Orchestrating this combination of medias was a young, future radio mogul out of Buffalo, New York, by the name of Mike Roberts. Mike realized his destiny early in life when he built his own radio station in his home and was able to broadcast it to a couple block radius surrounding his "station". He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Syracuse and honed his skiled with various gigs and internships that prepared him for the beginning of his meteroic rise in the business.
Our memories are jogged to think back to when WCIN was affilitated with an FM station...WBLZ. We sat around the radio in hopes of finally hearing our favorite station on the FM dial after so many years of anticipation. We heard new voices introing and outtroing our favorite artists and songs. There was the Snowman..Jim Snowden, John Monds, Deborah Kennedy, Jill Frost, Ken Kilgore, Edna Howell and events that allowed all of us to interact with the new sound of WCIN/WBLZ.
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| Mike Roberts |
He skillfully programmed both WBLZ and WCIN..giving them both credibility and respect in the greater Cincinnati area. Basketball games and baseball games come to mind first as well as various community appearances. (Side note:...I owe a great amount of gratitude to Mike because he trusted in my ability enough to appoint me as his assistant program director, with charge over the WCIN side of the merger...this gave me the necessary experience I would need later on in my career in programming WCIN as a standalone station.)
Mike Roberts left Cincinnati for the larger market of Atlanta, where his career really took off with a stint at WIGO...and then Atlanta experienced..."Mike Roberts in the Mohnin"...where he worked with Carolyn Ford who can now be heard on Sirius XM radio and nationally known...Robin Roberts of Good Morning America.Mike currently is the only african-american owner of a radio station in central Georgia..WQMJ broadcasting to the Macon, Ga., area. He is on facebook and you can like his page at...Majic 100 FM.
I visit Mike at his station every time I go to Atlanta and see that he still possesses the same passion he displayed when we first met. The following is a bio he sent me at my request..
MIKE ROBERTS
President, RCI
In 1996, Mike Roberts achieved his life long goal of radio ownership when he formed
Roberts Communications Incorporated (RCI). In July of 1997, the company purchased
WALJ-FM (now WFXM), WBNM-AM (now WXJO), WFXM-FM (now WQMJ), and
WXKO-AM in Macon, Georgia. RCI is currently Central Georgia’s only African-
American owned broadcasting company. While the company sold most of it’s stations
between 2006 and 2008, RCI still operates WQMJ-FM (Majic 100).
Mike’s career in radio is extensive. He served as program director of V-103 for three
years and retired from his morning show in 1998. He was also program director of
WIGO from 1982 until 1985. Prior to working in the Atlanta market, Mike served as
program director of WBLZ and WCIN in Cincinnati, OH and WSOQ in Syracuse, NY.
He had a chance to sharpen his broadcasting skills when he first worked as an
announcer at WHEN, WNDR and WEZG in Syracuse. Mike also spent two summers
on the floor crew of WKBW-TV in Buffalo, NY. The ABC television affiliate was his
first professional broadcasting position in 1975.
Mike has received numerous awards and honors. He has also been nominated three
times as major market personality of the year by the National Association of
Broadcasters in 1994, 1995 and 1998.
Mike Roberts is an active friend of many civic organizations. He is a life member of the
NAACP, works with several Macon charities, and is a member of the Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce. Terry Mill Elementary School in Dekalb County, Georgia,
named Mike as it’s first honorary teacher. He has one adopted son (Joseph).
Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Communications from Syracuse University in
1979.Those of you who remember those days...give Mike a like on his FaceBook page or even give him a shout out..he'll be glad to hear from you!!
