Rolland Johnson
CLASS OF 2007 Rolland (Rollie) Clair Johnson was Chairman and CEO of Three Eagles Communications, which he founded in 1995, and its various subsidiaries. The company once owned approximately 60 radio stations in small-to-medium markets in the Midwest, as well as FarmNet, a nationally syndicated agricultural news service. A Nebraskan, Rolland grew up on a working […]
John Fetzer
CLASS OF 2007 John Fetzer may be more widely known as the owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1961 through 1983. But his best story is his work as a Michigan radio and television executive who pioneered in the two mediums. Along the way, his contributions to Nebraska television left major and lasting changes for […]
Gil Poese
CLASS OF 2008 Gil Poese owned and ran KBRX O’Neill for 60 years. His understanding of serving a local audience is legendary. Gil’s noon newscast was appointment listening for thousands. The station’s Party Line program of buy, sell, trade, or just talk, was one of the longest-running programs in the state. Gil was from Missouri. […]
John Clark
CLASS OF 2008 Born and raised in Omaha, John Clark graduated from Technical High in 1966 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1971. In the years that followed, John left his permanent mark on Omaha television. John started out working part-time at KMTV […]
Dave Hamer
CLASS OF 2009 Dave Hamer began his broadcast career at KVTV Sioux City gaining experience as a street reporter-photographer. Moving to Omaha he was brought aboard as Chief Photographer at KETV when it signed on in 1957. There he polished his skills as a reporter-photographer covering the Starkweather murder rampage as well as covering City […]
Lee Thomas
CLASS OF 2009 Lee Thomas went from DJ to Ph.D. At KLMS Lincoln for 27 years, Thomas served as music director, program director, operations manager, and general manager by 1974, and for listeners, a popular reviewer of movies. From there he went on to earn a doctorate and teach communications at Doane College in Crete. […]
Leta Powell Drake
CLASS OF 2010 Leta Powell Drake began her 46-year broadcasting career in Duluth, Minnesota at KDAL-TV (forerunner to KDLH TV). The station offered her a part-time job while she attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Leta began as talent on commercials and was the “Bingo Girl” on a live Bingo program. Leta’s UMD Theater mentor […]
Mike Garwood
CLASS OF 2010 Mike Garwood enjoyed a stellar career as a broadcaster for over three decades at KCOW Alliance, overcoming a physical disability in achieving it. Mike assisted in the town’s growth, was a supporter of high school sports, and was a popular air personality and mentor to his radio family. An Army vet who […]
Gary Sadlemyer
CLASS OF 2011 A Nebraska radio legend, Gary Sadlemyer has spent all but three years of his long radio career at KFAB. His work on Nebraska football broadcasts on the Nebraska Sports Network from 1980-1995 made his name and voice familiar to Husker fans across the country. He courageously and successfully hosted the first live […]
Cathy Blythe
CLASS OF 2011 With a warm personality and pleasant voice, Cathy Blythe became a Lincoln institution with a radio career spanning almost 40 years. Cathy was originally hired by Roger Larson as KFOR receptionist in 1972. She later became Stuart Broadcasting’s Music Director before leaving in 1981. The next year, Dick Chapin convinced Cathy she […]