S4 Ep.48 - Ann Thomas Battersby, Executive Producer, WJR Radio

WJR is a Detroit-based AM radio station that broadcasts throughout Detroit, southeast Michigan, and parts of northern Ohio. At night, it can also be heard in most of the eastern United States and eastern Canada. WJR is one of the most powerful radio stations in the United States, with a power of 50,000 watts. 

We chat with Ann Thomas Battersby, the first female Program Director in the station’s 101-year history.  During her tenure at WJR, Ann has received numerous awards and honors from several organizations including Michigan Association of Broadcasters, United Press International, the Associated Press, and the Detroit Press Club – all celebrating her work both on and off the air.  

She was recently inducted into the Michigan Business Women Hall of Fame, and is the 2014 recipient of the Michigan Business and Professional Association’s Women & Leadership in the Workplace Award.  She has also been given the prestigious “Diamond” award from the Association for Women in Communications and in 2023 was awarded the Doc Fenkell Excellence in Media award from the CATCH charity.