HEARTLAND CHAPTER
BOARD OF GOVERNORS'
AWARD
Board of GOvernors' Award
Given in recognition of achievements by individuals, organizations, or companies, which do not fall within the structure of the Chapter’s regular area awards. Historically, the Board of Governors’ Award is for truly outstanding and unique accomplishments or for achievements of some duration and durability. For this award, an Emmy® statuette is given.
a) This award can be given to an individual, a company, or an organization for outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences or management of television or allied media; which is either of a cumulative nature or extraordinary and universal in nature as to be beyond the realm of the awards presented in the categories of achievements.
b) Members of the Board of Governors of a Chapter nominate, for consideration by the Board, the individuals, companies and/or organizations which they consider merit this highest award of the Chapter. Nominations must be submitted in writing in time to be considered at a Governors’ meeting at least one month prior to the presentation of the award.
c) The Board of Governors discusses the nominations at this meeting; then vote, in secret, a preliminary ballot to determine, by majority vote, which of the nominations will be considered for the award.
d) The Board of Governors then votes a second ballot in secret to select the recipient(s) of the Governors’ Award, if any. A five-sixth (5/6ths) favorable vote of the members of the Board of Governors present at the meeting is required for the award to be given.
Julie Lucas
2024
Julie Lucas is the National Secretary for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She has been involved with the Heartland Chapter of NATAS since its inception in 1986, serving as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, President and Trustee. As President, she led the expansion of the then Colorado Chapter into a six-state regional chapter that included Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. Texas later spun off to form its own Lone Star NATAS Chapter.
She was Senior Director of Marketing for Metropolitan State University of Denver, directing special projects, university communications and establishment of a brand journalism initiative, whose videos were nominated for a Regional Emmy® Award. Her prior experience includes directing media and public relations at the University of Denver, communications and marketing at On Command Corporation, and Your Choice TV which was a subsidiary of Discovery Communications focused on time-shifted television.
She was Executive Director of the First Amendment Congress, a national First Amendment education organization, helping to develop and implement a national First Amendment curriculum, “Education for Freedom,” now featured at The Freedom Forum. Earlier positions included the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and PBS.
She co-authored a national curriculum on media literacy – “If it bleeds, it leads” – working with legendary news producer Av Westin, who produced ABC’s “20/20” newsmagazine and ABC’s “World News Tonight,” based on his book of the same name.
She holds master’s degrees in marketing from the University of Denver and sociology from Arizona State University.
Audrey Elling
2023
The Heartland Chapter Board of Governors is proud to present our chapter’s highest award to Audrey Elling, our long time Chapter Executive Director. For more than 20 years, Audrey has been managing the office for the Heartland Chapter, first as a part-time administrator and moving into the full-time executive director position.
Under her direction, the Heartland Chapter spearheaded the conception and development of the Emmy Express entry/membership/judging software, the production of regional awards presentation ceremonies running concurrently in Denver and Oklahoma City, and a growth in membership from 465 to more than 1000 members with a comparable growth in revenue.
During her tenure, she has represented our chapter locally and nationally, burnishing the reputation and brand of the Heartland Emmy Chapter to other chapters around the country, and serving on key NATAS committees.
With her shiny new degree in Mass Communications, Audrey started in the industry back in the last century, landing in production with the avant-garde QUBE cable enterprise in Cincinnati, and from there into marketing. She continued her career with a division of TCI cable, and then with Netlink satellite, managing departments in customer service and training and development from Cape Cod to Denver to Seattle. Audrey’s freelance voice-over career spans 3+ decades and has earned her a regional Emmy award as a documentary narrator.
Originally from New England, Audrey makes her home south of Denver, enjoying hiking, biking, and snowshoeing under Colorado’s blue skies. She is an active volunteer with her church and has served on the board of NATAS’s Heartland chapter and on the board of The Crisis Center of Douglas County. She has a black belt in karate and a Zoom-crashing Siamese cat.
While she is very much looking forward to retirement, Audrey admits that she will seriously miss not only her wonderful Heartland Board of Governors, but also the many friends and associates she’s worked with over the years.
Dominic Dezzutti
2015
The Heartland Chapter Board of Governors is pleased to present our chapter’s highest award to Dominic Dezzutti, longtime board member and advocate for our chapter. Dominic joined the board back in the early Oughts and got involved right away: first as the Awards Chair, then as Chapter President and currently as a National Trustee: the trifecta of board work. For over 13 years he’s been a leader for us locally and nationally. He’s known as much for his commitment, dependability and can-do attitude as he is for his tact and objectivity, earning his place on numerous national committees within the NATAS organization.
Under Dominic’s leadership our chapter has resurrected its financial standing in tandem with bringing back the glamor of the awards gala, and he has spearheaded the effort to revise our chapter’s original bylaws to reflect a more current landscape. He is alternately the voice of reason, the historian, and the cheerleader on the board; known for his understated sense of humor and self-deprecating manner. He is the first to say ‘Thank you’ to others yet holds the all-time record in meeting attendance. No matter his official NATAS title, he is adamant in representing our chapter with professionalism and pride on the national front so that our reputation remains highly burnished.
But this is all volunteer work, and Dominic has a day job! He is the Director of Operations at KBDI CPT12 in Denver, and has been with them since 1998. He writes and hosts the weekly topical news program Colorado Inside Out, co-produces and hosts election coverage programs with KCNC, and has for many years written a thought-provoking blog for CBS4. He’s the recipient of 4 Heartland Emmy® awards and numerous CBAs; he was inducted into the Italian American Hall of Fame in 2014 for serving Italian communities in Colorado. Dominic is proud to be a fourth-generation Coloradan.
Thank you, Dominic, for your many years of service to our chapter!
Wynona Sullivan
2007
An extraordinary business and community leader, Wynona Sullivan has served as Station Manager and Development Director at KTSC-TV/DT in Pueblo since 1989. But Wynona’s career at KTSC started much earlier in 1972 when she began volunteering for the station’s first on-air fundraising auction. She served in many auction leadership roles—including auction chair—returning as a volunteer year after year, for 17 years. Wynona’s passion and aptitude for auction were clear, and her hard work helped the auction become a household name in southern Colorado.
In 1989 Wynona became KTSC’s development director and auction coordinator and in 1997, she was promoted to KTSC’s station manager.
In addition to securing program underwriting and sponsorships, Wynona supervises the staff, maintains outstanding station awareness throughout KTSC’s viewing area, and supervises production of two popular KTSC original programs, “Matchwits” and “Homework Hotline.”
While helping build relationships for KTSC, Wynona has been active with a number of charitable organizations throughout southern Colorado including the Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration—a non-profit arts education organization—creating opportunities for local artists and merchants and collaborations for a number of community organizations.
In 2001 Wynona joined the board of trustees for The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, and, since 1995, she has served on the board of the HARP Foundation, helping Pueblo build the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk to beautify the city.
Wynona has devoted countless hours to the Junior League of Pueblo, including serving as its president, vice president, and a number of training and advisory roles. Through the Junior League, Wynona also founded and serves as president of the Pueblo Infant-Toddler & Stimulation Center.
Wynona is the recipient of a 2006 “Sheep Dip” honor, presented by the Southern Colorado Broadcasters in Pueblo and is a member of the University of Southern Colorado’s Hall of Fame. Raised in a Kentucky coal mining town, Wynona moved to Colorado in 1965 when her physician husband, Wally, was stationed at the Pueblo Army Depot. Together they raised five children.
Dusty Saunders
2005
No bio available
Carol Naff
2002
The Board of Governors is pleased to honor Carol Naff for her service to the Colorado/Heartland Chapter of NATAS. Carol worked with the Board on special projects before joining the Board in 1992. She has served as Secretary, Treasurer, and Chair of the Education and Public Relations/Marketing Committees, contributing to expanding the Chapter’s activities for students. Currently, she is the Heartland Chapter’s Trustee serving on the National Board of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The Board recognizes Carol for her long-term, tireless, and dedicated service to this organization. Her knowledge of the history of NATAS, its bylaws, and programs has been extremely helpful through many transitions.
In her life other than NATAS, Carol is the principle of Mariner Company II, a company specializing in Life Coaching in the areas of marketing, media, and management. Throughout her career, Carol has been a mentor, teacher, motivator, and coach to her colleagues and staff. She also served as the Public Relations director for Denver Community Television, and supervised two hundred students in broadcasting internships at DCTV. She was the Executive Director of OASIS, a nonprofit organization for older adult services and information systems within the MAY Company.
Carol has a BA from Colorado Christian University, and holds a certificate in Marketing from the University of Colorado and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Metropolitan State College Denver. In 1998, Carol received the Mountain Award for Media from the African-American Leadership Institute College of Business at Metropolitan State College in Denver for her accomplishments in working to include youth and adults in television production.
Gary England
1997
Gary England embodies the true pioneering spirit of this award given for lifetime achievement. Gary England grew up in rural Oklahoma during a time when severe storm reports often came after the fact – or with so little warning that proper precautions were difficult to put into place. His first-hand experience with this problem instilled in him a lifelong commitment to changing that situation. In 1978, Gary persuaded KWTV management to purchase – and Enterprise Electronics to build – the world’s first commercial Doppler radar. In 1981, Gary became the first meteorologist in history to use Doppler radar for direct warnings to the public. The official weather warnings of the time, if any, came with too little time to take shelter from the storm. Gary’s role in the development and use of commercial Doppler radar led to an advancement of incalculable worth to the safety and protection of the viewing public.
Gary England is also responsible for developing “First Warning,” an automated severe weather warning computer system which provides instantaneous weather warnings from the National Weather Service in the form of a small map in the corner of a TV screen. The original television “Storm Tracker” system came next. Created in 1991 by Gary, this severe weather tracking and projection computer system allowed viewers, for the first time, to see the track of a storm, the name of a town and time of a storm’s arrival. “Storm Tracker” is now in use nationwide.
Gary talents do not limit themselves to those best exhibited before a camera or in the forecast center, however. Over the years, he has authored four books: Oklahoma Weather (1975), United States Weather (1976), Those Terrible Twisters (1987), and his most recent effort, Weathering the Storm – Tornadoes, Television and Turmoil (1996). Published by the University of Oklahoma Press, Weathering the Storm chronicles a history of the world of weather prediction and its incredible expansion in television news during Gary’s 25-year tenure at KWTV.
Always working toward his goal of enlightening and educating the public, Gary and the Oklahoma Department of Education created “Weather Classroom.” This program has reached literally thousands of Oklahoma students over the years. “Those Terrible Twisters,” a traveling weather road show of spectacular dimensions, has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans and is widely sought after by communities all over the state. Gary continues to maintain an extremely busy community service presence.
All of this, in addition to numerous awards and recognitions, including an Emmy Award from the Heartland Chapter for Best Weather Anchor, has made Gary England a much-trusted and –beloved figure in his home state. Continuing to anchor the 4, 5, 6, & 10PM News, his life at KWTV remains as full and vital as at any point during the past 25 years. He resides in Oklahoma City with his wife Mary.
Silver Circle Inductee: 2000
Roger Ogden
1996
Roger Ogden is one of the founding fathers of the Heartland Regional Emmy Chapter. In his years as News Director at KBTV and then as General Manager of KOA-TV (now KCNC-TV), Roger worked tirelessly on the concept that, yes, Denver is a large enough market to have its own NATAS Chapter. Roger was instrumental in creating “value” to the stations that won Emmy Awards. Roger is also considered the “founding father” of two of the best television stations in the country. During his tenure at KBTV, Roger guided the station to one of the most dominating positions in local television. As News Director, Roger was instrumental in establishing local television as a civic leader and community partner.
In a move that may rate as one of the most significant events in Denver television lore, Ogden moved across the street to a proverbial #3 station in a three-station market to take over the reins of KOA-TV. In little more than 14 years, Ogden and his team build KCNC into one of the most respected news operations and television stations in the country. His “local, local, local” philosophy was way ahead of its time and has been the calling card of Colorado’s News Channel ever since. Now Ogden is leading the way for American broadcasting interests to get a foothold in the vast European marketplace by heading up NBC’s Superchannel based in London.
Few Coloradoans have had so much impact on so many lives as Roger Ogden has through his career in Denver television and beyond. While president of KCNC, Ogden also had responsibility for KUTV, the NBC-owned station in Salt Lake City and led NBC’s advisory team to TV Azteca in Mexico City, a network with which NBC has a partnership. While in Denver, Ogden held numerous industry and community leadership positions, including Chairman of the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce, President of the Colorado Broadcasters Association and Chairman of the Colorado Winter Games Committee, the Colorado Sports Council and the US Olympic Festival. He has also served on the boards of the Rocky Mountain Adoption Exchange, Downtown Denver, Inc., and the Rose Hospital Foundation. Ogden served as the President of the Associated Press Broadcasters Board of Directors and Chairman of the Broadcast Committee.
A Colorado native, Ogden began his broadcast career in Denver at age 13 at KPOF Radio. He worked at stations KLIR and KBTR while attending school at the University of Colorado. Ogden has twice been named “Broadcaster o the Year” in Colorado: 1984 and 1994. He currently lives in London with his wife Ann and two children.
Silver Circle Inductee: 2005
Lewis Meyer
1995
Lewis Meyer, Tulsa’s own spunky book reviewer, shared his own unique reviews on KOTV-TV Channel 6 for more than 40 years on The Lewis Meyer Bookshelf and his frequent appearances on the Noon Edition of The News on 6. Lewis Meyer was an institution in Tulsa. His show has held the honor of being the longest running book show in America. A lawyer by profession, Mr. Meyer chose the world of books for his life’s work. He was a bookseller, author, lecturer, literacy advocate and reviewer.
Mr. Meyer graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth and went on to get a law degree from Michigan. When he realized he hated practicing law, he turned his attentions to selling books. The Lewis Meyer Bookstore became a Mecca for book lovers all over the area. He was one of the official stores used to tally up the New York Times Bestseller list. One New York publishing representative stated that Lewis was legendary in Manhattan: not only was he revered for being one of the last of the great independent booksellers, but his own encouragement and support for young authors and his steady stream of autograph parties was far beyond any call of service.
Meyer’s enthusiasm was always contagious, “Books are vibrant, exciting things. I try to review them by mixing enlightenment with entertainment. I never review a book I don’t like.” The Lewis Meyer Bookshelf included lively features, seasonal suggestions, and interesting anecdotes. He would close each and every one of his shows on Channel 6 with the words, “The more books you read, the taller you grow.” Two generations in the four-state viewing area of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri grew taller thanks to Mr. Meyer’s infectious love of books and reading.
Two of his own books, Preposterous Papa and Off the Sauce are million-copy best sellers. His other titles include: Second Wife; The Customer is Always; Mostly Mama; Pooped!; and the Tipsy Witch and Other Fairy Tales. He appeared on many network shows, including The Tonight Show, and had his books featured on CBS’s This Morning. The Letterman people were forever trying to get Lewis to make the pilgrimage to New York to meet Dave.
Lewis is greatly missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, family, friends, customers and viewers.
Beverly Martinez
1995
Beverly Martinez is Manager of community Relations at KWGN Television, a position that gives her the opportunity of hearing, first hand, the concerns and aspirations of the City of Denver. Martinez acts as coordinator for station-sponsored community projects, actively promoting Denver’s Television Two as a direct local voice for the needs of the city.
Martinez was the original producer and moderator of the “Denver Now” show on KWGN-TV which premiered in 1973. “Denver Now” provided a means of exposing the economic development of minorities and women, as well as a forum where social and cultural questions were met with information and community involvement. Also, Martinez was co-anchor of the “Eyewitness 2 News Midday” program on Channel 2, daily at 11:30AM.
Over the past 20 years at KWGN-TV, Ms. Martinez has received awards from numerous organizations, including: the Latin American Education Foundation; the National Organization for Women; Bilingual Communications Center in Denver; Big Sisters of Colorado, Inc.; the Hispanic Media Association Lifetime Achievement Award; the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; and has been named National Outstanding Hispanic Woman in the Media.
Martinez, a native Coloradan, is a founder and member of the board of directors for the Women’s Bank in Denver. She is also a member of the boards of Colorado Hispanic Media Association, Women’s Forum, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Five Points Media Center, and the Historic Paramount Foundation. She is a charter member of the Colorado Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences since its inception in 1986.
Ms. Martinez is married and the mother of three children, ages 24, 11 and 8, and the grandmother of one.
Ralph Allen
1995
Ralph was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, on May 29, 1943. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1965, where he majored in Speech and Education. After teaching one year of high school English and Speech classes in Detroit, his military service led him to Vietnam as a Broadcast specialist for the American Forces Vietnam Network. In 1969 he joined WJIM-TV in Lansing, Michigan where he worked as a reporter, anchor and news director. It was during this time that he met and married Mindy, his wife of 21 years, who also worked at the station. Next, in 1974 he moved to WSBT-TV is Southbend, Indiana and anchored the 6PM and 11Pm newscasts for five years. He also attended Notre Dame Law School as a part-time student while working full-time.
Ralph came to KCNC-TV in Denver in June of 1979. He worked as weekend anchor his first year, and then became News 4’s first Political Specialist. The highlights of his career have included the numerous political conventions and inaugurations he has covered, his trip to Japan with Governor-Elect Roy Romer, and traveling with the Gary Hart campaign. Most recently, he was honored by the Colorado State Legislature and Governor Roy Romer for his 16 years of political reports and service.
Ralph resided in Littleton with his wife Mindy and their daughter Lori. He was an avid reader with a love of history, politics, local affairs and baseball. He was a big Tigers fan and enjoyed collecting baseball cards, memorabilia and statistics. Ralph is greatly missed by his wife, daughter, friends and viewers.
Bob Palmer
1994
ROBERT G. “BOB” PALMER
“Bob” was born in Denver, where he attended West High School. Bob graduated from Lafayette High School and earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Colorado (CU). He served four years in the US Navy, including service aboard the aircraft carrier, Lexington. He began his broadcast career at KCNC Television (formerly KOA Radio and Television) in 1957 intending to fill in for two weeks during Christmas. At the time, he was a student at CU.
Bob Palmer’s broadcast credentials are numerous. He is a life member of the Denver Press Club and the CU Alumni Association. He received an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for “Outstanding Commentary” in 1987. He has been honored by the Colorado Broadcasters as “Broadcaster of the Year” in 1986. In 1985, Bob received Colorado University’s highest honor for distinguished alumni, the “Norlin Award.” He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Loretto Heights College in 1986. Bob was named one of “America’s 100 Best Journalists” by the Washington Journalism Review magazine. Bob’s coverage of the news has carried him throughout the world. His visits to Israel and the Soviet Union resulted in award-wining documentaries. He has interviewed Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter and Ford. Bob has appeared in three motion pictures, and delivered more newscasts for more years than virtually any other television newscaster in the nation.
When not on the air, Bob sometimes “moonlights” as a journalism instructor at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University. He has served as President of the Denver Press Club, as trustee of the Children’s Hospital and is currently on the advisory board of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at CU.
Bob anchors KCNC’s top-rated show, NEWS4 at 5, with co-hosts Aimee Sporer, Larry Green and Les Shapiro.
Don Johnson
1993
DONALD D. JOHNSON
KRMA-TV (PBS) is a monument to the energy of many dedicated men and women. Its growth has been directly linked to an increasing awareness by its audience that the station is a unique source of high quality television and non-broadcast services.
Don Johnson, KRMA’s retiring general manager, provided crucial guidance in building the organization. He first joined KRMA during its infancy in 1963. Placed on “special assignment” by the Denver School Board, he was among the pioneers using television for teaching. Over the next 30 years he nurtured and inspired the organization, maintaining its dedication to education and public service. Today, KRMA’s signal reaches 3.9 million people in the Rocky Mountain region, 170 separate cable companies and more than 75 translator systems.
Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership, the station:
• Produced and co-produced many programs for national distribution, and positioned itself as a leader in the fight against teenage alcohol and drug use.
• Was instrumental in pilot project funding of public television’s grassroots lobbying project through America’s Public Television Stations (APTS)/National Friends of Public Broadcasting (NFPB)
• Instituted the forward funding concept more than 15 years ago, and built an endowment which provides supplemental funds for operating and capital needs
• Successfully made the transition from a school-licensed station to a community-licensed station, and
• Maintained an unwavering commitment to education; KRMA’s call letters stand for “Knowledge for the Rocky Mountain Area”
Perhaps Mr. Johnson’s ultimate legacy to public broadcasting is KRMA’s newly constructed 50,000 s.f. $14.8 million, state-of-the-art television facility. Remarkably, through Mr. Johnson’s stewardship the facility is essentially debt-free. Mr. Johnson’s vision, leadership, tenacity and negotiating skill has brought KRMA to the threshold of a new era.
Gene O'Fallon
1992
Eugene Peter O’Fallon
Born on October 21, 1890 in St. Louis, MO. In 1901 he moved to Denver with his mother, three sisters and brother after the death of his father. He married Kathryn M. Dunn on November 30, 1921 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. His wife died in 1938, leaving five children. Gene died in 1963.
Gene attended national radio meetings as early as 1936 (to the family’s knowledge, maybe earlier). He was one of the founders of the National Association of Broadcasters.
Gene brought television to Denver when KFEL-TV signed on in 1952. Not allowed to operate studio facilities until the permit was secured, Gene opened the KFEL Television School – and taught cameramen, directors, engineers, and other broadcast professionals. What the FCC didn’t know was that the reverse side of the signs read, “KFEL-TV Studios.”
Pete Smythe
1991
Pete Smythe started his Denver broadcasting career with KMYR in 1941 and also wrote radio programs for top network productions. He worked for several radio stations in Denver before starting his popular “Smythe’s General Store” program on KOA in 1951. He remained with KOA for 18 years and also did a local program on what was then KOA-TV, Channel 4.
Still active in the Denver community, Smythe is involved with Denver Boys, Courthouse Incorporated,tThe Colorado State Historical Society, the National Western Stock Show, the Denver Rotary Club and many more. He is also a former Arapahoe County Commissioner.
Smythe has published three books, including Sweepin’s from Smythe’s General Store. Smythe has been the media spokesman for First Federal Savings since 1972.
Stormy Rottman
1990
Leon “Stormy” Rottman was not a weather forecaster by occupation. He was a weather forecaster by dedication. After receiving a graduate degree in meteorology in 1943, the US Air Force put Stormy to work forecasting weather during World War II for the forces in the Far East. His forecasting meant life or death for the pilots “flying the hump” missions from Burma over the Himalayas and into China. Recalled to duty during the Korean conflict, Rottman was first based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At the request of local station KTAG, Stormy’s first television position was providing “educational weather information” to viewers.
In 1957 Rottman came to Colorado Springs on assignment to NORAD. While serving there, Stormy provided KRDO-TV with weekend weather reports. And in 1960, he was awarded the American Meteorological society Seal of Approval – the first in the Rocky Mountain region.
Stormy retired from the USAF Air Weather Service in 1968 at the rank of Lt. Colonel, Director of Information. He then came to Denver and joined Channel 9 as staff meteorologist.
While at Channel 9, Stormy was involved in community activities of all types. Speaking to young and old alike, he lectured to many school groups because, “Weather fascinates kids. It’s a much more popular subject than when I was growing up,” according to Rottman.
Stormy retired from 9News in 1988 and began a new career of talk-show host for KRMA-TV’s “Senior Showcase.” He’s a member of Temple Emanuel, Retired Officers Association, the Denver Press Club, and Denver Sister Cities International. Stormy received the 1988 Broadcaster of the Year award from the Colorado Broadcasters Association. Stormy and his wife Leah continue to enjoy an active life of biking, swimming and community service.
Carl Akers
1988
A 38-year veteran of broadcasting, Carl Akers is a name synonymous with Denver television. Early in his long and distinguished career, Carl established himself as a writer. He would take a story off the news wires, rewrite it with an economy of words and deliver it in his refined broadcasting voice.
In 1948 he went to work for KLZ Radio. His down-to-earth style in radio eventually led to television in 1953 as an anchorman and newscaster at KMGH-TV (formerly KLZ). Carl’s new and innovative attempt to bring the TV audience into the working newsroom contributed to a successful reign in the ratings for the next decade.
After a three-year sabbatical, he joined KUSA-TV (formerly KBTV) in 1968 to help build the struggling third-place station into a leading news organization in the television market. Akers took on the responsibilities of three men: anchor of the 5 o’clock and 10 o’clock newscasts, as well as news director for both the radio and television newsrooms. He made it a point to hire talent who were journalists first and personalities second. In 1976 Akers was named vice president of news and began doing commentaries for Channel 9, a trademark of 9News for a decade. As a result of his television writing, Akers has authored two books – Carl Akers’ Colorado and Carl Akers’ Comments.
Carl’s intense love of Colorado and his excitement about living in this state came across on television. He has brought more Colorado history to television than anyone else in the business.
A recipient of many awards for his achievements, it is indeed fitting that the Colorado Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognizes Carl Akers with the Governor’s Award for his outstanding contribution to Denver television and his uncompromising journalistic standards.
Hugh Terry
1987
When searching for words to describe the contributions Hugh Terry has made to Denver as a citizen and broadcaster, one need only reflect on comments from the community and his industry peers: “concerned,” “first,” “responsible,” “a pioneer.” No doubt Terry has had an impact on Colorado and the broadcast industry.
Hugh Terry began his Colorado broadcasting career in 1936. During that time, and to his retirement as Vice President and General Manager of KMGH-TV (formerly KLZ) in 1973, he compiled an enviable record of service, both to the community and the broadcasting industry.
It was in 1949 that Variety magazine named him their first “Showmanager of the Year” for the “consistent, sincere efforts of Hugh Terry’s that reflect credit on the entire industry.” Two years later the Junior League’s “League Life” called him “… one of Denver’s First Citizens.”
On November 1, 1952 Terry put Channel 7 on the air, and under his stewardship it ruled as the dominant television station in Denver for more than two decades. Throughout his career he collected nearly every award the broadcast industry had to offer, from the George Foster Peabody Award to the first National EMMY every presented to a local television station. He was the first winner of the RTNDA’s Paul White Memorial Awards for his editorial series which resulted in Colorado becoming the nation’s first state to allow cameras and microphones into the courtroom.
He holds honorary life membership in the RTNDA and in the Colorado Broadcaster’s Association.
It is indeed fitting that the Colorado Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognize Hugh B. Terry with our chapter’s first Governor’s Award for his outstanding contribution to our industry, and community.