Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame inducts six from radio and television
Nearly 300 broadcasters, friends, and fans crowded a Quincy, MA hotel ballroom on Thursday, June 8, for the 15th Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony and Luncheon honoring six distinguished radio and television broadcasters.
The retired long-time former sports anchor Mike Lynch from Boston’s WCVB-TV; the late and beloved videographer Therman Toon from Boston’s Channel 7; the late WBZ-TV, Boston, reporter, the gifted storyteller Bill Shields; from WBZ NewsRadio 1030, Boston, the heralded news reporter and “poet laureate” Carl Stevens; Spanish-language radio station entrepreneur Patrick Costa; and Lesley University Communications Professor and former rock and roll DJ Donna L. Halper were all inducted into the Hall of Fame after their election earlier in the year by a committee of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association. They joined a group of more than 150 past honorees in the state’s prestigious Hall of Fame, with each of them receiving a standing ovation at the Thursday luncheon.
Professor Halper, now a radio consultant as well as an educator, also received the Hall of Fame Pioneer Award, given, as HOF Committee Chair Peter Brown explained, “to individuals who have distinguished themselves over decades for lasting contributions made to the broadcast industry and through a leadership role in their particular craft.”
Honorary “Presenters” for the inductees were:
o José M. Villafañe, the Managing Partner for Costa Media, for Inductee Pat Costa,
o Longtime late-night Boston radio personality Morgan White Jr. for Inductee Donna Halper,
o Retired WCVB-TV news anchor Natalie Jacobson for Inductee Mike Lynch. Ms. Jacobson was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2011,
o Katherine Rossmoore for her late husband, Inductee Bill Shields,
o Jeff Brown, the long-time morning drive news anchor for WBZ NewsRadio 1030, Boston, for Inductee Carl Stevens, and
o Garry Armstrong, a journalist who worked at Boston’s Channel 7 for 31 years, for Inductee Therman Toon. Armstrong was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2013.
Read more about the inductees here.
MBA inducts 9 into its Hall of Fame
On September 22, 2022 nine prestigous radio and television broadacsters were inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame during a luncheon induction at the Boston Marriott Quincy Hotel.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame by emcee Jordan Rich and Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Peter Brown on behalf of the association were:
Mike Baxendale, the long-time morning co-host on Springfield’s Rock 102, WAQY; WCRB Classical 99.5 Boston morning program host of more than 20 years, Laura Carlo; Eric Jackson of Boston’s WGBH 89.7 Radio, widely considered the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio;” pioneering broadcast executive Paul Kelley; ESPN’s award-winning former Boston Red Sox TV play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough; John O’Brien, the popular iHeart Radio podcaster and former Rock 102, WAQY morning co-host; Nancy Quill, who for 38 years with WMJX, Boston, Magic 106.7, was among the top-rated mid-day radio ratings leaders; Jorge Quiroga, the award-winning WCVB-TV, Channel 5, Boston journalist who reported news for more than four decades at the station; and Gerald Walsh, the former President and General Manager of Boston’s WLVI, Channel 56, as well as WFXT, Channel 25, and one-time President of Boston Celtics Broadcasting.
During the lucnehon, the association announced that its 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony would take place on June 8 with nominations being sought through October 2022. Those wishing to nominate someone for the Hall of Fame can use the nomination form on the HOF website.
A full video of the luncheon (coming soon) along with more than 600 pictures are also available on our 2022 Inductee page!
