Chronicle: Smith Richards Collective (SRC) consulting co-founder Steve Smith passed away last Thursday (7/7) of an unknown cause. He was 62. Smith had a long career in programming, primarily in Pop radio, starting in Phoenix in 1983. He worked in San Jose, Houston, Los Angeles and New York before segueing into corporate programming for Emmis, Clear Channel and AM/FM. Smith served as VP/Programming for Cox from 2011-2021, with oversight of the company's eight Country stations. Smith launched SRC with former KMLE/Phoenix programmer Tim Richards in April (CAT 4/20). In a Facebook post, Richards shares, "Steve was an incredible man. He was a radio innovator and one of the kindest and most creative programmers I’ve ever learned from. Most of all, he was a great person. I’m so blessed to have known him, and the world will definitely be a different place without his presence." No word on services.

Veteran programmer/personality "Shotgun John Kelly" (a.k.a. John Fulton) passed away Sunday (7/10) at the age of 69. Fulton started in radio in his hometown of Wichita Falls, TX and later moved to Amarillo, TX where he programmed Country outlets KBUY and KDJW. In 1989, he purchased KATP, changed it to Country, and worked there for more than a decade until selling to then-Clear Channel in 2001. After retiring from radio, Fulton entered law enforcement and had been serving as Chief of Police for Lake Tanglewood, just outside of Amarillo, since 2018. Services will be under the auspices of Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors (2800 Paramount Blvd., Amarillo, TX); further details have yet to be announced.