About

Jerry Williams has been a radio and television programmer for well over 30 years. The radio bug bit him way back in the 8^th grade (which is longer ago than we’re willing to admit to). He played records and dj-ed on the school’s intercom system to a captive audience in the lunchroom at Memorial Junior High School in Fair Lawn, NJ.

It was during that time that Jerry also discovered what would come to be referred to as contemporary Christian music. He was involved in a coffeehouse ministry during the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s. He was instrumental in bringing a similar ministry to Wheeling, WV in the mid 70s after his family moved there. It was during that time that Jerry did several guest co-host appearances on a short-lived Christian rock radio show affiliated with the coffeehouse.

In 1979 Jerry landed his first professional on-air radio job, doing weekends and fill-in at the AM/FM combo WWVA-AM and (what was then) WCPI-FM in Wheeling. He also did a late Sunday night Christian rock show on WCPI for several years.

Jerry moved to Louisville, KY in 1983 to attend seminary and landed a job at (the now defunct) WFIA-AM and WXLN-FM where he eventually hosted the afternoon show on the FM side. He also served at various times as Production Director for both stations, Assistant Program Director for WXLN and Program Director for WFIA. During this stay in Louisville, he also did some part-time on-air work at WRKA, where Glen Beck was doing the morning show, before Beck moved to political talk.

In 1988, Jerry accepted the position of morning show host at WLIX on Long Island, NY. He would eventually also be named Program Director at WLIX. While on Long Island, Jerry worked on-air for a short time (under another name) at perennial #1 WALK-FM.

WLIX was sold in 1995 and Jerry moved back to Louisville, this time as morning host and Program Director at WJIE. He left that position in August of 1996 and went to work at Jacor’s group of stations in Louisville, serving as morning co-host on WVEZ and Promotions Director for WVEZ and WSFR.

Jerry re-entered Christian radio when he accepted the position of Program Director and afternoon on-air host at WCBW St. Louis in March of 1997. Jacor bought that station in September of 1997 and flipped the format without retaining any of the existing employees. Jerry joined with several other former WCBW staffers to form the not-for-profit St. Louis Christian Music, which raised funds to bring the Christian radio format back to St. Louis. Jerry left St. Louis before that goal was realized, accepting the Program Director and morning show host roles at WVJF in Atlanta in September 1998.

He remained at WVFJ until June 2004 when he accepted the Senior Director of Programming position at the start up cable TV network Gospel Music Channel. Jerry returned to WVFJ in late 2010.

In addition to his storied radio career, Jerry served as the Chairman of the Programming Track for the National Christian Radio Seminar from 1990 through 2004. He has also contributed to a number of professional publications and websites and published his own radio industry website, Relentless Radio from 1997 through 2002.