CNYRadio.com and CNYTVNews.com

Former Big Frog 104 DJ "Crickett" Dies

May 5, 2010 by CNYRadio.com

MEADVILLE, PA -- It is with sadness we report that former Big Frog 104 (WFRG) midday hostess Karie "Crickett" Shields has died.  According to a news report published yesterday, Shields was found dead Monday morning in a friend's home.  For the past ten years, Shields hosted middays at northwestern Pennsylvania's Froggy 100.3/98.5.
Updated 5/6 with details on funeral arrangements being held in Oneonta.

A report from GoErie.com, which misspells Shields' first name, says an autopsy conducted Monday did not reveal the cause of death.  The website says the coroner is awaiting further test results.

The Froggy 100.3/98.5 (WGYY/WGYI) website has set up a "Crickett Memorial" page with condolences posted by listeners and former co-workers.  It also has details about a memorial service set for next Tuesday, May 11, at a church in Meadville.

Karie Shields is survived by husband Jim Shields, who formerly worked as Operations Manager at WFRG and its sister stations, when the cluster was owned by Forever Broadcasting.  When Forever sold the cluster to Regent in 2000, Jim Shields accepted an offer to stay with Forever, requiring he and Karie to relocate to Pennsylvania.  Jim Shields is the General Manager at Forever's Meadville cluster.  Karie is also survived by the couple's daughter.

Prior to working at WFRG, Karie Shields also worked at WOUR in Utica, and at WZOZ in Oneonta.

Added 5/6 at 10:45pm: According to an obituary published in the Utica Observer-Dispatch, calling hours were held in Oneonta on Thursday evening.  A funeral service will be held at the Bookhout Funeral Home on Main Street in Oneonta on Friday at 11am.  In lieu of flowers, you are asked to consider a donation in Karie's memory to your local Humane Society.

Your editor, who worked with Karie and Jim for a brief time after starting in radio as a part-timer in 1999, wishes to send his deepest sympathies to the Shields family, their friends and their co-workers.  Our thanks also to the anonymous CNYRadio.com reader who alerted us to this news.

Archives

menu-circlecross-circle linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram