2015 in radio

The following is a list of events that affected radio broadcasting in 2015. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, station launches, closures and format changes, as well as information about controversies.

Deaths

 * January 1: Mario Cuomo, 82. Former Governor of New York and early progressive talk radio host.
 * January 2: Little Jimmy Dickens, 94. Frequent host and member of the Grand Ole Opry; country musician and comedian.
 * January 4: Lance Diamond, 68. Radio host on WJYE and musician.
 * January 7: Bernard Maris, 68, French journalist and radio presenter (killed in the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris.
 * January 9: Bud Paxson, 79. Radio and television owner, founder of Paxson Communications.
 * January 15: Raoul Pantin, 71, Trinidadian journalist and broadcaster
 * January 17: Justin Kili, 61, Papua New Guinean journalist and radio personality
 * January 24: Joe Franklin, 88. Television and radio host based in New York City.
 * January 26: Christopher “Kit” Carson, 58. Chief assistant on The Rush Limbaugh Show.
 * February 9: Richard Sher, 66, US radio quiz show host (Says You!)
 * February 12
 * Alison Gordon, 72, Canadian sports journalist, writer and broadcaster
 * Gary Owens, 80, DJ at several stations from 1952 to 2007, most notably KMPC in Los Angeles; voiced thousands of commercials and cartoon characters, was the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and hosted a daily program on the syndicated Music of Your Life network.
 * February 14: Bernd Dost, 75, German journalist and broadcaster
 * February 15: Sergio Blanco, 66, Spanish singer (Sergio y Estíbaliz), Eurovision entrant
 * February 19: Warren Thomson, 79, Australian pianist and broadcaster
 * March 5: Fred Latremouille, 69, Canadian radio host.
 * March 11: Tony Fenton, 53, Irish radio presenter
 * April 3: Paul Grigoriu, 70, Romanian radio personality (SRR).
 * April 5: Gordon Moyes, 76, Australian radio evangelist and politician
 * April 7: Stan Freberg, 88. Host of The Stan Freberg Show and When Radio Was, advertising executive and actor.
 * April 14 : Roberto Tucci, 93, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, President of Vatican Radio (1985–2001)
 * April 16 : Nimal Mendis, 81, Sri Lankan singer and songwriter
 * April 17 : Don Quayle, 84, journalist and NPR's first president.
 * May 1: David Day, 63, Australian radio broadcaster, 5KA
 * May 14: B.B. King, 89, Blues musician whose career and stage name originated from his stint as an air personality at WDIA/Memphis.
 * May 15: John Stephenson, 91. American radio, television and voice actor (radio work included roles on It's Always Sunday and The Count of Monte Cristo, and later commercials for Accountemps).
 * May 23: Anne Meara, 85, Actress, singer, writer, producer and comedian (as one half of Stiller & Meara with husband Jerry Stiller), recipient of a Clio Award for her work with her husband in a series of radio ads for Blue Nun Wine.
 * June 11: Jim Ed Brown, 81, American country musician. Member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1963 and host of the Country Music Greats Radio Hour since 2003.
 * June 12: Monica Lewis, 93, American actress and singer, notable for being the voice of the Chiquita Banana girl and the host of her own radio program on WMCA/New York City.
 * July 6: Stan Carew, 64, musician and regular host on CBC Radio.
 * July 13: J. R. Gach, 63. Shock jock with various stops across the United States.
 * July 17: Van Miller, 87. Longtime radio play-by-play announcer, best-known work was as voice of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network from 1960–71 and 1978–2003; other notable roles included calling the Buffalo Braves, Buffalo Stallions, Niagara Purple Eagles, and various non-sports roles at WFCB/Dunkirk, New York and WBEN/Buffalo, New York
 * July 24: Peg Lynch, 98. American comedy writer and radio actress (most famous for her roles in the 1950s sitcom Ethel and Albert and its successor, The Couple Next Door)
 * July 31: Alan Cheuse, 75. Novelist, George Mason University creative writing instructor, and literary commentator for NPR's All Things Considered
 * August 25: Marguerite McDonald, 73. Canadian radio journalist, original host of CBC Radio's The House.
 * August 29: Luo Lan, 95, Taiwanese writer and radio personality
 * October 1: Usnija Redžepova, 69, Serbian singer who began her career on radio
 * October 26: Ed Walker, 83. Washington, DC radio personality (work at several stations and programs, most notably with WRC's The Joy Boys and WAMU-FM's The Big Broadcast).
 * December 27: Dave "Hendu" Henderson, 56. Radio commentator (and former player) for the Seattle Mariners.