WBAP promotes Freda Ross to news director

Moving quickly but not surprisingly, Cumulus Media, the parent company of WBAP/820 AM and KLIF/570 AM, has promoted longtime assistant WBAP news director Freda Ross to news director for both stations.

Ross fills the slot vacated by Rick Hadley, who recently left after 20 years at WBAP to become executive director of communications for the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. Hadley’s last day was Friday, July 10, when he wrote an eloquent farewell to the WBAP and KLIF for the stations’ websites.

Ross was the natural successor: She joined WBAP in 1994 as assignments editor, quickly became assistant news director, and took on the same position at KLIF in 2011, when Cumulus (which already owned KLIF) purchased WBAP from Citadel Broadcasting. Both stations run a news-talk format; Ross is also KLIF’s midday news anchor.

A graduate of the University of North Texas, Ross began her radio career in her hometown of Sulphur Springs. Previous gigs also include KETR in Commerce. She has served on the board of directors of Texas Associated Press Broadcasters and teaches at the Las Colinas branch of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.

According to her KLIF bio, Ross “enjoys the theatre, reading, jazzercising and collecting stamps. The entrepreneur also has her own line of jewelry.”

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 12:05 PM with the headline "WBAP promotes Freda Ross to news director."