Ron Alexenburg had a long and successful career in the music business. He was head of promotion at Columbia Records and senior vp and general manager of Epic and CBS Records-associated labels.
But it always bugged him that Los Angeles doesn’t have a Hall of Fame for its radio stars and record company honchos. So he did something about it. Alexenburg is president of Hollywood Media Professionals, which is moving forward with plans for the Los Angeles Radio/Record Promotion Hall of Fame.
“When we started thinking about this, we found it hard to believe that Southern California, as instrumental as it’s been to the record industry, does not have a Radio Hall Of Fame that honors the amazing people who have worked in radio and record promotion,” Alexenburg said in a statement. “It’s about time!”
A 20-member committee, led by board member Steve Resnik, is spearheading a list of candidates that will include Southern California radio trailblazers, personalities, programmers and executives in all formats; and local and national leaders in record promotion from the music industry. Inductees will be honored at an in-person event.
Like Alexenburg, Resnik achieved considerable success in the record industry. He worked at A&M, ABC/Dunhill and United Artists/EMI. He started New Marketing/The Charts with former Billboard associate publisher Tom Noonan before moving on to The Gavin Report and Radio & Records. He is co-founder and partner of RAMP (Radio and Music Pros) industry magazine.
Other board members include top radio personalities Rick Dees and Shadoe Stevens.
Los Angeles radio stars are eligible for honors from national organizations such as the Radio Hall of Fame and the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Likewise, Los Angeles record company execs are eligible for honors from the Recording Academy and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, among other national organizations. And of course there’s the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where people from all facets of entertainment vie for sidewalk stars in Hollywood.
But Alexenburg, Resnik and others want a more localized approach.
Hollywood Media Professionals is a networking organization for pros who have worked in any phase of radio, television, film, music, or new media for at least 10 years. The group’s stated mission is to elevate and promote media and music through education and mentorship. The group was founded as Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters in 1966.
The group hosts luncheons where it honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the worlds of entertainment or media. Honorees have included Dees, Lily Tomlin, Dick Cavett, Larry King, Art Laboe and Regis Philbin and sportscaster Vin Scully as well as a wide range of artists, from Mike Love of The Beach Boys to Michael Feinstein.
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