EARLIER REPORT
WHIO-TV reporter Jim Otte and the host of WHIO Reports is among those slated this year to be inducted into the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
The hall announced in March its 2017 slate of inductees. This year, six broadcasters will be inducted along with four broadcasting “pioneers” and a Community Service Award honoree.
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The 10 inductees will be honored at a ceremony at the Marriott at the University of Dayton tonight.
These honorees are:
Christopher Geisen: A popular co-host of the No. 1 rated "Kerrigan & Christopher Morning Show" on WTUE ratio from (1988 to 1999). First introduced to broadcasting in 1973 in Erlanger, Ky., he has continues working in radio, as well as volunteering to charity events including: Big Brothers/Big Sisters, breast cancer awareness, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and animal well-being shelters, the organization said in its announcement.
Joe Smith: Smith is the long-time host of "Clubhouse 22" on WKEF-TV from 1970-1979 and vice president of production from 1980 to 1986. Smith is working today on-air in Portland, Ore., the hall said.
John King: With 30 years of radio broadcasting experience, King served as regional president, senior vice president, general manager, operational manager, program director and on-air talent at stations in Dayton and around the country. Today, he is the senior vice president/market manager at Alpha Media USA in Dayton.
Natasha Williams: Presently, anchor and reporter at WKEF Television, Natasha has a history in the broadcasting industry dating back to 1990 in Jackson, Tenn. where she began her career.
“Along with her extensive career in broadcasting, her commitment to the community is equally as dedicated,” the hall said. “Williams enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists, as well as volunteering countless hours annually to lend her voice to local not-for-profit organizations.”
Jeff Stevens: Today, he is senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia/Dayton, program director at WMMX and morning show co-host of the "Jeff, Gina and Dave Show." He is also the host of the Time Warp Cafe weekdays at noon and host of the 80's Show, which is broadcast on over 40 iHeartRadio stations across the country.
James (Jim) Otte: Otte is the reporter and producer of the WHIO I-Team at WHIO-TV and the host of "WHIO Reports," a weekly public affairs program. His tenure with the station dates back to 1988. He began his broadcasting career on Ohio Public Radio in 1982.
“Jim is known for his investigative work covering the Ohio Statehouse, government and politics,” the hall said. “At WHIO-TV, he began the ‘Wastebusters’ segment covering government waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars in Dayton.”
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And those named “pioneers” include:
Dick Bieser: He began his broadcasting career in 1952, in his hometown of Centralia, IL. He rose to the position of news director and managed the station for nearly two years before getting back into news.
He joined the WHIO-TV news department as daytime assignment editor before he became news director. He worked as a contributing reporter on-air and anchored the newscasts Saturday evenings. Dick worked at WHIO-TV from 1965 to 1993.
Ed Hamlyn: Hamlyn was the former news director at WDTN Television. He was born in Hamilton in 1917. He began his broadcasting career with stops in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Texas, before landing in Dayton.
“He knew the importance of giving back to community and served on numerous boards and community committees including: the Montgomery County Historical Society, Aviation Trail board and The League of Woman Voters,” the hall said.
Joe Rockhold: Rockhold hosted one of the first live entertainment television shows in the Dayton area on WHIO-TV. He created the popular character "Uncle Orrie," entertaining thousands of Miami Valley young people. In addition to his work as "Uncle Orrie," Joe Rockhold hosted various public affairs programs on WHIO.
Jack Jacobson: Jacobson created many popular characters, including "Nosey the Clown." Both Jacobson and Rockhold made television history at a time in the early 1950s when television was just coming of age.
Every two years, the hall names someone who “has been a friend of the media, as well as a dedicated and innovative leader in the community.”
This year’s Community Service Award will be given to Judge Alice O. McCollum.
Judge McCollum is the first woman to serve on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Probate Division, having been first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. Prior to sitting on the bench in the Probate Division, she was the first and only woman elected to the Dayton Municipal Court bench.
McCollum served the Dayton Municipal Court for 24 years and has served on many community boards.
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