iHeartMedia R&B Oldies 1070 WDIA Memphis has announced that Stan Bell has taken over hosting its morning show following the death of Bobby O’Jay last month.
Bell will continue hosting afternoons at Adult R&B “V101” KJMS. Bell has been a longtime presence in the Memphis market spending over thirty years at KJMS.
1070 WDIA, The Heart & Soul of Memphis, announced today the debut of the new “The Stan Bell Morning Show,” effective immediately. Starring popular on-air personality Stan Bell, the morning show will broadcast weekdays from 6— 10 a.m.
WDIA is America’s first radio station programmed for the Black community. “The Stan Bell Morning Show” will feature a variety of entertaining segments including “Daily Motivation,” “Stan’s Special People Spotlight,” and the “Heart and Soul Roll-Call.”
“Stan’s record of success is no mystery,” said Sue Purnell, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Memphis. “It’s his love for the community, which is the cornerstone of WDIA’s legacy. We couldn’t be more excited for this new journey.”
Market President Kevin Klein echoes the same sentiments. “I couldn’t be happier to have Stan Bell be our new morning host for WDIA. We are blessed to have amazing talent like Stan Bell, who not only understands history, but also understands the important voice WDIA provides for the Memphis Black Community. I am excited about the future for WDIA and look forward to seeing Stan’s continued success.”
Bell joins 1070 WDIA from iHeartMedia Memphis’ sister station V101, where he has been an on-air personality for over 30 years. Bell will still continue his afternoon show on V101, while also taking over morning drive at 1070 WDIA. He began his career in Memphis and holds undergrad and post-graduate degrees from UT-Martin and Union University, respectively.
“This is like a homecoming, of sorts, for me,” said Bell. “I was ‘bit by the broadcasting bug’ at sixteen and was a high school reporter for 1070 WDIA. Every high school in Memphis would send two students to record their reports at the radio station on Saturdays, and now, the rest is history. So here I am, full-circle in 2022. It is an honor and privilege to carry on the legacy of WDIA as a morning host.”
