Broadcast Pioneers
The members of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and the broadcasting faculty and students of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the Broadcast Pioneer Award to recognize those indivduals whose long term leadership has contributed to the high quality of Nebraska broadcasting and to the high quality of broadcast education.
Recipients are honored each year in April during the Annual J-Days celebration on the university campus.
RECIPIENTS
2000 - RAY LOCKHART
Formerly of KOGA AM-FM/ KMCX, Ogallala,Nebraska (Prophet Systems/radio computers); Past NBA President/Chair of the NBA Board of Directors. two term member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters; Member, NBA Hall of Fame; Leader in the integration of computer sytems (provided machines an software to use) as a part of NU academic coursework in broadcasting.
2000 - HAROLD SODERLUND
Former owner of Soderlund Company (station representative firm); former owner of Radio Station KOOO,Omaha; Former Sales Manager of KFAB, Omaha; endowed the Soderlund Professsorship in broadcasting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; through the NBA Foundation, helped fund the Soderlund Sales Seminars (satellite and videoconferencing )for continuing education for broadcast sales personnel; Member Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
2001 - DON MEIER
Executive Producer, The Wild Kingdom television series, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. Successful television producer/director in Chicago, Illinois with Zoo Parade, which was the basis for Wild Kingdom. Provided scholarship opportunities for western Nebraska students to attend the university. Member, Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
2002 GORDON CHARLES BUD PENZ
Former Owner, KWBE AM/FM, Beatrice, Nebraska. Past NBA President/Chair NBA Board of Directors. Former member, Nebraska Educational Television Commission. Instrumental in the discussions (with UNL Chancellor Young) which led to the independent status of (then) School of Journalism. Member, NBA Hall of Fame.
2003 - RICHARD W. CHAPIN
Former President of Stuart Broadcasting (including stations KFOR AM and KFOR TV, Lincoln, Nebraska. Media Broker, Past Chair, Joint Boards of Directors, National Association of Broadcasters. Twice NBA President and Chair NBA Board of Directors. Frequent speaker in NU Broadcasting classes. Established (Richard W. Chapin) scholarship fund for broadcasting majors. Charter Member, NBA Hall of Fame.
2004 - MAX BROWN
Founding General Manager of KRVN AM, Lexington, Nebraska. Past member, NBA Board of Directors. Key advocate for agricultural information/content for braodcasting. Worked to provide scholarship funding and to attract university students to ag broadcasting careers. Member, NBA Hall of Fame.
2005 - ROBERT E. (BOB) THOMAS
Long time general manager of WJAG AM/KEXL FM, Norfolk, Nebraska. Twice NBA President/Chair Board of Directors. Son of Arthur Thomas (one of the NBA founders) and father of Robb Thomas, who also served as NBA President/Chair of the NBA Board of Directors. Charter Member, NBA Hall of Fame.
2006 ROGER LARSON
Retired General Manager of Radio Station KFOR AM, and related FM station (KFOR-FM/KHKS/KFRX). Twice NBA President and Chair, NBA Board of Directors. Former member Nebraska Educational Television Commission. Established (Roger Larson) scholarship for broadcasting majors. Mentor to many NU students who went on to successful broadcasting careers.
2007 - GARY FRIES
Fries has spent his entire professional life in radio as a salesperson, general manager, group head and network president. He began his career at KFOR Radio, and retired in 2006 as head of the Radio Advertising Bureau, a position he held since 1991. Fries has been listed in Radio Ink Magazine's To 40 Most Powerful People in RAdio every year since 1996 and was named Radio Executive of the year in 1993. In 1994, he was roasted by the Bayliss Broadcast Foundation and inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. The Illinois Broadcasters Association bestowed its state honor on him in 1999, and in 2000 he received the Arkansas Broadcasters Pinnacle Award.
2008-ULYSSES CARLINI Sr.
Carlini began his television career in the production department at WEHT TV, Henderson, KY, in 1953. His responsibilities included announcing, writing sales and production. He hosted his own kids program, "Peppo the Clown" in a live weekly hourlong program on Saturday morning. In 1959, he moved to Evansville, IN at WTVW-TV as program director. He continued to enertain kids with the creation of the "Fire Chief Andy." In 1968 he assumed the position of vice-president/general manager of KNOP-TV, North Platte, NE, and later, KIIT-TV, a low power VHF station, which signed on in 1995. He served the Nebraska Broadcasters Association as a board member in the 1970's and has a long history of being involved as a community leader in North Platte. He became a member of the NBA Hall of Fame in 2005
2009- LARRY RICE
Larry Rice is owner and general manager of KBRB AM/FM in Ainsworth, NE. The son of C.C. and Sylvia Rice, he grew up on a farm owned by his uncle and managed by his father near Pickering, MO. Rice attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville intending to become a high school coach. His broadcast career started with a part-time announcing job at KNIM in Maryville in 1956. It became full time and he received an offer from KFEQ-TV in St. Joseph, MO., to become the station's weatherman in 1959. At the same time, he was a disc jockey at KFEQ radio and that led to another offer, this time with KBKC in Kansas City and KBRX in O'Neil, NE. He became manager of KBRB in 1968. Rice and his former boss at KNIM renunited to become partners in the ownwership and operation of KBRX for the next 10 years. Ainsworth named Rice as its Businessman of the year and he received the governor's business achievement award. He is past president of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1993.
2010- RON HULL
Ron Hull currently serves as a special advisor to the Nebraska Educational Telecommunication (NET) and is a professor emeritus of broadcasting at the J school. He retired in 2003 as manager of KUON-TV and associate general manager of the Nebraska ETV Network. Hull received a bachelor's degree at Dakota Wesleyan University, a Master's from Syracuse University and his doctorate from UNL, and a Notable Alumnus Award from UNL in 1997. After KUON-TV signed on in 1954, Ron began his career at KUON in 1955 as a producer and director. He served as director of the program fund for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and also initiated "the American Experience" series. He served as a special adviser to programming at the PBS, where he also served two terms on the board of directors. Hull also worked for the U.S. Information Agency as a TV adviser to the South Vietnamese government. He was elected chair of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission in Nebraska and the immediate past president of the Mari Sandoz Pioneer Memorial. He is also a former board member of the John G. Neihardt Foundation. In 2004, Hull was inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters' Association Hall of Fame.