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Hall of Fame 1973John Gillin, Jr.Video |
Johnny Gillin was in the broadcasting business for more than a quarter of a century A native of Omaha, he was a graduate of Creighton University and the Creighton University School of Law.
At WOW radio in Omaha, he was announcer, program director, commercial manager, general manager and president. Gillin also was the general mananger when channel six, WOW-TV (later WOWT (TV) signed on in 1949.
Considered one of the founders of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association, Gillin was the second NBA president/chair of the board of directors.
Elected a director of the National Association of Broadcasters at the age of 29, he served from 1934 to 1947. He helped to organize the NAB Bureaus which evolved into Broadcast Music, Inc, the Radio
Advertising Bureau and the Television Bureau of Advertising.
Often known as the man with the rose (a fresh rosebud was in on the label of his suit each day), he was described as the broadcaster who knew more radio people of his time (many by their first names) and was known by more of his colleagues than any other U.S. broadcast manager. Gillin died of a heart attack in 1950 at the age of 45.