By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Eight more people will join the likes of Paul Harvey and Jack Buck in the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame Friday.
The list of inductees includes on-air personalities such as Rod King, also known as Dr. Jockenstein, and behind-the-scenes staff like former KSD public relations director Don Burnes.
Hall of Fame founder Frank Absher says the list also includes radio engineer Ed Bench,who brought FM stereo to St. Louis in 1961, at station KCFM.
"Stereophonic broadcasting in those days was such touchy technology that three stations in the country were authorized to try to broadcast in stereo," Absher said. "And they coordinated that they would all flip the switch at exactly the same time so that no one would be first. And KCFM was one of those three."
The Hall of Fame started more than three years ago, and now includes more than 50 people.
One hundred members of the St. Louis media voted on the inductees. Also being inducted today are former KSHE general manager Shelley Grafman and husband-and-wife team Cliff and Nance St. James, who were one of the first married couples in the country to host a local radio show.
The Hall of Fame already includes Harry Caray, who began as an announcer at KXOK in 1944, and Spider Burks, one of St. Louis' first black disc jockeys.
For more information visit the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame website.