Ellie Dylan
Encyclopedia
Ellie Dylan is currently the President and Founder of The SKYSHAPERS Foundation
(dba SKYSHAPERS University) and the CEO, President and Founder of SKY U, LLC. Both Companies are involved with motivating children to excel.
Dylan began her career in radio as a college disc jockey
and rose to become ‘the most listened to female disc jockey in the United States
’ on NBC
Radio: First, by taking her 7:00pm to midnight time shift on WMAQ Radio from 17th place in the ratings to the number-one rated show in Chicago
; Then, as the first female to do an afternoon drive shift on AM Radio in a major market. Dylan became the first woman to hold a morning drive time
position on AM Radio in a major market at WNBC Radio in New York City
.
Dylan next moved to television as the Host and Producer of “You!,” a weekly television series on WABC-TV in New York
. Her program grew into a solid ratings success following Dylan’s initial telecast, which was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Her “You!” show went on to win an Emmy Award
and became number one in the ratings.
Dylan later established SKYSHAPERS University
and SKY U to develop and produce multimedia programs to motivate elementary school-age children to excel. Over 7.5 million children and more than 10,000 schools across America have participated in SKYSHAPERS University
programs.
, but spent her formative years in Columbus, GA. She later explained that growing up in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement
had a profound impact on her life.
Dylan left Georgia to attend Tulane University
in New Orleans and spent her junior year abroad at the University of London
. Returning to New Orleans, Dylan graduated with honors, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from Tulane and was accepted by Tulane’s Law School.
Dylan relates that during those college years, she experienced two life-changing events which shaped her future. The first occurred when her freshman English professor gave Dylan an “F” on a major paper she had written, explaining that she would continue to fail Dylan until she worked at her full potential. (This professor later bestowed the honor of Phi Beta Kappa on Dylan upon her graduation in the top percentile of her class at Tulane in 1974.)
During her college years, Dylan was also a disc jockey on WTUL, the Tulane campus radio station, where she played music from The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan
, etc. and began to discover the power of the media to create change.
Dylan relates that her passion for radio became such that on every college vacation she attempted to get a job at a “real radio station” in her hometown, only to be told time after time “Women are not on the radio.”
Finally, the summer before she was to begin law school, Dylan was hired to do radio shows on WWRH-FM and WPNX-AM in her hometown. There she posed pointed questions to the likes of David Duke
, Grand Dragon of the KKK., and Lester Maddox
, controversial Georgia Governor, who is reported to have walked off her show. Thereafter, a local radio station employee told Dylan “You’ll never make it in radio. Because you’re different.”
Soon after, Dylan heard about a nationwide talent search for ‘The Queen of Country Music’ from WMAQ Radio (the NBC-owned Chicago radio station, which covers 38 states and Canada). Dylan sent in a three-minute biographical tape backed by Earl Scruggs
banjo picking. Again, Dylan was “different” and won the talent search.
and accepted the job as ‘The Queen of Country Music’ at WMAQ Radio, a hefty salary, and a new surname
(after her favorite musician, Bob Dylan). By June of that year, Dylan was on the cover of the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, which called her “82 pounds and 50,000 watts of down-home disc jockey.” In her two years at WMAQ, Dylan turned her 7:00pm to midnight shift into the number-one rated music show in Chicago. She then became the first woman to do an afternoon drive shift on AM radio in a major market, and doubled the ratings in the 3-7pm slot.
By September, 1977, Dylan joined WNBC, NBC’s flagship radio station in New York, as the first woman to hold a morning drive time shift on AM Radio in a major market. There, she replaced radio host, Don Imus
. Although Imus had a loyal following, Dylan in her first rating book increased WNBC’s morning audience and became the most listened-to female disc jockey in the United States.
On Saturday, September 30, 1978, Ellie Dylan’s “You!” show premiered on WABC-TV in New York and was subsequently nominated for three Emmy Awards. Called “one of the best rating increase stories ever” by WABC-TV, in February 1979, Ellie Dylan’s “You!” show became number one in the ratings and “the hottest show in New York television” and won an Emmy Award.
By 1980, Dylan also began hosting and producing a series of one-hour “Ellie Dylan Specials” in her first departure from the “You!” format. Stints on other television programs followed: “Kids are People, Too,” “The Love Report” and later, “The Today Show.”
In 1986, Dylan started SKYSHAPERS, Inc.
, a company to produce motivational entertainment products and programs for children. By August 1988, Dylan had also formed a 501(c)(3) public charity, the SKYSHAPERS Foundation
(dba SKYSHAPERS University) to develop and distribute children’s motivational programs and scholarships. Along with creating 22 original cartoon characters and an original rock music soundtrack, Dylan put together an advisory board and forged alliances with the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a program that would motivate children by giving them “action steps” to reach their dreams.
program was endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Antonia Novello
. It was federally funded and distributed in 20 percent of elementary schools in
America, reaching more than 10,000 schools and 7.5 million children. It became one of the largest programs of its kind the Public Health Service has ever run in American schools.
Over 14 million pieces of SKYSHAPERS materials were distributed to fulfill orders from 10,000 public and private elementary schools, and thousands of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, Scout Troops, churches and synagogue youth groups in the United States. Inspired by the successful response to the SKYSHAPERS
Program, Dylan and her team began developing SKYSHAPERS Textbooks and Teacher Editions; The first of which was The SKY Quest Series.
In 1999, SKYSHAPERS became an official vendor for Textbooks and Teachers’ Editions for the New York City Board of Education and Dylan began developing and delivering programs for the New York City School System, the largest in America with over 1 million students in more than 1,400 schools. In 2003, Dylan started SKY U, L.L.C., to serve as the production entity for the marketing and distribution of SKYSHAPERS University
products and programs.
producing and delivering SKY U Quest For Excellence Live Events for students, Faculty Training Seminars, SKY U Tracker Organizer Systems, SKY U Activity Sets, SKY U Incentive Cards, and Leaders’ Curriculum Sets.
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
(dba SKYSHAPERS University) and the CEO, President and Founder of SKY U, LLC. Both Companies are involved with motivating children to excel.
Dylan began her career in radio as a college disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and rose to become ‘the most listened to female disc jockey in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
’ on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Radio: First, by taking her 7:00pm to midnight time shift on WMAQ Radio from 17th place in the ratings to the number-one rated show in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; Then, as the first female to do an afternoon drive shift on AM Radio in a major market. Dylan became the first woman to hold a morning drive time
Drive time
Drive time is the daypart analog to prime time for radio broadcasting. It consists of the morning hours when listeners wake up, get ready, and/or head to work or school, and the afternoon hours when they are heading home and before their evening meal. These are the periods where the number of...
position on AM Radio in a major market at WNBC Radio in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Dylan next moved to television as the Host and Producer of “You!,” a weekly television series on WABC-TV in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her program grew into a solid ratings success following Dylan’s initial telecast, which was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Her “You!” show went on to win an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and became number one in the ratings.
Dylan later established SKYSHAPERS University
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
and SKY U to develop and produce multimedia programs to motivate elementary school-age children to excel. Over 7.5 million children and more than 10,000 schools across America have participated in SKYSHAPERS University
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
programs.
Early life
Ellie Dylan was born in Chattanooga, TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, but spent her formative years in Columbus, GA. She later explained that growing up in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
had a profound impact on her life.
Dylan left Georgia to attend Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans and spent her junior year abroad at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. Returning to New Orleans, Dylan graduated with honors, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from Tulane and was accepted by Tulane’s Law School.
Dylan relates that during those college years, she experienced two life-changing events which shaped her future. The first occurred when her freshman English professor gave Dylan an “F” on a major paper she had written, explaining that she would continue to fail Dylan until she worked at her full potential. (This professor later bestowed the honor of Phi Beta Kappa on Dylan upon her graduation in the top percentile of her class at Tulane in 1974.)
During her college years, Dylan was also a disc jockey on WTUL, the Tulane campus radio station, where she played music from The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, etc. and began to discover the power of the media to create change.
Dylan relates that her passion for radio became such that on every college vacation she attempted to get a job at a “real radio station” in her hometown, only to be told time after time “Women are not on the radio.”
Finally, the summer before she was to begin law school, Dylan was hired to do radio shows on WWRH-FM and WPNX-AM in her hometown. There she posed pointed questions to the likes of David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
, Grand Dragon of the KKK., and Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox was an American politician who was the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971....
, controversial Georgia Governor, who is reported to have walked off her show. Thereafter, a local radio station employee told Dylan “You’ll never make it in radio. Because you’re different.”
Soon after, Dylan heard about a nationwide talent search for ‘The Queen of Country Music’ from WMAQ Radio (the NBC-owned Chicago radio station, which covers 38 states and Canada). Dylan sent in a three-minute biographical tape backed by Earl Scruggs
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
banjo picking. Again, Dylan was “different” and won the talent search.
Radio (1975-78)
In 1975, Dylan moved to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and accepted the job as ‘The Queen of Country Music’ at WMAQ Radio, a hefty salary, and a new surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
(after her favorite musician, Bob Dylan). By June of that year, Dylan was on the cover of the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, which called her “82 pounds and 50,000 watts of down-home disc jockey.” In her two years at WMAQ, Dylan turned her 7:00pm to midnight shift into the number-one rated music show in Chicago. She then became the first woman to do an afternoon drive shift on AM radio in a major market, and doubled the ratings in the 3-7pm slot.
By September, 1977, Dylan joined WNBC, NBC’s flagship radio station in New York, as the first woman to hold a morning drive time shift on AM Radio in a major market. There, she replaced radio host, Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
. Although Imus had a loyal following, Dylan in her first rating book increased WNBC’s morning audience and became the most listened-to female disc jockey in the United States.
Television (1978-85)
But Dylan itched to broaden her horizons and set her sights on television, explaining that she wanted to “create a kind of ‘reality show’ that is honest, clear, and alive.”On Saturday, September 30, 1978, Ellie Dylan’s “You!” show premiered on WABC-TV in New York and was subsequently nominated for three Emmy Awards. Called “one of the best rating increase stories ever” by WABC-TV, in February 1979, Ellie Dylan’s “You!” show became number one in the ratings and “the hottest show in New York television” and won an Emmy Award.
By 1980, Dylan also began hosting and producing a series of one-hour “Ellie Dylan Specials” in her first departure from the “You!” format. Stints on other television programs followed: “Kids are People, Too,” “The Love Report” and later, “The Today Show.”
Multimedia Education (1985-Present)
Drawing from her past when she was discouraged from becoming a radio disc jockey and then a television host/producer, only to succeed at both, Dylan next set her sights on developing entertainment to motivate children.In 1986, Dylan started SKYSHAPERS, Inc.
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
, a company to produce motivational entertainment products and programs for children. By August 1988, Dylan had also formed a 501(c)(3) public charity, the SKYSHAPERS Foundation
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
(dba SKYSHAPERS University) to develop and distribute children’s motivational programs and scholarships. Along with creating 22 original cartoon characters and an original rock music soundtrack, Dylan put together an advisory board and forged alliances with the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a program that would motivate children by giving them “action steps” to reach their dreams.
Government Partnerships
After seven years of market research and focus groups with children, the SKYSHAPERSSKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
program was endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Antonia Novello
Antonia Novello
Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as fourteenth Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993...
. It was federally funded and distributed in 20 percent of elementary schools in
America, reaching more than 10,000 schools and 7.5 million children. It became one of the largest programs of its kind the Public Health Service has ever run in American schools.
Over 14 million pieces of SKYSHAPERS materials were distributed to fulfill orders from 10,000 public and private elementary schools, and thousands of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, Scout Troops, churches and synagogue youth groups in the United States. Inspired by the successful response to the SKYSHAPERS
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
Program, Dylan and her team began developing SKYSHAPERS Textbooks and Teacher Editions; The first of which was The SKY Quest Series.
In 1999, SKYSHAPERS became an official vendor for Textbooks and Teachers’ Editions for the New York City Board of Education and Dylan began developing and delivering programs for the New York City School System, the largest in America with over 1 million students in more than 1,400 schools. In 2003, Dylan started SKY U, L.L.C., to serve as the production entity for the marketing and distribution of SKYSHAPERS University
SKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
products and programs.
Quest For Excellence
In 2005, Dylan began The SKY U Quest For Excellence initiative in NYC schools, with SKY U and SKYSHAPERS UniversitySKYSHAPERS Foundation
-SKYSHAPERS Foundation:The 501 SKYSHAPERS Foundation is a public charity established in August 1988, which provides scholarships, materials and services to children, parents, schools and other non-profit organizations...
producing and delivering SKY U Quest For Excellence Live Events for students, Faculty Training Seminars, SKY U Tracker Organizer Systems, SKY U Activity Sets, SKY U Incentive Cards, and Leaders’ Curriculum Sets.
Upcoming Projects
Dylan plans to continue The SKY U Quest For Excellence initiative in NYC schools through 2009-2010 and then replicate it in other school systems across America.Style
SKYSHAPERS University programs are noted for their colorful cartoon characters and “hip,” positive approach. They employ an intergalactic space theme with upbeat, contemporary music and child-friendly language. As Dylan puts it, “I realized that after ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Mr. Rogers,’ there is really nothing for the next age group that entertains yet educates. There is truly a void in hip, solid entertainment with a positive lifestyle message…that gives children action steps, rather than a slogan, to achieve excellence and reach their dreams.”Articles
- (June 22, 1975) Terry, Clifford, Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine Cover Story
- (February 1980) WABC-TV Biography
- (October 11, 1992) AP Wire Service Story
- (November 9, 1992) Nick Chiles, “Teaching Kids The Sky’s No Limit,” New York Newsday
- (September 1, 2007) Malcolm N. Carter, Associated Press Writer, Not Another Imus Blog