Local Radio Legend Donovan Short To Receive Hall Of Fame Honor In Wyoming

Donovan Short, former Programming Manager for Townsquare Media, will be inducted into the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Class of 2024, on June 8th, in Casper.

Donovan began his radio broadcasting career at the age of 16, doing afternoons on WRSM in Sumiton, Alabama. After graduation he enrolled in the radio and TV program at Jefferson State, receiving a scholarship to program campus radio WJSR-FM, which led to an internship at Birmingham CHR WAPI FM.

His first full-time FM daypart was with American General Media’s WWBR Birmingham, spending years as assistant Program Director and Music Director, before a brief stint behind the scenes in television news at WBMG, Birmingham’s CBS affiliate.

In September of 1998, Short accepted a morning host and program director job in Casper with the new KRVK-FM, which quickly rose to the top of Casper’s Arbitron ratings. When Clear Channel took over the Mountain States stations, Short remained to manage the programming department for over 20 years. The stations eventually were owned by Townsquare Media.

During Shorts tenure, the Casper stations experienced some of the highest format shares in the country, earning frequent accolades in Radio & Records and a spot in Radio Ink’s “Best Program Directors in America” list, and eventual promotions to regional and national format roles, including oversight of Townsquare’s three Wyoming groups in Casper, Cheyenne, and Laramie, in addition to their operations in the Dakotas, Louisiana, and Alabama.

Short is well known in the Casper community for his charitable work, from loading semis with supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, to feeding and clothing local victims of the Cole Creek fire. Thankful Thursday events for hundreds of Casper charities, and the “Stuff the Van Toy Drive,” that Short organized and hosted for 23 years. He has raised millions for kids at Christmas and spawned a local food bag charity, which served tens of thousands of Casper’s food insecure kids year-round. His efforts were recognized nationally by the Jefferson Awards.

“The Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame was formed in 2003, to honor the broadcasters in our state, like Donovan, who serve their community and have made a significant contribution to broadcasting in our state. We are honored to put Donovan into the Hall of Fame,” said Laura Grott, President of the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters.