Tickets Available As Radio Hall Of Fame Induction Approaches.
The 2026 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is approaching, with radio executives, personalities and industry veterans set to gather in Chicago Oct. 8 to celebrate this year’s class of inductees and Legends.
The ceremony will be held at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, and tickets remain on sale through the Radio Hall of Fame. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Museum of Broadcast Communications, which is home to the Radio Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Radio Hall of Fame class includes Boomer Esiason, Dennis Green, Shotgun Tom Kelly, Helen Little, Bob Pittman, Rickey Smiley, Charlie Van Dyke and Fred Winston. Six of the inductees were selected through votes from more than 950 radio industry professionals, while two were chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame’s 2026 Nominating Committee.
The ceremony will also recognize nine broadcasters and executives posthumously as the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame “Legends.” That group includes Lin Brehmer, Vivian Carter, Dale Dorman, Gary Krantz, Wink Martindale, B. Mitchell Reed, Pierre Robert, Polito Vega and D.E. “Duke” Wright.
The annual Legends designation recognizes radio figures whose careers helped shape the medium and whose contributions continue to be remembered by broadcasters and listeners.
“The Radio Hall of Fame is proud to honor this year’s Legends inductees, whose extraordinary careers have helped define the history and enduring impact of radio,” said Radio Hall of Fame Co-Chair Dennis Green. “From iconic on-air personalities to visionary executives, each has left an indelible mark on our industry and earned their rightful place in the Radio Hall of Fame.”
Adding another familiar radio voice to the evening, Bobby Bones will serve as master of ceremonies. Bones was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017 and is returning to the event in a different role.
Bones began his radio career while attending college before building a nationally syndicated career with “The Bobby Bones Show.” The program is now syndicated by Premiere Networks, and Bones has also expanded his career into podcasting, television, stand-up comedy, publishing and music.
“Bobby Bones is one of radio’s most dynamic personalities, and we’re thrilled to have both his love of radio and passion for our industry on full display as this year’s Master of Ceremonies,” Green said.
The Hall of Fame celebration will be part of a larger week of industry activity in Chicago. On Oct. 7, the Broadcasters Foundation of America will host its Chicago Media Mixer at the Museum of Broadcast Communications from 5:30-7:30pm CT.
The free event will feature iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman, one of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, in a Q&A with Premiere Networks’ nationally syndicated morning host Fred of “The Fred Show.” The mixer is designed as a networking opportunity for broadcast professionals, with an emphasis on connecting junior industry employees with executives, on-air talent and peers.
The Oct. 7 event will also give attendees an opportunity to experience the Museum of Broadcast Communications’ interactive exhibit, “The Evolution of Late-Night Television.” Registration is required and space is limited.
The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988, with the Museum of Broadcast Communications assuming operation of the Hall in 1991.
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