1961 in radio

Events

• KLAC sold to Metromedia
• April 1-the Zenith Radio FM Stereo standard is authorized for US FM stations by the FCC.

  Debuts

• February 11 – KSHE debuts as a female-oriented rock station in St. Louis, Missouri.
• April 12: WLKW/990-Providence, Rhode Island signs on as Rhode Island's only 50 kW A.M. station.
• June 25: WPLM-FM/99.1-Plymouth, Massachusetts signs on.
• KHAK-AM and KHAK-FM, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sign on at 1360 AM and 98.1 FM, respectively. Although formatting country music, neither station is exclusively country until some point later in 1960s.
• WIBC-FM in Indianapolis, Indiana signs on the air.
• Lohman and Barkley, a radio talk show featuring Al Lohman and Roger Barkley begins on KLAC. Runs on several stations until 1986
• WNOR, an Active Rock station in the Hampton Roads area, has its debut.
• WKFD/1370-Wickford, Rhode Island begins broadcasting.

  Births

• February 25 – Todd Blackledge, American sports radio host, previously NFL player
• March 4 – Tom Churchill, Iowa-based radio and television weatherman, inventor of the Digital Weatherman, a computer automation system
• March 14 – Gary Dell'Abate, American radio producer
• April 26 – Anthony Cumia, American radio personality
• September 29 – Stephanie Miller, American comedian and radio talk show host
• October 25 – Pat Sharp, English radio DJ and children's television host
• December 30 – Sean Hannity, American talk radio host and conservative commentator

  Deaths

• April 21 – Wallace Greenslade, English radio announcer
• October 22 – L. Stanton Jefferies, English musician and radio producer