FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007
Contact: Tom Resler, president of Museum of Radio and Technology board, (304) 389-5585
 

Huntington Museum of Radio and Technology announces second class
of inductees into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thirty-two radio and television pioneers will become members of The West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the second annual induction ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 3.

The ceremony is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Museum of Radio and Technology located at 1640 Florence Ave. in Huntington.

Tom Resler, president of the museum board, said the hall of fame truly represents the great legacy West Virginia has in the broadcasting industry.

“These inductees have created a rich diversity of programming at radio and TV stations across the state,” Resler said. “This year’s class of 32 and last year’s class of 61 inductees represent West Virginians who have been an important part of the lives of viewers and listeners in the region and even across the country.”

The members of the second class of inductees into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame are:

Bob Bower, WTIP sportscaster, program director; Harry Bright, WETZ, Martinsville; Glen Chase, founder, WSAZ radio; Charlie Cooper, WKAZ DJ Super Dooper Charlie Cooper; Bud Dailey, WSAZ weathercaster; Randy Damron, WQBE personality;

George Diab, GM at WCHS; Little Jimmy Dickens, Grand Ole Opry star; Bob Harvit, WBTH, WXCC-FM owner-Williamson; Ira Southern, Southern Communications; Dorothy “Dottie” Johnson, Marshall University professor; Pete Johnson, consulting engineer;

Carrol King Kessel, engineer, WSAZ radio; Ken Kurtz, news reporter; George Lewis, Steamboat Bill and Mr. Cartoon on WSAZ; Bob Orr, CBS News correspondent, WTRF-Wheeling; Jack O’Shea, DJ on WKEE, Huntington; Don Ray, current GM of WSAZ-TV;

Dick Reid, Lucky 8 Ranch on WCHS-TV; Bud Rogers, WSAZ-TV’s second GM; Jim Schneider, WKEE DJ known as “Flying Dutchman;” David Selby, Quentin Collins on “Dark Shadows;” Bob Smith, news anchor-WSAZ, WOWK-TV; Bert Sonis, GM of WTIP-Charleston;

Buddy Starcher, “Buddy Starcher Show” on WCHS-TV; Bob Thomas, Sr., engineer, owner WOAY in Oak Hill; Bob Turley, WKAZ DJ; Greg Van Camp, WWVU-Morgantown; Mort Victorson, sales manager at WTIP; Phil Vogel, longtime radio voice, WWNR, WGKV; and Gary Vorhees, program manager, WTRF-Wheeling.

A portion of the museum was renovated to house the hall of fame with support from the Tri-State Foundation and the Cabell County Commission.  The museum, founded in 1991, features hundreds of radio and TV exhibits and maintains a library of broadcasting history.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For more information, contact Dr. Corley Dennison, dean of Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee, at (304) 696-2809.

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