to…” Crash responded.

[poll ID=”287″]

Crash was fired from 99X in late 2005 after allowing a couple get a bit too close in a bathroom to get 311 tickets at a local bar. Soon after, Crash landed a job with two other former 99Xers Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb at a rock station WBCN-FM in Boston.  The team eventually moved to an FM sports station. But while Rich and Fred have survived on the new format, Crash was let go in March.

Crash at the time said it was a financial decision, and the departure was amicable.

He moved back to Atlanta in May and had been collecting unemployment checks and playing golf, based on his correspondence with me.

Ramona Debreaux, the traffic gal at V-103, will continue to do weekends and fill-in work. I presume she’s still in the running for the open mid-day slot. Dave FM’s traffic guy Bob Carter was not an employee of Dave FM per se. He was part of a company called Metro Traffic which CBS had hired to do traffic. He was reassigned to other stations, though not necessarily in Atlanta. Crash is in-house at CBS Radio, which owns Dave, V-103 and WAOK.

“Bob [Carter] is a class act,” Baron said in  an interview today.

In May, Crash visited Jimmy and Yvonne on air soon after he moved back. It was a bit awkward for Carter, who actually wondered on the air whether his traffic job was on the line.

“I am not a home wrecker, I assure you,” Crash told Carter at the time on the air.

Crash was an important player on the Morning X during its heyday in the 1990s well into the 2000s. He had that “got drunk, partied too hard” persona and got into many dust ups with management over his behavior. But he was always that likable dude fans enjoyed hanging out with when he was doing promotional events.

Crash didn’t respond over the weekend to an email inquiry. Program director Scott Jameson hasn’t returned a call and text for comment.

It may seem odd that Crash would be on a hip-hop station. But he was “Crash D” on what was then Hot 97.5 back in the mid-1990s.

During the first extended talk break at 6:03 a.m. (extended on Dave being two minutes or so), Clark actively participated with Jimmy and Yvonne wondering what Oprah Winfrey is going to do today to top her car giveaway a few years ago now that she’s back for her final season.

Mark Arum, traffic guy at AM 750 and now 95.5FM News/Talk WSB, sent Crash a teasing Facebook note this morning: “I have missed you stealing my traffic info. Welcome back!”

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By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com filed January 23, 2011

Rashan Ali has rejoined Ryan Cameron, this time at V-103.

Cameron, now an afternoon host, gave Ali her big break on radio in 2002 on his morning show on rival Hot 107.9. He left for V-103 in early 2005, but Ali stayed behind, leading her own morning show until Hot dumped that show in 2008 for Rickey Smiley. She left Hot last May.

In the meantime, she has since had her second baby and awaited her next big career move. “It’s been a journey going from billboards to walking to the unemployment line pregnant,” she said on the air today. “Just to be able to come back is a true blessing.”

In an interview Saturday morning, Ali said the deal had been in the works for a long time but declined to detail why it took as long as it did. She signed the deal on April 12 and kept it under wraps until Friday.

[poll ID=224]

“It was the most obvious place for me to go” after Hot, she said. “It fit so perfectly.” She said V-103 Program Director Reggie Rouse has been after her for awhile, even while she was still at Hot: “To be able to learn under his tutelage is wonderful.”

She did enjoy her break from work to raise her child but was ready to get back to work this year.

Growing up in the 1990s, she listened to Mike & Carol in the morning and Ryan in the evenings. “To be there now is a dream come true,” she said. She said it was a little strange to say “V-103, the people’s station” instead of the various Hot 107.9 slogans. “I had note cards in front me,” she said, to avoid slip ups.

She also signed a deal to do be a “Game Day” reporter for NBA-TV. “I got two jobs in one day!” she said.

Radio revenues are starting to stabilize and even go up at some stations. It appears V-103 is opening up its wallet for Ali, perhaps using money freed from cutting Joyce Littel in January. V-103 remains the top-ranked station in Atlanta by a wide margin.

Ryan has been without a full-time female sidekick since Elle Duncan last year took over the mid-day slot from Porsche Foxx, who was let go late in 2008.

“While everybody is cutting back on personality and talk in today’s PPM world [that’s the new meter system], V-103 has stuck by its guns,” said former V-103 morning host Mike Roberts. “It’s a personality-driven radio station. If you’re going to do it, you need strong personalities. It’s a good move for V-103.”

I first posted a rumor of her talks with V-103 back in early February. I figured it was a solid rumor because the players involved didn’t even call me back to tell me they couldn’t talk to me. And after I posted the rumor, I heard absolutely nothing. If it were false, someone would have told me. The boss at V-103, Rick Caffey, is not a fan of personnel leaks. He likely told the parties involved that the deal would be off if they even talked to me.

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041915 ATLANTA: Hawks public announcer Ryan Cameron greets Dominique Wilkins before tip off in the first round home playoff game against the Nets on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, April 20, 2015

Ryan Cameron is known in Atlanta as the “Ryan King,” the hometown radio host for nearly a quarter century.

But for the past decade, he has had a second life in Philips Arena more than 40 days a year as the public address announcer for Atlanta Hawks games.

On the surface, this low-paying gig seems beneath Cameron. Why sacrifice a full night’s sleep and precious “off” time to introduce NBA players and announce scores? It’s simple, really. He love basketball and he loves the Hawks. And he gets to express his love to 15,000 screaming fans in what he considers the best seat in Philips Arena.

Cameron recently signed a long-term renewal contract with the Hawks so his voice will be the one you’ll hear for years to come when you go to a home game – including game 2 Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

I profiled the magic that is his PA work in a story for myajc.com and the print edition you can read here if you’re a subscriber.

Here are some quotes that didn’t make the story.

“He’s articulate. He’s funny. And he does a great job really illustrating the types of players we have. He’s the best!” – Dominique Wilkins, arguably the most famous Hawk in history who was recently given his own statue outside Philipa Arena.

“The PA job is the Ryan Cameron position. I think he changed things in the league. Outside of Detroit, everyone used to be stoic.” – Peter Sorckoff, chief creative officer and senior vice president for marketing.

“He has a knack for starting trends. He should copyright everything he says.” – Randy Kessler, attorney and regular season ticket holder since 1999.

Randy Kessler, left, hanging out on the front row with Ryan Cameron. Photo credit Scott Cunningham

“He has a knack for getting the crowd behind the team at the right time.” – Steve Holman, the long-time voice of the Hawks

“I went to the theater one time and one of the actors imitated his ‘Threeeee!!!’ What? Really? Wow! His sayings have become part of the pop culture here.” – Mike King, in-game host and a marketing specialist who has worked at Whole World Theater as an improv actor and now runs the Village Theatre.

“He’s really funny on the mic. I think the fans enjoy it. One of the better ones in the NBA. When he calls an offensive foul and says ‘That foul is offensive!’ people gets a charge out of it. When the other team makes a good play, he downplays it a little bit. He does a great job.” – Jeff Teague, Hawks point guard

“Ryan brings so much excitement to the crowd. He gets us all motivated.” – Hawks power forward Elton Brand

“He has a pulpit as part of one of the top radio stations in the market. He’s a marketing asset with us. He’s a partner with us. He’s really the orchestra leader for the momentum and the fun here. I can’t say enough good things about him.” – Steve Koonin, CEO of the Hawks, who meets with Cameron regularly to pick up marketing ideas

041915 ATLANTA: Hawks public announcer Ryan Cameron gets a hug from former Hawks player Joe Johnson during pregame warmups for the first round home playoff game against the Nets on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in Atlanta. He was booed lustily throughout Sunday’s game whenever he touched the ball but Ryan keeps good relations with ex-Hawks, regardless of what the fans think. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Atlanta magazine’s 55 most powerful Atlantans features two radio hosts: Erick Erickson of 95.5 FM and AM 750 WSB at No. 27 and V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron at No. 45.

Erickson, who airs weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m., is on one of the multiple magazine covers Atlanta magazine is using on newsstands. Other covers feature Spanx founder Sarah Blakely and Mayor Kasim Reed. Inside, Erickson was given a full Q&A treatment titled “The Uncompromising Conservatism of Erick Erickson.”  You can read it here.

“Very surreal,” Erickson said. “I didn’t know they wanted me on the cover or I would have shaved. It’s kind of awkward walking into Publix now.”

Cameron is the No. 1 host of the No. 1 radio station in town V-103. That in and of itself represents power. But more importantly, the Atlanta native has been a fixture in town for more than 20 years, on both V-103 and Hot. He has the power to get many of the folks on the top 50 like Reed on the phone and influence 600,000 plus locals who check in any given week.

In a quick text, Cameron himself was modest when asked about it: “I was surprised there are some real power brokers on there but I’m glad they consider me worthy of being on the list.”

Disclaimer: WSB and the AJC are both part of the same Cox Media Group.

***

Kevin Avery of 104.7/The Fish, part of the longest-running commercial music morning show in town, has always been a fitness buff. And he is also a charitable guy.

So he is combining his love of cycling with his love of giving back by cycling 100 miles at the Atlanta Motor Speedway to raise at least $20,000 for international relief and development organization Food For The Poor’s “Food for a Year & Water for Life” campaign.

The money will go to feed destitute families in Guatemala and Haiti.

The ride is set for October 21.

Click www.FoodForThePoor.org/haiti100 to learn more about the upcoming radio campaign and contribute to the cause.

***

Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta featured several TV and radio references.

The critics chose Violet Chachki, winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as best reality TV representation in Atlanta and Adult Swim as best TV production house playing by its own rules. Among readers, the best TV series made in Atlanta? “The Walking Dead” of course.

Among critics, WABE-FM was marked for “Best Radio Resurgence.”

Fox 5’s Mike Daly was picked as best cameraman, a rare nod to someone behind the scenes.

And here are the readers’ picks:

Best country station: 94.9/The Bull

Best internet radio: 88.5/WRAS-FM

Best local podcast: Switchyards: The podcast

Best local sports talk show: Dukes & Bell, 92.9/The Game

Best local TV anchor: Jovita Moore, Channel 2 Action News

Best local weatherperson: Chesley McNeil, 11 Alive

Best morning radio show: The Bert Show, Q100

Best radio personality: Bert Weiss

Best non-commercial radio station, best talk radio station and best radio station: 90.1/WABE-FM

Best person you hate to love: NeNe Leakes

Best rock station: Radio 105.7

Best urban radio station: V-103

***

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzTuBuRdAyA&w=560&h=315]
The top 10 most played songs this past week on Atlanta radio:

1. “The Hills” The Weeknd
2. “Photograph” Ed Sheeran
3. “Wildest Dreams” Taylor Swift
4. “Can’t Feel My Face” The Weeknd
5.  “Lean On” Major Lazer
6. “Hotline Bling” Drake
7. “Locked Away” Our City
8. “Renegades” X Ambassadors
9. “Shut Up and Dance’ Walk the Moon
10. “679” Fetty Wap

CREDIT: Mediabase 24/7

List of Atlanta AM/FM radio stations

Ryan Cameron sits down with the prez. CREDIT: White House

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally Friday, November 6, 2015

V-103 morning host Ryan Cameron interviewed Pres. Obama Thursday at the White House.

The interview will air on V-103 at 7:30 a.m. Monday.

Cameron Friday morning said Mayor Kasim Reed‘s office reached out to him Tuesday, saying Obama wanted to meet with him and four other radio hosts Thursday to talk about health care. Cameron paid for a flight up to D.C. on Wednesday. He was told about 400,000 people eligible for the Affordable Care Act have not signed up in metro Atlanta and Obama wanted a big platform to convey that message. He also wanted to talk about justice reform.

Each host was given five minutes of one-on-one time with the president at the White House on Thursday. Cameron chose to finish last in hopes of getting a little more time and he succeeded, pulling in eight minutes.

Cameron said Obama recognized him from two previous brief encounters in Atlanta, telling him, “You always dress so sharp.”

The hometown morning host said compared to the meet-and-greet set ups before, he said seeing Obama at his home was different. “He was so relaxed,” he said.

One thing did freak him out: he had all these questions to ask and Obama seemed to anticipate some of them before he even asked them. Referencing “Scandal,” he said, it was like “some B613 stuff going on.”

Cameron wore his good-luck pin given to him by his favorite basketball player of all time, Dr. Julius Erving. After he and Erving became friends, the basketball legend gave Cameron a sweep pin he had received from his 1983 sweep of the Lakers while he played for the 76ers. Cameron treasures it.

After Obama noted his sharp-dressed ways, Cameron mentioned the pin and told him the story. Obama mentioned to him how much he loved that team. “It was just wow,” Cameron said. “He was trying to explain to his staff but he was like, ‘You guys don’t remember. You’re way too young!’ ”

Obama has reached out over the years to black radio talk show hosts when he needs to get specific messages out to that audience, including Steve Harvey, Rickey Smiley and Cameron’s predecessor Frank Ski.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed January 2, 2013

Ryan Cameron may come across as jokey and fun on air, but he takes his job ultra seriously.

And he seriously wants to grow V-103’s already huge morning audience.

He opened his first official morning show on V103 on a low-key note. No inordinate bravado, no fan-fare or big celebrity buddies calling in (though his son Cayden did.) His most prominent in-studio guest was Atlanta’s own R&B singer Ciara, who joked with his team during the 9 a.m. hour.

“The show is about the city,” Cameron said after his first show had ended Wednesday as he relaxed in his communal office, still dressed sharply in a blue pin-striped suit and bow tie. “The intro we did with Future, he’s naming pretty much every major area of metro Atlanta. We will not be celebrity focused.”

Even with Ciara in studio, he purposely did not ask her about her latest projects. Rather, they talked about a party she performed at New Year’s for an unnamed, incredibly rich person in Azerbaijan and 600 of his closest friends.

“My goal is for the city to understand that we want to be as local as possible,” Cameron said. “We’re going to cover all the things [my syndicated rivals] can’t.”

When he came to V-103 in 2005 after nine years as the original morning host at Hot 107.9, his boss Rick Caffey gave him free rein to create a morning show in the afternoons. But he understands listeners have different expectations in the mornings. There are more advertisements. He has to include more news since people are waking up wanting to know what they’ve missed.

Despite his lighthearted on-air persona, he said he is well aware of the target demographics of his audience (25 to 54) and the fact he’s 47 himself and a father of three.

Clark, who is 46, said he was bemused that new afternoon host Big Tigger (who is a relative youth at age 40) had spent the night before at Reign partying with T.I., Ne-Yo and Young Jeezy. When he visited Cameron’s show this morning, Clark made fun of Tigger looking hung over.

“We would never had made that party,” said Cameron, who went to sleep at the same time as his kids: 9:30 p.m. the night before. But he was a bit anxious, waking up at 2:30 a.m.. By the time he arrived at the office, he was already prepared for what will be a daily 5:15 a.m. morning meeting to plan the show.

While polls on this blog have shown that Cameron is incredibly popular, he acknowledges the biggest complaint about him: that he’s too “silly.”

“I remember being called silly in eighth grade,” he said. “If it didn’t work in East Cobb Middle School, it ain’t going to work here.”

“My goal on the radio is not to get you sad and depressed when you get to work,” he added. “I want to be the dad my dad was for me. My kids enjoy me. I want to do a radio show that some people say is not the radio show they’re used to.”

“It’s about being young at heart,” Clark added.

And though Clark himself has had a rocky past when he was at 99X, he said he’s matured. “I have never worried about what he’s going to say,” Cameron said. “He can walk the line without having to walk down the hall.”

Cameron noted that he’s done very serious radio when the time calls for it, such as after traumatic news events such as the Rodney King beatings, 9/11 and more recently, the Newtown shootings. “My bosses at CBS corporate gave me the biggest compliment,” he said. “They said, ‘You’re a broadcaster, not just an on-air personality who can’t adapt to different situations.’ I take pride that I can talk about anything.”

His staff is still evolving. The only hold-over from the Frank and Wanda show is V103 news director Jean Ross, who compiles and read the news. Cameron added a writer, comic Ronnie Jordan, and will keep his new man-on-the-street comic character he’s dubbed Funny Boo Boo, who Clark dubs “a sweet, endearing, naive kid.”

Cameron also decided to give V-103’s Sunday morning gospel guru Larry Tinsley an expanded role doing a daily two-minute affirmations of faith at 6:45 a.m., comparable to his predecessor Frank Ski’s Inspirational Vitamin. “People want to start the day with some faith-based information,” Cameron said. “He is not going to do it as a preacher but more like a life coach.”

He said he plans to soon add a female voice and someone to do sports, perhaps coming from sister station, sports talk 92.9/The Game. (I wasn’t clear if that would be the same person though probably not.) Over the years, Cameron has helped develop several on-air personalities such as C.J. Simpson (now on mornings at The Game), Rashan Ali (now hosting mornings at Streetz 94.5, and Elle Duncan (now doing traffic at WXIA-TV).  He’d like to find another gem with minimal to no radio experience who possesses a great personality and great potential.

In general, he’d like a diverse “Benetton” show. “Even though we are a traditional urban station” targeting a primarily black audience, he said, “we want a show that can play for everybody.”

He plans to continue to do the Ryan Report, reading the entertainment news, though he says he does not harbor in rumors. If he could, he will try to confirm or deny rumors himself, given his extensive Rolodex.

“In eight years, we’ve only had to make one retraction,” he said: the Suchita Vadlamani departure from “Good Day Atlanta” in December, 2010.  (He said she had been fired when in fact, she left on her terms a couple weeks later.)

He was cautious about his future as the Hawks on-court announcer, which he has been able to do up to this point because of his afternoon job. His new schedule will make it more difficult. “My plan is to continue,” he said.

Cameron plans to keep his father-daughter dance in June as well as his annual celebrity bowling tournament on Thanksgiving to raise funds for his 10-year-old charity. But he is thinking of a new youth-oriented event in April instead of his college step show.

He is also well aware of his legacy as part of a pantheon of long-running morning hosts on V-103. His is only the sixth morning show on V-103 since the mid-1970s. He gave props to Frank and Wanda lasting 14 years. “I don’t think there will be another 14-year run for any show on the radio. Times have changed,” Cameron said. “I just hope to uphold the standard they set for this city, to remain in the top spot and be something everyone wants to listen to.”

And while Cameron made morning-show money (he wouldn’t say how much) while hosting an afternoon show, he acknowledges that radio has alwaqys given more cache to mornings even if the afternoon show draws the same number of listeners.

“The morning show is the spot,” Cameron said. “I’m just glad to be in the spot.”

Here’s a trio of personalities: Ryan Cameron of V-103, Vinnie Politan and Crash Clark of 11 Alive. Clark and Cameron used to work together at V-103 so this is a mini-reunion of sorts at the 11 Alive Canathon, held December 4, 2015 by Turner Field. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, December 10, 2015

For the third year, I visited Turner Field’s parking lot last Friday to check out one of the sites for 11 Alive’s annual Canathon for the Salvation Army. This year, at multiple sites, the station collected 220,000 cans.

The NBC affiliate fell just shy of last year’s record 229,000 cans.

The breakdown shows how supportive the folks in the Northwest corridor of Georgia can be:

Rome: 68,840
Turner Field: 31,008
Infinite Energy Center: 55,041
Cumberland Mall: 40,392
In-studio & text: 25,582

Vinnie Politan, morning host at 11 Alive, was packed with energy, obsessing over Periscope at Turner Field. (I did some Periscope too just for fun and someone from Moscow even stopped by.)

I also caught up with Jaye Watson, Chesley McNeil and Crash Clark for 11 Alive as well as Ryan Cameron and Wanda Smith over at V-103, which simulcast from the parking lot. Here are some more shots I took that morning:

Some students took the Canathon literally. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Vinnie Politan does a Periscope video of Ryan Cameron and Wanda Smith. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Several schools came by with students to drop off donations, separated by category. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Jaye Watson interviewed some dude who is running for president. Didn’t catch who he was but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Donald Trump. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Vinnie Politan pals with Christopher “Crash” Clark, who has been doing traffic for 11 Alive the past couple of years. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Wanda Smith kept warm by keeping a heater between her legs. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Every year, I see the massive Wiz-ometer balloon and chuckle. That name has survived five years. And the timing was good. This happened a day after “The Wiz Live!” aired and featured promos of Crash (right) dressed as the Cowardly Lion. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Chesley McNeil, morning meteorologist, said now that Vinnie Politan and Crash Clark are around, he no longer feels pressure to be wacky in the mornings. He said he can play the straight man now. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, April 6, 2016

I was just catching up with radio agent Norm Schrutt, and he mentioned to me that his client and morning host Ryan Cameron of V-103 signed a new contract a little awhile ago.

Schrutt didn’t say how long the contract is, but a typical length for someone in Cameron’s stature is three years. He didn’t say how much Cameron was compensated but even in this day and age when radio salaries are generally on the down swing, I’m sure he is doing just fine.

Atlanta native Cameron is a staple in this market going back to the early 1990s on both V-103 and Hot. He was morning host at Hot from 1995 to 2003. He moved to V-103 in 2004 to do afternoons from 2003 until 2012 when Frank Ski left voluntarily.

For the past three years, Cameron has led mornings at V-103. The first year, with a different lineup, he had a tough time, with ratings falling off alarmingly.

But when management inserted Wanda Smith back into the mix, he found his balance, ratings recovered and V-103 is back to where it was before: tops in key demographics of 25-54 and 18-34 last month. Last month, the station drew an 8.6 share, which also happened to be its average for 2015. It ranked second in overall listeners because News 95.5 and AM 750 has seen a surge in interest in the 2016 presidential election.

Cameron and Smith received an 8.4 rating among 25 to 54 year olds in February, ranked second behind Scott Slade. They were No. 1 with a 10.3 share among 18 to 34 year olds.

Ryan Cameron publicity photo 2016.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Ryan Cameron is channeling Ryan Seacrest, adding more duties to his already busy schedule: he will join Mike Conti as a pre-game host for Atlanta Falcons games this season on 92.9/The Game.

The V-103 morning host is an Atlanta native and big sports fan who already joins various shows on occasion on the Game, which is owned by the same company CBS Radio.

Cameron, during the basketball season, has been the in-game announcer at Philips Arena for the Atlanta Hawks since 2004. (Read my 2015 profile of Cameron’s time with the Hawks.)

The radio host’s first appearance 0n the pre-game show will be August 11 for a pre-season game.

In an interview, Cameron said he was interested in doing more sports and both the Falcons and his boss Rick Caffey agreed.

“I’m there to be that guy who is from the city who is down for the team,” Cameron said. He will do home games from the Georgia Dome in its final season and road games from the Game’s studios (though he said he’d love to do a road trip to New Orleans Sept. 26, hint, hint.)

Norm Schrutt, Cameron’s agent, said it’s currently a year-to-year deal but could be easily extended if it works out.

Conti does pre- and post-game for both the Falcons and the Hawks and has been with the station since 2012. (The Game recently extended its contract with the Hawks another three years.)

041915 ATLANTA: Hawks public announcer Ryan Cameron greets Dominique Wilkins before tip off in the first round home playoff game against the Nets on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

This was posted on Monday, December 5, 2016 by Rodney Ho for his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Ryan Cameron is best known as the morning host on V-103 but he’s almost equally renowned as the voice of the Atlanta Hawks at home games the past decade.

The team is holding its 10th annual Ryan Cameron Night at Philips Arena December 17 when the Hawks play the Charlotte Hornets.

“I have the best seat in the arena,” said Cameron, who still loves the public announcing work 13 years in. It’s an intense two hours 40 plus times a year that he relishes. He does get a four-minute break at half time to hit the bathroom but that’s about it.

For the first time, there will be a special half-time performance on his behalf by Atlanta’s DJ Jelly, Fabo and Kilo Ali.

“His devotion to this city and our team is incredible,” said Steve Koonin, Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena CEO, in a press release.  “We are excited to celebrate his many contributions to the Atlanta Hawks and our community on this special night.  Ryan’s boundless energy and enthusiasm are a huge part of what make games at Philips Arena such a great experience.”

A special ticket deal for the Ryan Cameron Night game includes a $10 credit for food and drink, is available by going to www.hawks.com/ryancameron and using the promo code RYAN.

My profile of Cameron’s Hawks’ work from 2015. 

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Recently, V-103 weekend Frank Ski was given an honorary caricature at the Buckhead Palm restaurant.

Ski was morning host at V-103 from 1998 to 2012. He re-joined the station earlier this year in a part-time capacity.

He joins a host of radio personalities on the newly renovated walls, including Mara Davis (NewsRadio 106.7, 90.1/WABE), “Southside” Steve Rickman (Rock 100.5), Kristin Klingshirn (The Bert Show) and Dallas McCade (Kicks 101.5).

***

News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB executive Condace Pressley was recently inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.

She has been with WSB radio for 30 years and is the fourth black female in the hall, which is ten years old and has 93 inductees. She is manager of program operations and community affairs as well as morning anchor at Kiss 104.1.

Pressley missed the ceremony because she was in Cuba for a work-related event when she was inducted. Internet was spotty and she was barely able to get online just to post some photos from the trip when she noticed WSB reporter Sandra Parrish posting on her Facebook page the good news. “I was really surprised,” she said.

Pressley, a University of Georgia graduate, has done practically every job at WSB from producing to reporting to anchoring. The only thing she hasn’t done: traffic. “I’ll call in traffic incidents but that’s not my strength.”

Doug Turnbull, one of the traffic reporters, said he is amazed by her versatility over the years, both on and off the air “Her complete knowledge of radio keeps her around,” he said.

B98.5, Kiss 104.1, WSB and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are all part of Cox Media Group.