((TRANSMITTER)) JUNE 2017 Don Sharp IBA W. Russell Withers, Jr. Broadcast Pioneer Award Silver Dome coverage inside!! From the opening speech to the social media Frenzy! ((TRANSMITTER)) JUNE 2017 FROM THE PRESIDENT DENNIS LYLE, IBA PRESIDENT/CEO One down, one to go. I speak of course, Owners, managers, and operation directors are of IBA’s (now) two standalone June events; our encouraged to enjoy a full breakfast that kicks off our just-completed 2017 IBA Silver Dome Awards Gala “Legal, Regulatory, and Legislative” opening session. sponsored by AT&T, and our upcoming June 27th Doors open at 7:30am, our distinguished panel with IBA2017 annual conference at the Marriott Hotel & new IBA lobbyist John Bradley, IBA attorney Conference Center in Normal, IL. Don Craven, FCC attorney Scott Flick, and Nicole Gustafson, NAB’s newest member of its impactful Congratulations to all our 2017 winners (iden- Government Relations team, takes the stage at 8am, tified in this issue of Transmitter) and, of course, to immediately following the election of IBA’s 2017- our 2017 IBA/Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of 2018 Executive Committee and board of directors. the Year- Larry Wert, and our 2017 IBA/W. Russell It’s worth the early start to your day to access unique Withers Jr. Broadcast Pioneer-Don Sharp. Many insight into Washington, the FCC, and state of Illinois thanks to politics from this powerhouse panel. Joe Crain and John Spalding for great work at the podium. BMI singer/songwriter and accomplished The election of a new 2017-2018 slate of actress Emily Kinney was spectacular! Our thanks to officers and board directors means saying goodbye to BMI’s Dan Spears for making Emily’s appearance current board members Coby Cooper, Marshall Por- possible. As always, kudos to IBA’s Debra Gray for ter, Jerry Schnacke, and Steve Wheeler. It’s been an her tireless planning and execution of yet another honor to serve under their outstanding leadership. My successful Silver Dome Awards event. Many of you thanks to each. expressed your delight in this year’s event via social media during and since our 2017 Silver Dome Awards Looking forward to seeing you on June 27th in event. My thanks to IBA’s Social Media Strategist Normal, IL. Register now at http://www.ilba.org and Ana Perez for her contribution at (and since) this clicking on the Main Street logo. (DL) year’s event. We welcome your input as well as we immediately begin planning the 2018 Silver Dome Awards the day after each year’s event. Last, but certainly not least, our thanks to James Maurer, Vice About President, AT&T for AT&T’s sponsorship of the event. the Cover Now it’s on to IBA2017, just around the corner Just steps away from a replica (6/27). As I write, only ten seats remin for lunch. Still of the White House steps where the need convincing why you or your staff should spend 16th President of the United States, a day “off the street” to attend? Then have a look at Abraham Lincoln, once addressed the some of our selling points to this one-day sales (and country, the evening’s honorees management) conference addressed the audience and talked 1. Most IBA2017 attendees can commute (It’s Normal, IL!) about their career and the paths they 2. Shorter Sessions (now 60-minutes each) have taken through Illinois. The 3. Four panel sessions! (Ideas, Advertisers, Auto, and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Legal!) Museum provided the perfect back- 4. Lunch with Illini Coach Brad Underwood drop for not only the presentation of Included! the Vincent T. Wasilewski “Broad- 5. Two unique RAB and P1 Learning back-to-back caster of the Year” to Larry Wert and sessions! the W. Russell Withers, Jr., “Broadcast 6. “Auto Advertising” gets top billing! Pioneer” award to Don Sharp but also 7. It’s a day for networking, regardless your size the IBA Silver Dome Awards. The gala market! was presented by AT & T. Broadcasters from Illinois gathered at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum to celebrate the careers of legendary broadcasters such as Don Sharp and Larry Wert and to recognize the finalists and winners of IBA’s Silver Dome Awards. It was a night to honor those that are “simply the best” at what they do and was presented by AT & T. Simply Guests had the opportunity to visit the museum exhibits including the newest baseball display, “The Rivalry” which features the more than 100 year history between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Artifacts included a watch fob owned by “Three Finger” Brown with medallions from the Cubs 1907 and 1908 World Series Victories. Cardinal fans enjoyed the second-base bag stolen by Lou Brock (both a Cardinal and a Cub) when he the broke the record for steals in a season in 1974. Don Sharp, retired News and Sports broadcaster from WHBF in Rock Island, received the W. Russell Withers, Jr., “Broadcast Pioneer Award” and stood feet away from the White House replica and recounted his career with friends and family nearby. Larry Wert, President of Broadcast Media with Tribune Media, was awarded the Vincent T. Wasilewski “BroadcasterBest of the Year” award by the 2016 Broadcaster of the Year Beth Neuhoff. Wert. Family and friends watched Wert emerge from within the White House to address the audience. BMI Singer/Songwriter and Actress Emily Kinney entertained the audience with songs from her latest album release. Known as Beth Greene from the Walking Dead, Kinney is working on a dual career in music and a new role in ABC’s “Ten Days in the Valley”. Eighty-six Silver Dome Awards were presented to winners in Small, Medium and Chicago Markets along with five Station of the Year Awards to WDNL (Danville), WSPY (Plano), WCIA-TV (Cham- paign), WGN-AM (Chicago) and WLS-TV (Chicago). The eve- ning’s co-hosts were Joe Crain, Chief Meteorologist with WICS- TV and John Spalding, Morning Show Host with WFMB, both of Springfield. Plans are already underway for next year’s competition and event, congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists. Larry Wert, President of Broadcast Media for Tribune Media, Larry Wertbecame the 32nd IBA Vincent T. Wasilewski “Broadcaster of the Year” at the Silver Dome Gala on June 8, 2017. Wert emerged from within the White House at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum to address the audience and accept the award from the 2016 Broadcaster of the Year, Beth Neuhoff, President & CEO of Neuhoff Media. A Chicago-area native, Wert has spent over 30 years in broad- casting. He began his career with Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago in 1978 and moved to television sales with ABC (Los Angeles, New York) and later in Chicago where he became local sales manager at WLS-TV. Wert shifted to radio as president and general manager of WLUP FM and AM and was later named as president of Evergreen Media until they merged with Chancellor, where Wert became senior vice president. In 1998, Wert joined WMAQ-TV and during his time at NBC had group responsibilities. He was named president of NBC Local’s central and western regions, overseeing NBC-owned stations. In 2011, he became executive vice president of station initiatives for all 10 NBC-owned stations. Wert was appointed President/Broadcast Media for Tribune Media in 2013 and remains in that position today. Congratulations to Larry Wert! Don Don Sharp, a true pioneer of sportsSharp broadcast- ing, was awarded the 2017 W. Russell Withers, Jr., “IBA Broadcast Pioneer” at the Silver Dome Awards Gala, presented by AT & T. Sharp, was the first full-time sports anchor for WHBF and was the play-by-play man for Rock Island High School sports for nearly three decades. Sharp’s style and gentle humor along with his dedication to his local sports community landed him in the Quad- city Sports Hall of Fame. Sharp told the audience that he never really thought about a career in broadcasting until his fresh- man year at Beloit College. His plans were to become an accountant until he met a fellow student in the broadcast- ing school. That change of career became Sharp’s passion until his retirement in 2000. Congratulations to Don, his family, his TV family and to the local community of Rock Island that tuned in to Don each night, you are a “True Pioneer.” Emily Kinney Thank you BMI and Emily Kinney! 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