Sony Music Nashville executive VP Butch Waugh has announced plans to retire at the end of the year, capping off a successful, 37-year career in the music business, where he has worked in the pop, urban and country formats. He has spent 27 of those years with Sony Music Entertainment, including stints as a local promotion rep for RCA in Atlanta, and then executive positions in New York and Nashville. He has been part of Sony’s Music Row operation for a dozen years. Following Waugh’s retirement, label group marketing VP Tom Baldrica and promotion VP Skip Bishop will report directly to Sony Music Nashville chairman Joe Galante. For more on this story, see the article in the country section.

Ralph Widman began his career at KTBS-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1939, had a stint on Ft. Worth’s KFJZ, and spent time with WFAA radio and WFAA-TV. He was a manager of what is now KKDA-AM and did sports on both radio and TV. Widman left the studio, getting into the representation business and ran several rep firms. The Dallas Board of Radio-Info.com has more on Ralph Widman … She was a popular radio host in Oklahoma City, working on KRXO-FM (107.7) before joining KQOB-FM (96.9) and teaming with Ron Benton to make their morning show the top-rated in the market. Lisa Mirick left KQOB in 2006, due to personal issues. Prior to her death in Savannah, Georgia, she was battling ailments from years of alcohol abuse. Mirick passed away of unknown causes. She was only 47.

More Christmas flipping from Phoenix to Wilmington. AC KESZ (99.9) Phoenix made the switch, today, Nov. 20. Morning host Beth McDonald made the announcement live on the air and live on Fox TV (channel 10) … “107.9 Lite FM” KXLT Boise is now “All Holiday Songs” … Gapwest Oldies KLDH “Kool 101.7” Duluth flips to Christmas music just days after rival Red Rock AC WWAX “92.1 Lite FM” … Outside of Philadelphia, WJBR Wilmington, DE started airing all Holiday music – a week ahead of their scheduled flip … The Radio-Info.com Pittsburgh Boards are predicting that two stations will go all holiday music tonight: WSHH and WWWS. Join the “festive” discussion.

We’re very sad to report that veteran radio programmer Dene Hallam is in intensive care in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and his prognosis is reportedly not good. Hallam has been with the Moby In The Morning Network for the past two and a half years, and members of his work family are with him at the hospital. Moby says Hallam has been unresponsive for several days, and that a priest conducted Catholic last rites on Thursday night. Hallam has programmed such stations as KKBQ Houston, WWWW (W4) Detroit, KCMO-FM Kansas City, WDAF Kansas City and WKHX Atlanta. He started his career on the pop side, and was always proud of being one of the few programmers to have won Billboard Radio Awards for PD of the year in two different formats. Hallam is the father of three daughters: Elizabeth, Samantha and Hayleigh.

The RAB’s Miller Kaplan-based revenue numbers put the local revenue decline for July-August-September 19%, and the national dropoff at 17%, for a combined average of 19%. Network revenue was down about 11%, while “digital” remains the only positive category, up 14% for those three months. RAB CEO Jeff Haley says “within the top 5 categories, we continue to see some advertisers aggressively increase their share of voice when compared to their higher-spending competitors.” Examples: Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, MetroPCS, plus carmakers Volvo and Hyundai. Year-to-date, radio’s revenues are down about 21%, considering local, national, network, digital and off-air. There are graphs and more details on the RAB.com site.

It happened around 11am, and late-morning personality John Williams was unhurt. He tells the Tribune “Chicago Breaking News” site he thought the brick might be a piece of foam but “it went right through.” There’s video of the damage on the website, which also shows the woman who apparently lobbed the brick through the street-level window. After she committed the act, she walked into the street and sat down in busy Michigan Avenue, saying the name of Michael Scott over and over. He’s the former president of the Chicago Board of Education who committed suicide earlier this week, according to the M.E.’s office. A Chicago police officer says the woman “may be a mental patient…she might be a little sick.”

Former Virgin Radio 95.3 Vancouver host Buzz Bishop is moving to Calgary, taking over mornings on CFUL-FM (90.3) “Amp Radio” … Former CHED-AM (630) & CHQT-FM (92.5) promotions coordinator Khazma Tichon joins Edmonton’s former “Power 92” and now “Joe-FM” CKNG-FM (92.5) as Promotions Director … Radio-Info checks in with Winnipeg’s new CIUR-FM (104.7). We are told that the official launch date for “Winnipeg’s Illest Urban” is about December 11. Until then, “Streetz FM” is in test-mode, available in Winnipeg, but you can also listen to them online here … For the latest talk on radio in Ontario, check out the Radio-Info Toronto board – Discuss it.

Six men suspected in the gruesome murder of of Sunrise Radio receptionist Geeta Aulakh, including her estranged husband, were released from a London jail on bail. Aulakh died of severe head injuries and a severed hand after being attacked near her home … Ford Ennals is named the first chief executive of Digital Radio UK, the company that will oversee the UK’s digital radio switchover … Jo Russell, formerly with Absolute Radio, takes over mornings on Birmingham’s BRMB, replacing Elliott Webb … Adventure Radio Group’s Lite FM Peterborough is changing its name to Connect FM (106.8) … Broadcast regulator OFCOM has approved the requested format change for Bristol’s Original 106.5, from album oriented rock to a mix of AOR with classic rock and some non-contemporary rock hits. But it must keep supplying news, around the clock.

The long-awaited move by a New York City radio station to feature Christmas music came Friday morning when, as expected, the city’s top-rated radio station, with a cume of over 6 million according to the latest Arbitron PPMs, is now the Big Apple’s only holiday music station. Last year, both WLTW and WCBS-FM (101.1) both went to holiday music, even earlier than WLTW flipped this year, but WCBS-FM has no plans to change their usual classic hits music this year. Listen to WLTW-FM, and join the discussion on the New York Board.

U.S. broadcaster Emmis Communications was awarded the license for Slager Radio in Hungary in 1997, and over 12 years, and nearly $170 million spent, it was the top-rated station in Hungary. In a controversial move, the The National Radio and Television Board, which is the Hungarian version of the FCC, refused to renew the license of Slager Radio, and awarded it to a national political party. Emmis announces they plan on “seeking relief in the court systems of Hungary and the European Union,” per statement released by the broadcaster. According to PoliticsHu.com, the representatives of nine nations, the US, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland issued a joint statement condemning the “cancellation of the licenses of Slager and Danubius radio stations.”

Candace Gonzales moves from her role as director of Marketing & Promotion for Alpha Broadcasting’s KINK Portland, to the new position of Events & Sponsorship Sales Manager for KINK-FM. Gonzales has worked for KINK (101.9) for 11 years. KINK is currently searching for the next Director of Promotion & Marketing. Candidates should send resumes to PD Dennis Constantine at: dennis.constantine@alphabroadcasting.com. … Radio-Info confirms Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia’s Red Zebra-owned WXTG-AM/FM (1490 / 102.1) OM/PD Keith Bennett has been cut loose. No replacement has been named … DCRTV reports that former WCHH “Channel 104.3" Baltimore middayer Ty resurfaces on WWDC “DC 101” Washington D.C.. There, she'll be calling herself Bailey and replacing middayer Whitney, now heard on KNDD Seattle. Ty/Bailey will also host the weekend new music show “Local Lix” … John Hultman is retiring from “Newsradio 780” WBBM Chicago – for a second time. He retired in 1998, then returned in 2008. Now the 72-year old newsman is ready to leave once again, according to Robert Feder on Vocalo.org … “Big Jay” Sorenson is heading back to WCBS-FM (101.1) for part-time duties spinning the oldies, doing Thanksgiving and other weekend work.

But Burke says he’s sober and in therapy, and he and his wife are having dinner tonight, says the Orlando Sentinel – not that many months after the incident at their home where he shot his dog and the bullet grazed his wife’s head. Burke was quickly dropped by Clear Channel’s talk/modern rock WTKS (104.1) and could have faced up to a 20 year sentence. But instead he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of cruelty to animals (for shooting the dog) and guility to a misdemeanor charge of using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol. He won’t have to start his 6-month prison sentence until December 31, and the Sentinel says he “gave his wife, who has since recovered [from the shooting] a big hug and kiss…[and] he asked her to make meatloaf for dinner.” She had previously taken out an order of protection against him. Radio-wise, Burke has begun buying two hours of weekend time on WORL (660) for a show about substance abuse, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and recovery. The Orlando Board of Radio-Info.com is talking about the Shannon Burke case.

There’s a countdown to the return of “true alternative” on TheSpyFM site. That’s one of the tipoffs that KINB, Kingfisher, Oklahoma is (105.3) is due to drop its Spanish sports format and go back to the future as the reincarnation of Oklahoma City’s onetime “Spy” alternative rock format. Another – former Spy morning man Ferris O'Brien posting on the Oklahoma Board of Radio-Info.com. O'Brien is buying the former Citadel station from the Last Bastion Trust, says the Oklahoman newspaper. He says “this has been something I’ve been thinking about doing, wanting to be doing, for the last ten years.” When Citadel flipped then-KSYY from “Spy” to a Spanish music format in 2004 O’Brien did a Spy Radio show on sister rocker KATT (100.5). Now he says “if I break even and make a good living and can pay the bills and keep it on the air” – he’ll be happy.

The caller to the WILN-FM (105.9) “That Guy” Kramer morning show said she left his 11-month old home alone in bed while she went out for dinner and ran errands. The call prompted a series of outraged listener calls to the station about the home-alone baby, and also a number of listeners notified police that someone was endangering their baby. Bay County Sheriff Dept. officers went to the station to investigate, and according to WJHG-TV, what the police discovered was that the caller was a DJ from another radio station, and the show segment was a hoax. Police are not expected to press any charges. The North Florida Board of Radio-Info.com is weighing in on the baby stunt.

It’s called the UK Radioplayer project, a collaboration of the BBC, Radio Centre, Global Radio and Guardian Media Group. It will group as many as 400 Ofcom-licensed national, local, community and student stations in the U.K. According to MediaBuyer, the new radio will include a “search engine…to allow users to search by program type – for news, sports, specific music genres or even individual songs.” The new software is due for release early next year. One reason – U.K. online radio revenue is expected to grow 12% this year, to $441 million, says SNL Kagan.