
Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame
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The Indiana Broadcast Pioneers organization has a primary mission of recognizing outstanding career


06/19/2022

06/06/2022
Carmel, Ind. – June 6, 2022 – Six Hoosier broadcasters will be inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame this October. The Indiana Broadcasters Association today announced the 2022 Hall of Fame class:
• Bob & Tom Show co-host and news director Kristi Lee
• Fort Wayne News Director Ted Linn
• Indianapolis station creative services director Peggy McClelland
• Indianapolis news anchor John Stehr
• Sportscaster and NBA player Jerry Harkness (posthumous award)
• Legendary station manager Tom Severino (posthumous award)
https://www.indianabroadcasters.org/news-events/six-hoosier-broadcasting-icons-named-to-2022-indiana-broadcast-pioneers-hall-of-fame-class/
02/17/2022
Steve Sweitzer was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Dick Wolfsie was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Delores Sugar Poindexter was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Jill Ditmire was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Derrik Thomas was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Mike Blake was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.
02/17/2022
Bob Forbes was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/17/2022
Bob Ross was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/17/2022
Jay Chapman was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/17/2022
Terri Stacy was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/17/2022
Linda Jackson was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/17/2022
Paul Mendenhall was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.
02/16/2022
Ann Craig-Cinnamon was inducted into the indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2019.
02/16/2022
Ed Spray was inducted into the indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2019.
02/16/2022
David James was inducted into the indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2019.
02/16/2022
Linda Lupear was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2019.
02/16/2022
Bernie Eagan was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018.
02/15/2022
Patty Spitler was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018.
02/15/2022
Norm Cox was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018.
02/15/2022
Al Hobbs was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018.
01/27/2022
Steve Starnes was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. For more than 30 years, Steve worked as a photographer for WTHR in Indianapolis. One of his crowning achievements came in 1982 when he worked on a documentary about the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. The program earned a myriad of national and international awards, including a national Emmy award.
Steve began his career at the age of 19 at WGEM, the NBC affiliate in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois. He spent ten years there but moved on to WTHR when a reporter from Quincy submitted a resume tape, and the news director asked, "Who's your photographer? Have him call me." The reporter didn't get the job, but Steve did.
Steve’s career behind the cameras took him all over the world, traveling from Afghanistan and Albania to Africa before he retired in 2009.
01/27/2022
Ken Speck was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. Ken served as an on-air personality and managing director at WIRE Radio in Indianapolis from 1970 to 1985 before moving WKPM in Seattle where he helped take the station from number 42 in the market to number one within five months.
During Ken’s time at WIRE, the station received numerous Station of the Year awards. Arbitron ranked Ken number one in his time slot for years.
Ken’s radio work began in Ohio in 1955 at Kent State University’s WKSU and then WAND, WCMW and WCNS. His early years included working at WCAR in Detroit and as program director at WSLR in Akron. There, his station was ranked number one in Billboard Magazine’s radio response rating.
Ken’s tireless charity and fundraising work for many groups resulted in numerous awards including the CASPER Award from the Central Indiana Community Service Council.
01/27/2022
Jack Rinehart was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. For more than 40 years Jack worked as a senior reporter at WRTV, Indianapolis. During his four decades on-air Jack broke thousands of stories, covered hundreds of exclusives, and established himself as one of the most trusted reporters in the market. His career highlights include an Emmy Award, Associated Press awards, a CASPER Award, and he was named a “Sagamore of the Wabash”� by Indiana Governor Robert Orr.
Jack was born and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated from Bradley University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Speech. While still in college, Jack started working as a reporter at WRAU-TV (now known as WHOI) in Peoria, Illinois. He later became an Investigative Reporter and Weekend Anchor at WRAU before coming to WRTV on November 10, 1975.
01/27/2022
Joe McConnell was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. There are few major sporting events that Goodland, Indiana, native Joe McConnell didn’t cover in his 40-year career. Not only did he call three Super Bowls, the NBA Championship series, the NBA All-Star Game, and the American League Championship Series, but he was the voice of multiple professional and college teams that include the hometown Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, and college athletics at Indiana State, Notre Dame, and Purdue. A graduate of Franklin College, Joe was five-time winner of the AP/UPI Sportscaster of the Year and was been named Sportscaster of the Year in both Indiana (2000) and Illinois (1981). Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels named Joe a “Sagamore of the Wabash” upon his retirement from Purdue in 2009.
01/27/2022
Sam Simmermaker was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame.
01/27/2022
Ed Roehling was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2016,
01/27/2022
Bill Shirk was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2016,
01/27/2022
Bob and Tom were inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2016,
01/27/2022
Brad Byrd was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2016,
01/27/2022
Janie Woods Hodge was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2015.
01/27/2022
Howard Kellman was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2015.
01/27/2022
Dick Florea was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2015.
01/27/2022
Cindy Ward was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2015.
01/27/2022
Martin Plascak was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2014.
01/27/2022
Frank Schurz was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2014.
01/27/2022
"Cowboy" Bob Glaze was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2014.
01/27/2022
Cris Conner was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2014.
Address
Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN
46204
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Delores Sugar Poindexter
Delores Sugar Poindexter was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2021.

Paul Mendenhall
Paul Mendenhall was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ann Craig-Cinnamon
Ann Craig-Cinnamon was inducted into the indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2019.

Steve Starnes
Steve Starnes was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. For more than 30 years, Steve worked as a photographer for WTHR in Indianapolis. One of his crowning achievements came in 1982 when he worked on a documentary about the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. The program earned a myriad of national and international awards, including a national Emmy award. Steve began his career at the age of 19 at WGEM, the NBC affiliate in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois. He spent ten years there but moved on to WTHR when a reporter from Quincy submitted a resume tape, and the news director asked, "Who's your photographer? Have him call me." The reporter didn't get the job, but Steve did. Steve’s career behind the cameras took him all over the world, traveling from Afghanistan and Albania to Africa before he retired in 2009.

Jack Rinehart
Jack Rinehart was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. For more than 40 years Jack worked as a senior reporter at WRTV, Indianapolis. During his four decades on-air Jack broke thousands of stories, covered hundreds of exclusives, and established himself as one of the most trusted reporters in the market. His career highlights include an Emmy Award, Associated Press awards, a CASPER Award, and he was named a “Sagamore of the Wabash”� by Indiana Governor Robert Orr. Jack was born and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated from Bradley University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Speech. While still in college, Jack started working as a reporter at WRAU-TV (now known as WHOI) in Peoria, Illinois. He later became an Investigative Reporter and Weekend Anchor at WRAU before coming to WRTV on November 10, 1975.

Ken Speck
Ken Speck was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. Ken served as an on-air personality and managing director at WIRE Radio in Indianapolis from 1970 to 1985 before moving WKPM in Seattle where he helped take the station from number 42 in the market to number one within five months. During Ken’s time at WIRE, the station received numerous Station of the Year awards. Arbitron ranked Ken number one in his time slot for years. Ken’s radio work began in Ohio in 1955 at Kent State University’s WKSU and then WAND, WCMW and WCNS. His early years included working at WCAR in Detroit and as program director at WSLR in Akron. There, his station was ranked number one in Billboard Magazine’s radio response rating. Ken’s tireless charity and fundraising work for many groups resulted in numerous awards including the CASPER Award from the Central Indiana Community Service Council.

Joe McConnell
Joe McConnell was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2017. There are few major sporting events that Goodland, Indiana, native Joe McConnell didn’t cover in his 40-year career. Not only did he call three Super Bowls, the NBA Championship series, the NBA All-Star Game, and the American League Championship Series, but he was the voice of multiple professional and college teams that include the hometown Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, and college athletics at Indiana State, Notre Dame, and Purdue. A graduate of Franklin College, Joe was five-time winner of the AP/UPI Sportscaster of the Year and was been named Sportscaster of the Year in both Indiana (2000) and Illinois (1981). Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels named Joe a “Sagamore of the Wabash” upon his retirement from Purdue in 2009.
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