CLASS OF 2016
Jerry Dishong’s career spans five decades; all at one station. During that time he became legendary for his service to the communities of the Panhandle and the people who live there.
Growing up in Gordon and attending Chadron State College, Jerry took a part-time job upon graduation in 1966 with Duhamel Broadcasting’s KDUH-TV in Hay Springs. To become full-time he was required to study and test for his FCC license so he could run master control. Following a trip to California for that specific purpose, Jerry assumed his master control duties, plus delivering three daily news and information programs,
Through the years Jerry has held nearly every imaginable position with the station, including anchor, reporter, weatherman, news director, program manager in 1972, and station manager in 1974.
One of the programs Jerry holds most dear is the Back Roads series, where he was able to meet some of the Panhandle’s most interesting people and see the most interesting places and share them with viewers throughout the area.
In the spring blizzard of 1975, while stranded at the Hay Springs station with seven-foot drifts outside, Jerry and his engineer stayed on the air playing films and airing announcements and updates for seemingly endless hours.
When KDUH moved from Hay Springs to Scottsbluff around 1980, Jerry moved with it. He continued his on-camera presence, especially anchoring the Noon news and his Town Talk interview segments, for another 35 years
Dishong was named Trail Blazer by the Scottsbluff/Gehring Chamber of Commerce in 2006 and is a recipient of the Lifetime Special Recognition Award for outstanding contributions to Nebraska Broadcasting-Associated Press, Jerry Dishong retired in 2018.
Jerry passed away on November 2, 2022.
