To be honoured and cited as having made significant contributions to your industry, whether it’s an award titled ‘For Outstanding Contributions,’ to a particular industry, or a ‘Lifetime Achievement,’ award, or in this case to join a Hall of Fame, is generally a rare honour for anyone involved in a particular industry. It marks a lifetime of work or a particularly outstanding and notable event. Thus it is in the USA with the NRHF.
What is the Radio Hall of Fame?
Similar to the numerous other Halls of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame seeks to honour people, groups of individuals, programmes and radio works who the voters deem worthy of being noted for all time. Perhaps some ‘Halls’ may be more familiar than others depending on your interests and there are now quite a number like:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Wrestling Hall of Fame
- World Golf Hall of Fame
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- The F1 and Nascar Halls of Fame
Although not these days usually a building or a hall in any sense, the Hall of Fame seeks to honour the leading industry figures it deems worthy of renown. The familiar Hollywood “Walk,” of Fame fulfils the same purpose. A Hall of Fame today tends to be a figurative list of names.
The History and Organisation of the Radio Hall of Fame.
The organisation behind the Radio Hall of Fame is the Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC), a non-profit corporation based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It’s stated mission is “to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform, and entertain the public through its archives, public programs, screenings, exhibits, publications and online access to its resources.” It does this, amongst other activities, by owning and managing two subsidiaries:
- Museum.TV and
- The National radio Hall of Fame, with its website radiohof.org
As well as an impressive archive of over 8,500 TV and radio programmes spanning the whole of America’s TV and Radio history in digital form and available to the public, the MBC has a vast collection of media memorabilia including for example its most recent acquisition, Opray Winfrey’s famous door. As well as the virtual museum, on-line data base and Radio Hall of Fame a new 62,000 square foot museum is currently under construction in downtown Chicago. 240,000 visitors to this new Museum of Broadcast Communications are expected in its first year of opening.
Voting in the Radio Hall of Fame
The President of the MBC appoints members to a steering committee. The members are drawn for the radio industry, the academic world, journalists in the trade and “others interested in preserving the rich history of radio and creating a shrine to recognize its role in society.” The steering committee proposes four individuals in each of the four categories:
- National Pioneer: broadcaster with 10 years or more in the industry, a leader in programming development nationally
- National Active: current active broadcaster with at least 10 years contribution of significance, again nationally
- Local or Regional Pioneer: broadcaster with 20 years in the industry, distinguished at local and / or regional level
- Local or Regional Active: current active broadcaster with at least 20 years industry contribution again at local and / or regional level
In addition to these four nominations in each of the categories, the steering committee can propose a fifth for a lifetime distinguished non-air contribution in, for example “production, management, manufacturing or technology,” as well as proposing a posthumous honour. The voting takes place each year in June and July and those eligible to vote include members of the public, MBC members as well as over 2,000 notable figures from the radio industry.
2011 Inductees and the Ceremony.
The Induction Ceremony for the 2011 National Radio Hall of Fame is scheduled to take place, as it is most years on the first Saturday of November, this year on Saturday the 5th of November. This year’s “Class of 2011” include individuals:
- Ronald Reagan
- Graham McNamee and
- H.V.Kaltenborn
And classic radio programmes:
- Gangbusters
- Suspense and
- The Great Gildersleeve
Fittingly it will be broadcast nationally on radio and distributed by Premiere Radio Networks, from the ceremony which takes place in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in North State Street, Chicago. To date there are over 160 members of the Radio Hall of Fame.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
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