Doug Fleming 1977-2005

[lance]

The following is written by Radio-Info Moderator WYTZZ95FM, a longtime friend of our co-founder.



Dear Radio-Info visitor:



This is one of the hardest letters I have had to ever write.



As many of you have heard by now Doug Fleming our site owner and co-founder was missing since last weekend. I am deeply saddened to report to you, Doug has passed away.



His family requested I inform the Radio-Info visitors on this heartbreaking news, and waited until this time, honoring their request.



At this time I am sorry, I can’t provide any details of his death, and there have been no wake/funeral plans made. I promise you, please be patient, you will be made aware of arrangements as soon as the family makes them public.



Any questions or thoughts to be shared, are to be directed to WYTZZ95FM@AOL.COM. I will NOT be able to discuss any personal details even via e-mail. Please honor that request.



I have been in contact with Tanim, Lance and Sam, during this sad time, as they have worked very closely with Doug, and I know 1st hand, the respect and honor Doug had for these fine individuals that made and make Radio-Info possible. But Doug’s family and I ask please do NOT contact them with questions, as they will not be able to answer them for you.



I have discussed with Sam & Lance, in the next few days they will be making e-mail accounts where you can leave your thoughts so the family can access and read them. Also, Lance, Tanim and Sam will be working on a tribute for Doug to be posted soon on the site.



As I am the person sharing this with you, and if you did not know Doug, my relationship with Doug and his family is as follows.



I have known Doug for a good amount of years. I watched him grow from a teen to an adult. I am a few years older than him, and he always respected me 110%, and I honored him for it. I love him like the brother I never had. He was the kind of person that could light my toe on fire and I could not stay mad at him. He was smart, compassionate, and loved people. And many loved him the same way.



He has a loving mother, father and sister. I have built a relationship with his family, and I always feel at ease when around them and in their house, and I cherish the feeling. Doug lived his life around love and happiness, being guided by his family, making him the great person he was and will always be in our hearts.



Let me say, Doug made it clear to me that he was so proud, thankful and he was honored at every visitor that visited Radio-Info.com, and wished he could thank everyone that visited or participated for making the site as successful as it is today. He never envisioned the site growing to such popularity.



While we are filled with sadness, I know Doug would not want us to be sad for long. So I ask for you to reflect, as you see fit, in memory or prayer, to Doug, his family, and all his loved ones.



Bill

[Eric Stein]

My thoughts go out to Doug's family and friends. I hope the Radio-Info community he has help build and grow doesn't go away anytime soon.

[BRNout]

This truly is tragic news.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Doug and all who were close to him.  

Bob

[coxquehanna]

This is horrififally tragic. Why couldn't God have taken anyone else on this board away. Doug died way too young, the millions we put in search crews and medicine couldn't save him and it's our loss. Good people like him don't deserve to die, those who molest and murder should have, hell ANYONE else should have been taken instead of him.

My condolences go to his family and the fact the every day means one less day until I can finally make it to Heaven where everything is dandy and happy and there is no evil or pain. I just wish that it wasn't Doug that got that chance.

[ixnay]

My condolences and prayers for the Fleming clan.  Please let us know the details of his passing as soon as you know.

ixnay

[Joe A. Delfin]

I was shocked when I learned the news earlier this week. My business partner Rob and I had just had dinner with him not even two weeks ago here in Chicago. We had been speaking back and forth with him until he went missing. I am feeling a massive combination of shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, grief, and frustration that a good man and good friend has passed away.

My thanks to Bill (WYTZZ95FM), Lance, Sam, and Tanim, for everything they have done to handle this tragedy and everything they have done for Radio-Info. Doug was extremely proud of how Radio-Info.com has grown since its humble beginnings, and he still had SO MUCH in store for the site.

This is probably the most difficult message board posting I have ever made. So many people has expressed that they want to know more about Doug. Doug and I had chatted on the phone, email, and in message boards (including Zecom Communications' notorious CROW board and Cyber Radio's message board) before I finally met him face-to-face in 1997. I was working for Cyber Radio 92.7 and Doug came to the studios for a visit. Doug had always been an avid fan and supporter of dance radio.

Since then, Doug and I have been friends who shared common interests in a wider range than just dance music and radio broadcasting. Whenever there was a format or ownership change, I could expect a phone call or email from him discussing it. Whenever he came across a unique jingle or acquired a new aircheck of a format change, he was eager to share it with me.

We have gone tower-chasing all over the south and western suburbs together with my business partner Rob. Doug was a gracious host when he showed me and my wife around San Francisco and the massive antenna tree on the mountain just outside the city. Of course, we ended that night laughing over an awesome Italian dinner in the city.

Doug grew up in Chicago listening to stations like Z95, Energy 88.7, B96, and WJMK. In addition to Radio-Info.com, Doug had written columns for DMA (Dance Music Authority) magazine discussing dance radio. He had served as a valuable member on JamTraxx Media's executive team during its humble beginnings. Together, we developed seriously-ambitious proposals and presentations for companies such as ABC Radio and Infinity Broadcasting. I knew that I could always rely on his financial knowledge that he accumulated from his experiences through IN3 Partners and his brief time at JPMorgan.

From the very beginning, I was simply amazed at the knowledge and passion he had for radio broadcasting. He gave his opinions and spoke with great articulation and knowledge that commanded respect from me and the radio executives that we had dealings with.

Due to our hectic schedules and our necessary business discussions, I deeply regret not talking to Doug on a personal level and just joke around as often as I would like. He and I had so much in common: we both worked hard to build and develop our own companies without relying on our families for financial support. We shared an appreciation for culture, traveling, aviation, and technology.

I will miss our inside jokes. I will miss his enthusiastic opinions on radio. I will miss his valuable knowledge about radio acquisitions and mergers. And I will miss him greatly.

He was extremely proud of this site, and I am sure that he would have liked to express his deepest thanks to every single one of you for your contributions to Radio-Info. I'll try to post some of his pictures in the future.

God bless Doug and his family.

-JD

[954]

This is very sad. Doug was so young.

I just listened to the tribute on http://www.walkerbroadcasting.com/doug/ -- very good.

Although I did not know him personally, I have enjoyed his board for a year or two. I wish his family and friends my sympathy and encouragement in coping with the grief. I've been there.

I can't help thinking of the parallel with Bill Pfeiffer, founder of Airwaves.com. He died in a car accident in 1999 and his friends have kept up his archives since then.

I hope radio-info.com lives on as a memorial to Doug, too. It does so much good for the radio listening and professional community. (What would we do without it? Watch TV?)

If you all will excuse a little poetic license, maybe Doug is enjoying talking radio with Bill Pfeiffer right now.

73s from 954

David

______________
Mike Sheridan's History of WGMA, the Country Giant

[MarkLaRoi]

My prayers and condolences to all who knew him, I'm very sorry for your (and our) loss.

______________
~Always leave a hole when you go.
Say What Now?

[TedL]

In a short period of time, Doug seems to have done much.  Perhaps that's a lasting legacy and inspiration for others of any age:

http://www.in3partners.com/website/partners.htm

His interest and support for radio and broadcasting continues here.

Thanks for Radio-Info.com.

Ted Langdell
Owner/Chief Storyteller
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services,
Marysville, CA.

http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2005/07/25/104973.php

Edited by TedL on 07/26/05 08:46 PM.

[Rich]

Bill,

I am extremely sorry for the loss of Doug.  I didn't know him, but I have a strong appreciation of his work bringing these forums to the radio community.  Doug's efforts with this site are far more appreciated in the broadcasting community that he probably ever knew.

-Rich Fisher
Part-time hobbiest/flunky at too many stations to name...