PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — With a slate of panel discussions across two days that saw a Wednesday afternoon presentation from Futuri founder and CEO Daniel Anstandig on broadcasting’s AI revolution to a Thursday morning keynote from Sen. Rick Scott, the Florida Association of Broadcasters Annual Convention attracted notables from across radio and television broadcasting to the tony Breakers resort hotel in a city that is home to Mar-a-Lago.
While watching the first 2024 U.S. Presidential Debate may be of high interest for attendees, catching it on delay may be in order, as the inaugural class of the FAB Hall of Fame will be formally inducted this evening (6/27) at a gala reception.
This first-ever Hall of Fame class is comprised of nine individuals chosen based on their distinguished professional career directly tied to the Sunshine State, devoting a minimum of 25 years to the industry.
First on the list is Ann Bishop, a trailblazing news anchor who was the first woman to helm a newscast for WPLG-10 in Miami, the longtime ABC affiliate. With Dwight Lauderdale, Bishop commanded huge audiences for the station, today owned by a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Bishop is being honored posthumously; she died in 1997 of colon cancer.
“Ann Bishop shattered the glass ceiling when she took a seat at what was until then an all-male anchor desk, and became the first woman to anchor the evening news in a major market,” said Bert Medina, who serves as President/CEO of WPLG. Bishop was hired at WPLG-10 in 1970, working with Glenn Rinker opposite icons such as Ralph Renick at WTVJ-4 in Miami. “We still hear from women in our industry who credit Ann for their own career success. WPLG owes a great deal of our success to Ann. She laid the foundation and we work every day to honor her legacy.”
Then, the FAB will induct Bernie and Edith Waterman. As Presidents of Waterman Broadcasting, they owned NBC affiliate WBBH-20 in Fort Myers-Naples until agreeing to sell the station to Hearst Television in July 2023 for upward of $220 million.
Following the Watermans, the FAB HOF will induct Gene Deckerhoff Jr., the distinctive radio play-by-play announcer of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Florida State Seminoles; the late George G. Beasley, founder of Beasley Media Group; and WXXL “XL 106.7” in Orlando Johnny’s House morning show host Johnny Magic. Magic has been associated with the iHeartMedia Top 40 station in Central Florida since its December 1990 change to WXXL from WHLY. He’s been solo since 2007, when 17-year co-host “Doc Holliday” joined a crosstown Country station.
After Magic’s induction will be that of former WTVJ-TV in Miami President/GM Dick Lobo. Then, one Rush Hudson Limbaugh III will be inducted posthumously; Limbaugh resided just blocks away from the Breakers.
Then, the FAB Hall of fame will induct former WPTV-5 in West Palm Beach GM and ex-FAB Chairman Bill Brooks.
“The 2024 inductees are the leading examples of integrity, innovation, achievement, leadership, and contributions to the industry,” FAB President/CEO Pat Roberts said.
The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at roughly 9pm Eastern, when the debate between President Biden and former President Trump for the 2024 campaign is scheduled to begin on CNN. Coverage is being offered by a host of other networks, which have agreed to carry CNN’s feed.
