Owen Saddler
CLASS OF 1977 Owen L. Saddler, at the time of his Hall of Fame induction, was Executive Vice-President and General Manager of May Broadcasting Company, at the time owners of KMTV Omaha, KMA Radio Shenandoah, Iowa, and KGUN-TV Tucson May also had a financial interest in KFAB radio in Omaha. Owen began his broadcasting […]
Georgia Crawford
CLASS OF 1978 On September 28, 1949, the dreams of Bud Crawford and his wife Georgia were realized when KCNI Radio went on the air. It was a short-lived dream for Mr. Crawford, who passed away in 1954. With the death of her husband, Georgia became the major stockholder and the only woman manager of […]
William Wiseman
CLASS OF 1978 William O. “Bill” Wiseman’s overall media career spanned the industry from its beginning all the way through the development of television 44 colorful years later. Much of that time was spent at WOW radio and television, his initials uniquely matching the call letters of his broadcast home. Born in Des Moines, the […]
Robert Schnuelle
CLASS OF 1979 At the time of his induction into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, Robert E. “Bob” Schnuelle was the Manager of KOLN TV/KGIN TV’s Grand Island Operations. A veteran broadcaster, he graduated from Gibbon High School in Gibbon and attended the University of Nebraska. After serving in the Marine Corps during […]
Harold Soderlund
CLASS OF 1979 Harold A. Soderlund had already spent over 40 years in broadcasting and related businesses at the time of his induction into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 1979. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1935 and was sales manager of radio station KFAB in its early years. He founded […]
James McGaffin
CLASS OF 1980 James McGaffin was only part-time and alone in the newsroom that Sunday morning in 1941 when he witnessed the Pearl Harbor bulletin cross on the news wires. He joined the Army six months later serving as a news writer for military stations broadcasting to American troops in North Africa. He returned to […]
Leroy Lenwell
CLASS OF 1980 Leroy Lenwell and three partners signed station KBRL McCook on to the air in 1947. Since then he served as president, general manager and chief engineer until his retirement as the sole owner, selling the station in 1972. He is credited for being one of the few engineers to establish and operate […]
Karl Stefan
CLASS OF 1981 When WJAG was founded in 1922 by Gene Huse, publisher of the Norfolk Daily News. the newspaper’s city editor Karl Stefan anchored the station’s first news report. He continued to serve as WJAG’s chief announcer until his election to Congress in 1935. Born in 1884 in Bohemia, now the Czech-Republic, Stefan’s family […]
George Kister
CLASS OF 1981 George Kister (pronounced Kee-ster) spent much of his 43-year broadcast career at KMMJ Grand Island. He entered radio almost by chance. He became Assistant Secretary of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce in 1925 which at the time acted as manager of radio station KFKX Hastings. As Assistant Secretary, Kister began his air work […]
Joe di Natale
CLASS OF 1982 Joe Di Natale spent 35 years at KODY North Platte working up from sales to part owner. He was a tireless promoter of North Platte, Nebaskaland Days, the University of Nebraska, and Nebraska itself. Joe’s family moved from Ohio to Lincoln when he was nine. He graduated from the University of Nebraska […]