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A Big congratulations to Reach Media’s own Walt “Baby” Love! The host of the Syndicated program “Gospel Traxx” is among the nine newest members of the Radio Hall of Fame. The Museum of Broadcast Communications has announced the 2022 class including Love and:

  • Marv Dyson – Radio Executive
  • Lon Helton – Country Countdown USA
  • Ellen K – KOST-FM Los Angeles
  • Broadway Bill Lee – WCBS-FM New York
  • Carol Miller – WAXQ-FM New York
  • Chris “Mad Dog” Russo – Sirius XM
  • Jeff Smulyan – Emmis Communication President & CEO
  • Suzyn Waldman – New York Yankees Radio Network (WFAN-A/F New York)

Love’s career started while he was an active member in the United States Army, once serving as a paratrooper and achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant E-6, was a member of the famed 82nd Airborne Divison. Love became a a part-time on-air personality at WWGO-AM and WWYN-FM radio in Erie, Pennsylvania. In Houston, Texas, he got his big break at KYOK-AM radio and made history as the first Black On-Air Talent at KILT Radio (The Big 610), owned by Lin Broadcasting Corporation, which was the largest Broadcasting organization in the state of Texas, at that time.

Within four years of being in the broadcasting industry, Walt became the first Black On-Air talent at RKO radio; hosting programs at CKLW-AM radio in the Canadian Province of Windsor, Ontario, and WOR-FM located in New York City. During this span of his career, he also held on-air positions at WNBC-AM, WBLS-FM, WOR-FM/WXLO-FM (99X), New York City and 93 KHJ, KMPC AND KFI-AM, Los Angeles.

For twenty-one years, Walt worked at Radio & Records Newspaper as the Urban Radio & Music Editor, while simultaneously starting his syndicated radio shows. In addition, he was an Operations Manager at Chicago’s WVON-AM and FM, worked in the same capacity at KGFJ/KKTT AND KUTE (102-FM) Los Angeles, all very popular radio stations.

In June 1997, Walt was Ordained in the ministry at the First House of Prayer in Chicago. Later, he because an Ordained Deacon and then Elder in The African Methodist Episcopal Church assigned to First African Methodist Church Los Angeles, better known as (FAME). In addition to these accomplishments, Walt’s Countdown, featuring Walt “Baby” Love premiered in August, 1982, receiving Billboard magazine’s Best R&B Syndicated Radio Show Award five times becoming the longest-running Urban Syndicated radio show in history, which at that time, he had over thirty-five years of experience. His syndicated Gospel Traxx show has won one Billboard Magazine Best Syndicated show under the banner of the R&B/Urban category. In 2001, Walt won the Stellar Award for Best Gospel Radio Personality; in 2002 he was nominated for induction into the Radio Hall Of Fame and also won Radio Personality of the Year from the Black Broadcaster’s Alliance.

In 2003, he won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance from the U.S. Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia/Hunter Air Field Base home of the 3rd Infantry Division. Walt was also a two-time winner of the Community Activist Award at Fuller Theological Seminary; voted for Outstanding Achievement for the Praise and Worship Conference, and also won the Celebrated Leader in Gospel Music Award from the Gospel Heritage Foundation.

Walt received his Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California in 2005; he was once again nominated for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame, and was voted one of the 30 Most Influential African Americans in Radio by Radio Ink Magazine.

This highly motivated man of GOD started a Non-Profit (501 C-3) Organization entitled The Walt Love Lupus & Cancer Research Foundation, which has been functioning for the last 15 years. In 2012, he was honored by Kansas City, MO. 3rd District Councilman for his efforts, and in July 2013, he was once again honored by the Chattanooga, Tennessee City Council for the same benevolent efforts in their community. In congruence with this, Walt also does free Gospel Music Concerts as an outreach with local Churches all over the United States. Last, but not least, in 2007, Walt became a Published Author, when he authored the book, The Gospel According to Rev. Walt “Baby” Love: Inspirations and Meditations from the Gospel Radio Legend (Published by: Simon and Schuster) and, if that was not enough, in that same year he commemorated his 25th year of The Countdown with Walt “Baby” Love.

And now, he is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame. Congrats Walt!

Walt “Baby” Love Among Radio Hall of Fame 2022 Class  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com