2023 in radio

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Year nav topic5 The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2023. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, station launches, closures, and format changes, as well as information about controversies and deaths of radio personalities.

Notable events

January

Date	Event	Source
1	French private musical category D radio station Europe 2 is re-launched.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	After stunting with Christmas music since November 2022, York, Pennsylvania radio station WNUU is relaunched as WPPY and broadcasting Adult Contemporary music.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
10	WKPR-Kalamazoo, Michigan surrenders its license.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	KYTE-Independence, Oregon continues broadcasting illegally after having its license cancelled.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
23	After stunting with Christmas music since November 2022, Puerto Rican stations WRXD-Fajardo/San Juan, WNVI-Moca and the translator stations relaunched the Estereotempo name and its Adult Contemporary format after four years of absence.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
30	The new daily magazine show Commotion is launched on CBC Radio One in Canada.	<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
	Aliw Broadcasting Corporation's Home Radio, DWQZ-FM, changes provincial stations in the Philippines with a rebranding to DWIZ-AM Regional Integrated News. DWQZ still remains in Pasig City, Metro Manila as 97.9 Home Radio.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

February

Date	Event	Source
27	US broadcasting company Audacy begins the process of winding down most of its HD Radio digital subchannels due to lack of revenue. (Channel Q, its mostly HD-exclusive LGBTQ service, is unaffected by the cuts.) Further cuts later in the year lead to the company spinning off the licenses of WLFP in Memphis, Tennessee and WTSS in Buffalo, New York to Educational Media Foundation.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ri-wtsstowbkv">Template:Cite news</ref>

March

Date	Event	Source
15	Mexican social radio station XHCSAG-FM begins broadcasting after delays in completing its tower, attributed to COVID.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

April

Date	Event	Source
10	DZRM-AM returns to air after 10 months of inactivity and is rebranded as Radyo Pilipinas 3 Alert.	Template:Citation needed
21	US Top 40 station KRBE-Houston, Texas, temporarily rebrands as 104.1 TAY-RBE in honor of Taylor Swift performing the first of her three Eras Tour shows at NRG Stadium that night, with the station's playlist that day only consisting of songs from all of her albums.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

May

Date	Event	Source
12	New Zealand radio station Pulzar FM broadcasts for the last time, to be replaced by sister station Anthemz.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

June

Date	Event	Source
14	Canada's Bell Media shuts down six radio stations, CJBK—London, CFRN—Edmonton, CFTE—Vancouver, CKST—Vancouver, CKMX—Calgary, and CFRW—Winnipeg, and is set to sell three more, CHAM—Hamilton, CKOC—Hamilton, and CKWW—Windsor, as part of cuts across the company.	<ref name="RadioInsightBell">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FP230614">Template:Cite news</ref>
26	KVOH Rancho Simi, California, a shortwave radio station based in the United States (serving the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico and western Africa), ceases operations, citing the cost of electricity in California.	<ref>Wavescan Episode 749 (story begins at 19:46). Adventist World Radio. Retrieved July 10, 2023.</ref><ref>Hauser, Glenn (June 28, 2023). World of Radio Episode 2196. Retrieved July 10, 2023.</ref>
30	Philippines radio station DZMM 630 is re-launched on AM, replacing TeleRadyo. The new station is a joint venture between Prime Media Holdings and ABS-CBN.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

July

Date	Event	Source
1	Philippines radio station Q Radio and its provincial stations permanently cease broadcasting after almost 3 years, to become a joint venture of Mareco Broadcasting Network and Brigada Mass Media Corporation as 105.1 Brigada News FM in Metro Manila, 105.1 Brigada News FM Baguio, and 90.7 Brigada News FM Cebu.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
12	A 74-year affiliation between Saint Bonaventure University and FM 95.7 in Olean, New York, dating to the latter's debut in 1949, ends as the university's men's basketball squad severs ties with the station now known as WPIG and opts to carry its live broadcasts online.	<ref name=bonniesleavewpig>Template:Cite web</ref>

August

Date	Event	Source
8	Philippines radio station 103.1 Newsline Central Luzon was officially launched under JRS Newsline Multimedia Corporation and affiliated by Soundstream Broadcasting Corporation in San Fernando, Pampanga.	<ref>https://candabapampanga.gov.ph/paglulunsad-ng-newsline-103-1fm-sa-august-8/</ref>
14	Indian-American entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava announces a wave of acquisitions that includes the assumption of debt from Audacy and the purchase of a minority stake in Cumulus Media, as his Bridge Media Networks—owner of the television network NewsNet—merges with The Arena Group.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

September

Date	Event	Source
1	Canadian radio station CIRR-FM ("103.9 Proud FM"), launched in 2007 as Canada's and the world's first commercial radio station targeted to an LGBTQ listening audience, is scheduled to shut down, with its staff reassigned to sister station CIDC-FM.	<ref>Connie Thiessen, "Evanov moves to ‘integrate’ GTA stations Proud 103.9 and Z103.5". Broadcast Dialogue, August 16, 2023.</ref>
1	CJRI-FM in Fredericton, New Brunswick, has gone silent after being denied a licence renewal and was subsequently ordered to cease broadcasting by midnight on August 31, 2023.	<ref>"Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-246". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, August 8, 2023.</ref>
5	CKJR in Westaskiwin, Alberta, is slated to shift formats from oldies music to sports, bringing the format back to the Edmonton market after the closure of CFRN in June.	<ref>Connie Thiessen, "Stingray bringing sports radio back to Edmonton". Broadcast Dialogue, August 14, 2023.</ref>
5	U.S. radio network NPR announces that John Lansing, NPR's president and CEO, is set to retire in December.	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

October

Date	Event	Source
9	After airing daily for 84 years, the National Research Council Canada's midday time signal (a series of audio tics followed by "the beginning of the long dash" that marked 1PM Eastern Time) is heard for the final time on CBC Radio One, with the discontinuation due to latency issues with digital audio that render the signal inaccurate. Canada will continue to offer a time signal on the CHU shortwave service.	<ref>"The end of the long dash: CBC stops broadcasting official time signal," from CBC.ca, 10/10/2023</ref>
16	In the Philippines, AllHitz24 was officially launched under Dumaguete Media Productions and affiliated by CETV Philippines using online radio app.

Deaths

• January 8:
  • Arnie Coro, Cuban radio host, co-founder of Radio Havana (born 1942)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Ernst Grissemann, Austrian radio host, journalist, and actor (born 1934)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• January 13: Ray Cordeiro, Hong Kong disc jockey (born 1924)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• January 20: Jerry Blavat, American disc jockey (born 1940) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• January 22: Lin Brehmer, American disc jockey (born 1954)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• February 11: Ivan Kováč, Slovak middle-distance runner and radio sports commentator (born 1948)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• March 5: Mark Pilgrim, South African broadcaster (born 1969)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• March 26: Ray Pillow, American country music singer/executive and Grand Ole Opry member (born 1937)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• March 30: Doug Mulray, Australian radio broadcaster (born 1951)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• April 12: Eduard Bagirov, Russian writer and broadcaster (born 1975)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• April 19: Ed Picson, Filipino sports broadcaster (born 1953)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• May 19: George Logan, British actor, composer, musician and broadcaster (The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket, etc.)
• June 3: Totto Osvold, 81, Norwegian radio broadcaster (born 1941)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• June 8:
  • Wade Goodwyn, 63, correspondent for NPR<ref>Obituary for Wade Goodwyn from NPR.org, 6/8/2023</ref>
  • Pat Robertson, 93, American radio station owner who transformed the Rural Radio Network into the Christian Broadcasting Network before moving to television (born 1930)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• June 12: Silvio Berlusconi, 86, Italian radio and television magnate and politician (born 1936) (main article: Death and state funeral of Silvio Berlusconi)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• June 18: Jellie Brouwer, 59, Dutch journalist and presenter (cancer)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• June 23: Jesse McReynolds, 93, American country musician and Grand Ole Opry regular since 1964 (born 1929)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• June 26: Dick Biondi, 90, American radio disc jockey best known for his work in Buffalo, New York and Chicago, Illinois (born 1932)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• June 27: Bobby Osborne, 91, American country musician (The Osborne Brothers, Rocky Top X-Press) and Grand Ole Opry regular (born 1931)<ref>Leslie County native, music legend Bobby Osborne dies</ref>
• July 5: Awa Ehoura, Ivorian journalist and radio host (age unknown)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• August 7
  • Leonid Volodarskiy, 73, Russian translator, writer and radio presenter (born 1950)<ref>Умер Леонид Володарский Template:In lang</ref>
  • Jim Price, 81, retired American baseball player (Detroit Tigers) and radio analyst (Detroit Tigers Radio Network).<ref>Former Tigers catcher and analyst Jim Price dies at 81 Detroit Free Press, August 8, 2023</ref>
• August 17: Rick Jeanneret, 81, Canadian-American play-by-play broadcaster for the Sabres Hockey Network from 1971 to 2022, also disc jockey for CJRN (born 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• August 18: James L. Buckley, 100, American politician, President of Radio Free Europe from 1982–85 (born 1923)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• August 23: Magdalena "Moodie Jam" Estrada, 66, Filipina disc jockey (born 1957)
• August 26: Tony Roberts, 94, American play-by-play broadcaster for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football from 1980 to 2006 (born 1928)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• August 29: Mike Enriquez, 71, Filipino radio and television news anchor, GMA Network (born 1951)<ref name=death-inquirer>Template:Cite web</ref>
• September 1: Jimmy Buffett, 76, American Gulf and Western singer-songwriter, founder of Radio Margaritaville (born 1946)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• September 8: Sašo Hribar, 63, Slovenian radio satirist and impressionist (heart attack)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• September 11: Dick Bertel, 92,announcer, news anchor, and media executive at WTIC (AM), NBC Radio Network, and the Voice of America - host of The Golden Age of Radio from 1970 - 1977, an oral history of network radio entertainment programming<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• September 25: Jay de Castro, 46, former filipino voice actor and dubbing director of ABS-CBN, former filipino TV reporter of News5 and filipino radio reporter of DZME 1530 Radyo Uno (born 1977)
• September 28: DJ Lalla, 34, Romanian DJ and radio presenter (drowned)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• 2023 in British radio