KAB Announces 2023 Hall of Fame Award Recipients
| RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 22, 2023 | 3:33pm CT |
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 Kansas Association of Broadcasters |
The Kansas Association of Broadcasters has annouunced four Hall of Fame recipients. Winners will be recognized at the 2023 KAB Hall of Fame Dinner on October 22 at the Overland Park Marriott.
The Distinguished Service Award (also will be inducted into the Hall of Fame) will be presented to Ian Punnett, MDiv, Ph.D., a professor of practice at Kansas State University. He specializes in researching and teaching media business and entrepreneurship, media history, podcasting and serves as the chief operator/faculty advisor for Wildcat 91.9, recently voted the Best College Radio Station in the nation.
Randy Picking began his radio career in January of 1976 when he kept stats and provided color commentary for KSAL sports. He spent so much time watching and learning from announcers at KSAL/KYEZ, that he was offered a paying parttime job as a tape changer and recorded weather updates for KYEZ to limit his hours at the station in 1977. Picking's first full time job was the 6pm-midnight announcer at KSAL in 1980. He became the Operations Manager at KYEZ in 1981. Randy has been an announcer, news reporter, news director, public service director, sales representative, storm chaser, and talk show co-host. His career has taken him to KSAL, KYEZ, KABI, KSAJ, KFRM, KSKG and KINA, before retiring at the end of 2019.
Mike Manns took his first radio job in 1969 at KNBI in Norton, KS, where he covered the morning drive, teen time and high school sports. In 1970 he entered the U,S, Navy, attending Sonar School, and in 1972 (after honorable discharge) joined Midland Broadcasting in Topeka as their afternoon newsman. Four years later he became their news and sports director and continued in that capacity through the sale of Midland Broadcasting to Cumulus. During that 45-year span, he served in numerous additional roles. He was a sports anchor at KSNT-TV from 1979-1981, a WIBW-TV sports reporter from 1982-1984, and hosted KTKA Television's Post Game Scoreboard show from 1985-1987. Mike retired from reporting the news in 2018.
Dale Morrell was KAKE's second chief engineer, where the building and the grounds upon which KAKE rests is dedicated to him. A native of Winfield, Kansas, Dale began his career with KAKE as a master control operator on October 19, 1967, which happened to be the 13th anniversary of KAKE's sign-on. After serving his country in Vietnam, Dale returned to KAKE's engineering department. He served as chief engineer for 42 years from 1980-2022, leading the tradition of quality and reliability for which KAKE is known. For 55 years he cared for every inch of the KAKE campus and the employees who worked alongside him.
For more information about all of KAB's awards, please visit kab.net.
