Legendary Top 40 Radio Programmer Paul Drew Dies
| RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, May 16, 2013 | 5:22pm CT |
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Legendary top 40 radio programmer Paul Drew has died. He was 78. Drew passed away at Victor Royale Assisted Living in Glendale, CA, of natural causes. He was probably best known as VP/Programming for the RKO stations group, one of the most successful radio groups in history with number one stations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit and Memphis.
Drew hired and helped develop talents such as Jerry Clifton, Les Garland, Dave Sholin, Guy Zapolean, Bob Hamilton, Rick Bisceglia, Don Kelly, Harry Nelson, Rick Dees, Dave Martin, Gary Berkowitz, Walt "Baby" Love, Jerry Dell Colliano, Bobby Ocean and Charlie Van Dyke.
Drew began his radio career in Atlanta as an air personality on WAKE, WGST and WQXI, before becoming Program Director of WQXI. He also served as PD at CKLW/Detroit, WIBG/Philadelphia, KFRC/San Francisco and KHJ/Los Angeles. It was after he programmed KHJ that he became VP/Programming for RKO Radio.
In more recent times, Drew was a partner in the radio consulting firm Drew-Atkinson Associates.
