John Shepard

John Shepard III (March 19, 1886 - May 11, 1950) was an American radio executive and merchant. He was a founding member and the first Vice President of the National Association of Broadcasters. Alongside his brother Robert, Shepard co-founded the Yankee Network, a New England radio network, in 1929-1930. Shepard was a pioneer of FM broadcasting, establishing the first FM network by linking his station in Massachusetts with one in New Hampshire in 1941. He also experimented with home shopping, creating the all-female radio station WASN in 1927, which focused on shopping news and merchandise information. Shepard was instrumental in establishing the Yankee News Service, a local news network serving New England.