Who’s Who in Mass Broadcasting to be at Induction Ceremonies, Thu, 9-28

Media Contact:  Burt Peretsky (781) 828-4714 executivedirector@massbroadcastersHOF.org

www.massbroadcastersHOF.org

A Veritable “Who’s Who” from Local Radio and TV Will Attend the Massachusetts Broadcasters

Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Luncheon, Thursday, September 28, at Quincy Marriott Hotel

Nine Individuals To Be Inducted

Hall of Fame to Honor: News7’s Byron Barnett, Retired Channel 38 General Manager Dan Berkery, KISS 108 Radio Personality and Co-Host of TV’s “Dining Playbook” Billy Costa, Western Mass News Primary TV Anchor Dave Madsen, WBZ Radio “NightSide” host Dan Rea, Boston Red Sox TV Color Analyst Jerry Remy, Former Chairman and CEO of Radio Powerhouse Greater Media, Inc. Peter Smyth, Recently Retired WBZ Radio News Anchor Diane Stern, AND Cramer Productions Founder and Chairman, the Late Tom Martin.

Nine distinguished individuals will be inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame at its 11^th annual Induction and Awards Luncheon at the Boston Marriott Quincy Hotel on Thursday, Sept. 28.  Each will be “presented” by prominent broadcasting figures, as nearly two dozen past inductees and more than 300 other guests look on.

Slated for induction, and their presenters, are (alphabetically by inductees’ last names):

• WHDH-TV 7NEWS reporter Byron Barnett, to be presented by three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and News7 reporter Jonathan Hall,
• Retired TV38 General Manager and co-founder of New England Sports Network (NESN) Dan Berkery, to be presented by the recently named play-by-play voice of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Sean McDonough,
• KISS 108 Radio Personality and Host of TV’s “Dining Playbook” and “High School Quiz Show“ Billy Costa, to be presented by KISS 108 “Matty in the Morning” show host Matt Siegel,
• Western Mass News Primary TV Anchor Dave Madsen, to be presented by John Hesslein, a Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame Board member and Vice President and General Manager of Western Massachusetts’ television stations WSHM, WGGB, and WFSB, better known as CBS 3, ABC40, and FOX 6,
• Cramer Productions Founder and Chairman Tom Martin, who passed away on July 27 of this year. Martin’s presenter is 2010 Hall of Fame inductee S. James Coppersmith, who served WCVB-TV, Channel 5 as Vice President and General Manager from 1982 to 1989 and as President and GM from 1990 to 1994. Mr. Martin will receive the Hall of Fame’s “Pioneer Award,” which is presented to individuals or organizations fundamental to the industry but not readily recognized as broadcasters, per se,
• WBZ Radio “NightSide” host Dan Rea, to be presented by WBZ Radio’s Peter Casey, the veteran director of news & programming for the station,
• Boston Red Sox TV Color Analyst Jerry Remy, who will be present and introduced by NESN President Sean McGrail,
• Former Chairman and CEO of Radio Powerhouse Greater Media, Inc. Peter Smyth, who will be introduced by Loren Owens, who with his WROR Radio partner Wally Brine was a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, and
• Recently Retired WBZ Radio News Anchor Diane Stern, who will be introduced by her husband, the former long-time WCVB-TV NewsCenter 5 executive Neil Ungerleider, who recently retired as the station’s Digital & Multimedia Manager.

Looking on among the (to date) more than 325 guests, will be the following past Hall of Fame inductees (others may be added before the event):

• Bob Lobel
• Hall of Fame Board member Phil Weiner
• Natalie Jacobson
• Former Hall of Fame Board member Paul LaCamera
• Tom McAuliffe Sr.
• Ken Meyer
• Hall of Fame Board member Jim Boyd
• Ken Carter
• Ron Della Chiesa
• David Mugar
• Hall of Fame Board member Mike Addams
• Former Hall of Fame Board member Dick Flavin
• Dave O’Gara
• Don Batting
• Hall of Fame Board member Ed Perry
• Bob Copeland
• Tommy Heinsohn
• Charlie Ballantine
• Nat Whittemore

In addition, most of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors will be present, a group that includes general managers and other key executives of Bay State radio and television stations.

Hall of Fame President Peter Brown, Principal of Peter Brown Communications, called this year’s inductees “as impressive a group of broadcasters as there is anywhere and a collective credit to the radio and television industry of the Bay State.” Former long-time WBZ Radio host Jordan Rich, a Hall of Fame Board member, will emcee the luncheon.  Tickets for the luncheon are $75 each and may be purchased via the Hall of Fame’s website, www.massbroadcastersHOF.org.

The Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame conducts a nomination and selection process each year to induct individuals who have made major contributions to Massachusetts broadcasting and broadcasting in general. A permanent Hall of Fame exhibit with plaques representing all past inductees is on display opposite the Akillian Gallery on the Canton campus of Massasoit Community College.

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