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The Cleveland Association of Broadcasters mission statement is to work collaboratively in the industry to continue to advance excellence in Cleveland broadcasting through education, social interaction, recognition, and philanthropy. Help us give even more back to the future broadcasters in Cleveland, any amount helps us to give back to the next generation.
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About CAB
The Cleveland Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the quality of broadcasting in the Cleveland area. Organized in 1979, the CAB provides forums for issues concerning all segments of the Cleveland Broadcasting community, and fosters greater understanding between those in the broadcast sales, advertising and business communities.

Awards for Excellence

Find out more about CAB's annual Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting.

Scholarships

CAB is committed to helping educate the next generation of broadcasters.

Events

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play....

2023-2024 Scholarship Update – Winners announced:

Amber Phillips (Two Year Scholarship)
Ohio Media School

Drew Bailey ($2,000 Pam Godfrey Scholarship with a focus on audio)
University of Akron

Ethan Jenkin ($2,000 Pam Godfrey Scholarship with a focus on television)
Ashland University

Justin Dedrick ($2,016 Fred McLeod Memorial Scholarship)
University of Cincinnati


Cab Legacy Spotlight

Jim LaBarbara

Jim LaBarbara

Jim LaBarbara

Jim LaBarbara, the “Music Professor” – A Life Amplified Through Radio & Rock ‘n’ Roll

When Jim LaBarbara did his first radio show in 1959, he couldn’t have imagined it would lead to a “Hall of Fame” career that spanned more than sixty years; one where he would work on some of the country’s most powerful stations. During his “happy days” he was a dreamer whose dreams of baseball and the trumpet became a reality. In the era of the Big Red Machine, his best friend was Johnny Bench and his college professor, Dr. Bill Randle, was the major player in the selling of Elvis. Jim was instrumental with the Supremes, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and he interviewed hundreds of other entertainers including Bill Haley, Jackie Wilson, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, James Brown, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, John Denver and many others. He was there when the controversy of playing music performed by black artists was just about coming to an end, and was later innocently thrust in the middle of the payola scandals during a dynamic, although turbulent life on and off the radio.

In 1959, LaBarbara used the name Jimmy Holiday while working on stations in Meadville, Titusville and DuBois, Pennsylvania. In 1964, he became J Bentley Starr in Erie. In 1966, Jim began using his real name on 50,000-watt WKYC and WIXY in Cleveland. He then spent a year in Denver, but he was on Cincinnati radio in afternoon drive for more than forty years going back to a fifteen-year period on powerful WLW that began in 1969. He also worked on several Cincinnati stations including: WCKY, WSAI and WGRR FM. His voice has also been heard on hundreds of radio and television commercials. Jim is known as “The Music Professor” and has a master’s degree in broadcasting from the University of Cincinnati. He taught at the university for several years, so yes, the Professor is a Professor. He is regarded as a respected musicologist on early rock n’ roll. Jim was named one of the “Top 40 Radio Personalities of All Time” and is listed in the Rock Jock Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was inducted into the Radio/Television/ Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Akron.

Jim LaBarbara, “The Music Professor,” can still be heard on WDJO RADIO 99.5 and 107.9fm 1480am and streaming on iHeartRadio.

VIEW ALL LEGACY HONOREES  

CAB Mission Statement

As a nonprofit  501c6 we work collaboratively as an industry to continue to advance excellence in broadcasting in Cleveland through education, social interaction, recognition and philanthropy.
  1. Promote the quality of broadcasting in the Cleveland area
  2. Provide a forum for issues concerning all segments of the Cleveland broadcasting community
  3. Foster greater understanding between those in the broadcasting sales, advertising and business communities
  4. Increase the level of professionalism among those in the Cleveland broadcast community