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Bob Hicks *

Written by admin on . Posted in Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year, Previous Winners.

1965 Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year

Bob Hicks, owner-general manager of KWEL/KBA T in Midland, has made history in Texas broadcasting and over the past 40 years, helped many current-day broadcasters start their careers.

Hicks put KBAT on the air in 1973 as the first completely auto­mated 100,000-watt station in Texas.

He got his start in radio working as a disc jockey for Jay Harpole at KVOU in Uvalde. He worked his way up to general manager and then began buying and running stations on his own.

Born in China Springs, Texas, Hicks grew up in Waco and attended Baylor University.

An inveterate jokester, Hicks once invited the president and scores of other dignitaries to a reception at the home of Clint Formby.

Long before the days of WKRP-Cincinnati, Hicks promoted his Falfurrias station’s clients by dropping live turkeys from the top of the two-story Hobbs Clothing Store.

Hicks says what makes radio great is its ability to make a difference and help people. He practices what he preaches.

An active member of Kiwanis, Hicks holds the longest record for both perfect attendance and standing membership in the Midland Kiwanis at 39 years.

Hicks was a charter member of the Uvalde Kiwa­nis Club in 1950, served as president of the Falfurrias Club, as Ki­wanian of the year and as the group’s youngest lientenant governor.

In Midland, Hicks served on the Chamber of Commerce and organ­ized funding and production of a public relations documentary, “Land of the High Sky.”

As Chairman of the Midland Housing Authority, he helped coordinate a $4.1 million HUD project providing 300 low-cost homes. Hicks also serves on the Board of Directors of the High Sky Girls Ranch for orphaned and underprivileged girls.

Hicks, 62, has five children and seven grandchildren.

View Bob Hicks’ interview as part of Texas Tech’s TAB Pioneer Broadcaster project

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Bev E. Brown *

Written by admin on . Posted in Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year, Previous Winners.

1986 Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year

Beverly E. Brown, owner-manager of KGAS-AM in Carthage, was honored by the Texas Association of Broadcasters as its Pioneer Broadcaster for 1986.

Brown, who has been in broadcasting for three decades, was honored by his peers during TAB’s annual convention at the Palacio del Rio Hilton in San Antonio.

The Pioneer Broadcaster is the highest award conveyed by the organization.

The 59-year-old station manager has owned KGAS AM since 1965 and is president-manager of Carthage Cable-Vision, Inc.        

His service to his industry includes stints as president of TAB and of the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters.

He is currently radio board chairman for the National Association of Broadcasters.

“Brown is a fine example of what broadcasting is all about,” said Bonner McLane of Austin in presenting the award.

Executive vice president of TAB, McLane won the award last year.

“Brown has used his small market radio station to serve his community in any way possible for more than 20 years, and he has served his industry both locally and nationally,” McLane added. “He represents the best qualities of Texas broadcasting today.”

A native of Kilgore, Brown attended Panola Junior College and Texas A&M before entering the broadcasting field. He served in various broadcasting posts before purchasing KGAS. He moved into cable TV operations in 1972.

He became a member of the TAB Pioneer Broadcasting Chapter in 1983 and has also served on the NAB’s Legislative Liaison Committee.

Among Brown’s community involvements, he served as president of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce, the Panola County Development Foundation and Panola County Youth Activities, Inc.,

He is a charter member of the Sabine River Development Association, Sales and Marketing Executives of East Texas and the Texas Election Central Advisory Task Force.         

He also served as a trustee for Panola Junior college for 18 years and is a director of the Panola National Bank in Carthage.

Town fathers in Carthage recognized Brown’s contributions to his community by designating October 5, 1982 as Bev E. Brown Day.

Brown retired from the Texas Army National Guard in 1968 as a lieutenant colonel.

He married the former Joyce Ann Hooker in 1948. He and his wife have three children and three grandchildren.

Texas Broadcasters Mourn Loss of Pioneer Broadcaster Bev Brown

(published April 2020)

Brown passed away on April 4, 2020 at the age of 92.

In 1955, he began his 33-year career in Radio at KGAS Carthage; he became managing partner in 1957.

He purchased the station in 1965 and operated it until retiring in 1988. At that time, he had served as the voice of Carthage Football for more than 30 years.

He served as TAB Chairman in 1982 and his fellow broadcasters named him Pioneer of the Year in 1986.

If desired, memorials may be made to the Carthage Education Foundation, #1 Bulldog Drive, Carthage, Texas 75633 or the First United Methodist Church, 201 South Shelby, Carthage, Texas 75633.

View Bev Brown’s interview as part of Texas Tech’s “Pioneers of TAB” project

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Read more about Bev Brown (Longview News-Journal)

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Bonner McLane *

Written by admin on . Posted in Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year, Previous Winners.

1985 Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year

IT IS ENTIRELY FITTING and proper that a verbal memoriam to Bonner McLane be couched in loving, whimsical terms, because Bonner was such a man. True, Bonner did almost single-handedly bring the Texas Association of Broadcasters to a position of pre-eminence among all other state groups, and yes, he did establish the first completely full service ad agency in Austin (and the biggest too) and correct he did educate (in the classroom and elsewhere) most of the prominent in People who are or claim to be prominent in the field today.

THERE WAS A LIGHTER SIDE of Bonner, though, complete with a twinkle in those rich blue eyes, and a hand to reposition that wavy head of hair which would have done justice to three men.

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Stan McKenzie *

Written by admin on . Posted in Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year, Previous Winners.

1984 Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year

Stan McKenzie was born and raised in Miami….that’s Miami in the Texas Panhandle

He got his BFA in radio broadcasting from UT Austin in 1950.

During his UT years he did sports announcing part-time for KVET Austin and KTAE Taylor.

He landed at KWED Seguin fresh out of college where he did news, sales, editorials, copy writing…and sports.

McKenzie became station manager in 1954 and too over as owner in 1970. He added KWED-FM that same year.

Kern Tips hired him for the Humble Southwest Conference Football Network in 1955.  McKenzie did play by play for them for the next 29 years.

Stan retired from managing KWED in 1985 and sold the property in 1987.

He was always active in TAB, serving as Chairman in 1974.

He also served on the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors, President of the Texas Education Broadcast Association, President of Seguin Chamber of Commerce, and numerous other committees.

McKenzie passed away on July 3, 2017 at the age of 89.

Legendary broadcaster Stan McKenzie dies; McKenzie remembered for radio talent on KWED, on Southwest Conference football games

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Wayne Kearl *

Written by admin on . Posted in Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year, Previous Winners.

1981 Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year

Broadcasters present Kearl TAB’s highest honor

Wayne Kearl of San Antonio received the highest honor the Texas Association of Broadcasters can confer on one of its members Tuesday night when he was named Pior.eer Broad­caster of the Year.

Now in the 40th year of his career in broadcasting, Kearl is Chairman Broadcast/Entertainment, Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc., and president of that group’s broadcast operations.

He was recognized as pioneer broadcaster at a banquet during TAB’s Convention at Loews Anatole Hotel in Dallas.

The award is presented each year to a Texas broadcaster who has been in the industry at least 25 years, and who has added stature to the profession through his work in the industry and in his community.

Kearl has been in television almost as long as TV stations have been broadcasting, beginning in 1949 in the sales departruent of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City.

A native of Alberta, Canada, he attended the University of Alberta and Drigham Young University before taking his first broadcast job in 1941 as an announcer and copywriter for KOVO (AM) in Provo, Utah. He joined the KSL (AM) staff in 1945, and later worked at Los Angeles TV stations before moving to Honolulu in 1952 to help put KGMB, Hawaii’s first television station, on the air.

In 1954, he became sales manager for KENS-AM-TV in San Antonio. He was promoted to general manager of KENS-TV in 1958,
president of the station in 1966, group president of Harte-Hanks TV stations in 1974, and to president for broadcast operations
last year.

In a profile published recently in Broadcasting magazine, Kearl was quoted as noting that he feels satisfaction at having taken part in the development of television.

“As marvelous as that experience has been, he says, he believes that the new technologies that are now coming to influence the medium mean ‘the most exciting period is ahead.’ He believes such advances as cable, home video cassette recording, video disks and teletext services will ‘significantly extend’ today’s basic television service.”

A member of the International Committee of the National Association of Broadcasters, Kearl also has served as chairman
of NAB’s Television Code Review Board.

He and his wife, the former Dorothy Hatch, were married in Provo in 1941. They have three sons: Stan, Ted ard Robert.

Kearl passed away on September 6, 2017 – just seven weeks before his 99th birthday.

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