Darrell Barton
2004
SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTEE
Before television, Darrell Barton was a combat marine in Vietnam. He began his career at KAKE in Wichita, then was hired in 1969 by WKY/KTVY in Oklahoma City where he worked for the next 14 years. As Chief Photographer, he inspired a consistently award-winning staff that received two National Press Photographer's Association Station of the Year titles. He was named NPPA Photographer of the Year in 1974 and again in 1981.
In 1983, Darrell established Barton Productions and has worked as a freelancer for all major networks. When 48 Hours was created, Darrell quickly became a charter member of the cadre of shooters used on the show. He is widely regarded as one of the finest television cameramen ever, pioneering that fluid, invisible hand-held camera technique.
Throughout his career, Darrell has maintained a close relationship with the NPPA television workshop held annually in Norman, OK; he has been a faculty member for 30 years despite his globetrotting schedule. Darrell teaches storytelling with compassion and is a vocal proponent of words married to pictures and sound; such basic concepts as "beginning, middle, end" are woven into the fabric of his shooting style. He is a recipient of the NPPA's Morris Berman citation and the prestigious Joseph Sprague Memorial Award, a national Emmy nomination and a Gold Medal from the Chicago Film Festival.
Darrell and his wife, Marilyn, reside on a farm in rural Logan County, Oklahoma. He is the father of two grown children and spends his spare time tooling around in his old trucks, riding his Harley, and hitting golf balls at passing trains from his back porch.
Ed Greene
2004
SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTEE
Ed Greene, News4 weather and news anchor, has called Colorado home since the early 1970s. His first on-air broadcast journalism job was in radio at KIMN in 1972. Ed began appearing on television in 1976 as weather and news anchor at KMGH. He joined KCNC in 1981 and has worked with the crew at News4 for most of his broadcast career. He loves his job and Colorado's always-changing weather. In the newsroom, Ed is a leader who sets a positive example for his co-workers and a mentor who takes time and energy for the dozens of students who have worked under his tutelage.
Outside the newsroom, Ed is one of the most recognizable and involved TV personalities in the community. He donates his time to emcee upwards of 70 events a year for local non-profit organizations and is a prominent figure at many local functions. Ed says, "I feel a responsibility to give back to the community. Doing that is what has kept me going all these years. The community has been good to me and in return I donate my time so that local non-profit organizations can raise money and awareness for good causes. I feel it's the right thing to do." Ed is the chairman for Men for the Cure, a fundraising effort for breast cancer research. As a survivor of heart disease, Ed has made hundreds of visits on behalf of the cause and has served as the spokesperson and honorary chair for the American Heart Association. He has been the Spokesperson and Emcee for the Adoption Exchange and the Day for Wednesday's Child, and has served on the Boards for the Colorado Symphony and the Volunteers of America.
Russell Scott
2004
SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTEE
Thousands of Colorado Natives, now in their thirties, forties, and even fifties, celebrated their most memorable childhood birthday parties on television with Blinky the Clown. For over 30 years, these children heard a kind and caring voice singing "Happy Berfday To You." The voice came from the always smiling, painted face of Russell Scott.
Born in Enid, Oklahoma, Russell landed a job hosting a live daily television show on KKTV in Colorado Springs in 1960. Six years later, he was lured away to Denver where Blinky's Fun Club continued to teach and entertain children at KWGN-TV. Blinky always stressed safety to his viewers: don't play with matches, stay out of the streets, and mind mom and dad – were familiar themes. Russell's love of performing is matched with his love and compassion for the children. Co-workers admit that they seldom saw Russell at the TV station, but Blinky was always there. Blinky the Clown was created by Russell for the sole purpose of entertaining children; for many of these children, appearing on Blinky's Fun Club was so memorable that they returned as adults, bringing their own children on the show.
Russell's television career spans four decades, and he has produced and hosted nearly 10,000 shows. He has devoted countless hours of his time to the community: Salvation Army Bells, Hospital Visitations, and Honorary Ringmaster at the Ringling Brother's Circus. These days he spends time at his antique store on Broadway in Denver. He came to work one day to find that there had been a break-in, but nothing was missing. Instead, he found a note of apology from the would-be burglar; it said, "I sat on your lap when I was five years old, I just couldn't rob Blinky."