Silver Circle Honorees - 1990-1999 - Northern California Emmys®

Silver Circle

The Silver Circle honors media professionals who began their careers in television at least 25 years ago, either in a performing, creative, technical, or administrative role within the industry, or in a related field such as television journalism education, advertising, promotion, or public relations, with service connected to the San Francisco / Northern California Chapter.

Over the course of their 25-year career, honorees must also have made a significant contribution to the chapter.

Northern California — Silver Circle Honorees - 1990-1999

2010 Gold Circle Honoree

1999 Silver Circle Honoree

Richard Block

KBHK 44, Block Communications

One of broadcasting’s pioneers, Dick started his career after graduating from Stanford in 1953. He was on hand to witness and help launch (in different capacities) many television stations in Northern California. In 1955 Dick worked at KCRA Sacramento where he was the Promotions Director. Two years later, he joined KRON in San Francisco, as its Promotions Manager. In short order, his reputation as a “young man who could get things done,” earned Dick a General Manager’s position at KHVH Hawaii. During his long and successful tenure with Kaiser Broadcasting, he was quickly promoted to Vice President and General Manager of its Broadcast Corporation headquartered in Oakland. As President of Kaiser Broadcasting, he conceived and executed a plan to build independent TV stations in seven of the top ten markets and was at the forefront of the establishment and expansion of Kaiser Broadcasting’s UHF division, including the startup of San Francisco’s own KBHK as well as WKBD (Detroit), WKBS (Philadelphia), WKBG (Boston), WKBF (Cleveland), KBSC (Los Angeles) and WFLD (Chicago). He left Kaiser Broadcasting in the mid 1970s. Block was the Executive Vice President of Metromedia, which was ultimately bought out by FOX. He was also instrumental in the creation and launching of The Travel Channel for Westinghouse and Game Show Network for Sony. Dick lives in Southern California and is President of his own consulting business based in Santa Monica, Block Communications Group, Inc. The firm’s expertise is focused on domestic and international projects in broadcasting and cable with an emphasis on distribution, marketing, management, programming, production and new ventures. Clients include major broadcast and cable networks and systems, new technology companies, TV stations, major studios, publishers, producers and trade associations. In 2002 The Tournament of Roses, which brings the annual Rose Parade to worldwide audiences, appointed Block to the position of Director/Rose Parade International TV Services, to focus on worldwide distribution of the annual New Year’s Day event. Block has taught at Stanford, UCLA and, since 2007 “TV Station Management” at USC. Over the years, Block has also testified before numerous congressional committees and served as an expert witness. Board memberships include the National Association of Broadcasters, the Association of Independent TV Stations, the TV Bureau of Advertising, the Broadcast Education Association, the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve, the Stanford Alumni Association and Easter Seals of Southern California. Dick continues to be involved in Northern California television and the Academy. He has several clients in Northern California and Hawaii and has been involved in various NATAS events including: Silver Circle Luncheons; the NATAS 50th anniversary celebration and the NATAS / NAPTE student career workshop events. In fact, Dick’s major community involvement has been with the NAPTE (National Association of Program Television Executives) Educational Foundation which offers student career workshops around the country. For each workshop Dick contacts the local NATAS chapter to be a co-sponsor (at no cost) of the event. The San Francisco workshop was in 2008 at KPIX. Dick has also been a regular contributor to the TV Academy Scholarship Fund and is a member of the Silver Circle Class of 1999.

1999 Silver Circle Honoree

Victor Lee

KRON 4, KGO ABC 7

An internship at the New York Times convinced Vic Lee that a career in journalism was for him. He went on to work for United Press International in Tokyo, Portland and Los Angeles. In 1972, Vic moved to San Francisco and KRON where he worked as a writer, assignment editor, news producer and managing editor. He left KRON briefly to continue Chinese studies, adding that language to his native language of Japanese. Returning to KRON, he became that station’s general assignment reporter with a specialty in Asian Affairs. Vic’s reporting has won him numerous local and national awards including the prestigious George Polk award of Journalism, Best Investigative Reporting, Best Live Coverage and Best Enterprise awards from the Associated Press and Best Spot News Story award from United Press International. For his work on the documentary “Airlift Africa and the Faces of Hunger,” he received a CINE Golden Eagle award, a New York Film Festival gold award; plus Best Documentary and Best Mini-Series awards from UPI, AP and several local Emmys. Vic has a daughter, Natallie in college, and lives in San Mateo with his wife, Suzanne.

1999 Silver Circle Honoree

Rod Sherry

KPIX 5, KFTY 50

Radio consumed the first years of Rod Sherry’s broadcasting career, with eleven years in Buffalo New York, followed by a stint at KNX in Los Angeles. Rod’s first job in television was with KTTV in Los Angeles, writing for the KTTV Newsreel. When KFSF-TV (later KOGO-TV) went on the air, Rod was there as a newsman. In 1964, he joined KPIX in San Francisco as anchor on the 11:00 news and as a reporter on the 6:00 News. On weekends, he moderated “News-makers,” KPIX’s news panel show. After a brief retirement, he was asked to join the then-fledgling station in Santa Rosa, KFTY, as a weekend anchor and producer, which led to weekday anchor and ultimately news director. Rod retired for the second time in 1987. Rod is a founding member of The Broadcast Legends, serving on the core group as treasurer. Rod and his wife, Martha, live in Santa Rosa.

1998 Silver Circle Honoree

Dave Caldwell

KPIX 5, NBC

Dave Caldwell started his television career in Northern California at KPIX in 1957 where he was employed as a producer/director. In 1963 he acted as writer-producer on “San Francisco Pageant,” a series of documentary programs on Bay Area history. The program was honored with a National Peabody award. Later in 1965, he was the producer-director for “POW,” the weekly entertainment magazine show hosted by Rolf Peterson. He left KPIX in 1967 but returned in 1970 to produce “Electric Impressions,” the first local variety show to be syndicated nationally by Westinghouse. That program won the San Francisco State College Broadcast Media Award. Dave formed his own production company in 1973, which remained in operation through 1995. During that time he was the producer-director for a documentary entitled “Rock Art Treasures of Ancient America,” which appeared on local cable. For that program Dave was honored with a Northern California Emmy Award. His national credits included directing such shows as NBC’s “Real People,” “Professional Figure Skating Championship’s,” “NBC Sportsworld,” and the “Tournament of Roses Parade.”

1998 Silver Circle Honoree

Ed Cosci

KTVU Channel 2

Ed Cosci began his television career as an engineer with KTVU in 1960, after two years in radio broadcasting at KNBC and KSAN. While at KTVU, he also served as an instructor at the College of San Mateo for 23 years. He taught broadcast television operations to many students who are now active in the television industry, many of whom are currently employed at KTVU. At KTVU, Ed was a supervisor and also the Engineer-in-Charge of all of KTVU’s special events. That included such programs as The Chinese New Year Parade, the Last Air Show at Moffett Field, Emmy presentations, world wide teleconferencing, and local and national news election coverage. He also served in the same capacity for 49er remotes around the country. One of those remotes included a pre-season game in Japan. In 1997, Ed was promoted to the position of Engineering Manager of Operations. In that capacity, he is responsible for supervising a staff of 45 full and part time engineers.

1998 Silver Circle Honoree

Rick Davis

KGO 7, NBC News

Rick Davis joined Bay Area television in 1962 after two years with KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo while still in college, and a year with KOVR-TV in Stockton. He worked with Roger Grimsby as a writer-producer and later as a reporter until 1964. He remained in San Francisco and served as the Northern California reporter for LA’s KNXT. After a year with WCBS in New York, Rick worked as a reporter out of the San Francisco bureau for NBC News and remained in that capacity from 1975 to 1982. NBC then assigned him as a foreign correspondent that took him to London, most of Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Middle East. In 1985, Rick was the Middle East bureau chief. That included assignments in North Africa, Afghanistan and India. He later covered the Iran-Iraq War, and Desert Storm. For a six-month period in 1991-92, he worked for the “Today” show as national correspondent. Returning to an assignment in London, he spent much of his time reporting from Bosnia. Rick is currently a New York based correspondent.

2012 Gold Circle Honoree

1998 Silver Circle Honoree

Dr. Herbert Zettl

KPIX 5, San Francisco State

Herb Zettl earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Stanford University in Speech and Drama, with minors in art and journalism, and his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. While at Stanford, he interned at KPIX San Francisco and was subsequently hired by KPIX. He left to work at KOVR when it first opened but returned to KPIX in 1958 as producer-director. On the urging of his long-time friend Stuart Hyde, who had become the Chair of the Radio-TV Department at S F State, Zettl moved from the control room to the classroom. At San Francisco State, he helped conceive and design new broadcast teaching facilities with three television studios, audio studios, and support areas that are still in full use today. He also introduced new curricular fields, such as applied media aesthetics and experimental television production. His books, Television Production Handbook and Television Production Workbook, 12th edition; Video Basics and Video Basics Workbook, 6th edition; and Sight Sound Motion: Applied Media Aesthetic, 6th edition have been translated into several languages and are used in TV production centers and universities around the world. His interactive DVD Zettl’s VideoLab is in its 4th edition. Zettl has received several honors through the years, including the California State Legislature Distinguished Teaching Award in 1966; Distinguished Education Service Award of the Broadcast EducationAssociation in 2004; and inducted into the Silver Circle in 1996.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Rigo Chacon

KGO 7

RIGO CHACON has distinguished himself and our profession during his 25 years as a San Francisco Bay Area television reporter (KGO) by: becoming the first Hispanic television reporter in the Bay Area; opening the first San Jose bureau of any San Francisco-based TV station; becoming the first person of Mexican decent in U.S. history to win a local Emmy; covering several major international events in Latin America; winning the San Francisco Archdiocese St. Francis Journalism Award for Humanitarian Reporting; founding the “Abrazos and Books” scholarship program; and by consistently maintaining the highest possible broadcast journalistic standards.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Ysabel Duron

KTVU 2, KICU 36, KRON 4

In more than 31 years of Bay Area broadcasting, YSABEL DURON’s reporting career has covered the gamut. Assassination attempts on two presidents, four governor’s races, the Patty Hearst kidnap, the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, quakes from Coalinga to Mexico, school strikes, floods, fires, and festivals. Her work has been recognized with: two Emmys, two RTNDA awards, the coveted John Swett award for her series “Trouble with Teachers,” and multiple kudos for her most memorable series, “The Child I Never Held,” about the reunion with the child she gave up for adoption. As one of the first Latino women in broadcasting, Ysabel has been honored many times by her community as a role model and for her coverage of Latinos. She received the TV Acadmeys Governors’ Citation in 2000.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Linda Giannecchini

KQED 9, Franklin Mieuli & Assoc.

National President John Cannon recently referred to LINDA GIANNECCHINI as the 18th Chapter of NATAS because she does it all. She served as Chapter President from 1992 to 1996, and is in her third term as National Trustee. Linda was elected National Secretary last year and is currently on the National Awards Committee. She has been spending countless hours for the Academy since joining in 1972. Linda is an award winning independent producer/director and is the business manager for Franklin Mieuli and Associates. Her most recent national credits include five PBS series. She has taught television production at San Francisco State University and the College of San Mateo.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Ronald Louie

KTVU Channel 2

RON LOUIE is currently Chapter president, and has served as vice president, treasurer, and committee member, including the important Membership Committee. He has always been willing to help out when needed— organizing a judging panel, conducting an event, making calls. In addition, he has been active as a Board member of AAJA and has involved himself in IBEW and AFTRA concerns. Ron is a graduate of San Francisco State University beginning work at KTVU in 1971, where he has remained ever since. His area of expertise has been directing news, sports and computer programs.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Fred Pardini

KGO 7

FRED PARDINI, a San Francisco native, started his photojournalism career with the SF Call Bulletin in 1955, later moving to the Examiner. In 1963, he was honored with the Press Club Award for the best photograph of the year. He joined KGO News as a cameraman in 1966 and was Chief Cameraman of Film Crews from 1970-82. He has covered innumerable major events, winning an Emmy for cinematography in 1975. He is the only photojournalist to have received the Press Club Award for a still photo and an Emmy for film. Fred was president of the San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association for nine years.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Dave Parker

KPIX 5

DAVE PARKER is a television pioneer. He was a producer/director in Chicago in the early ’50s, taught at San Francisco State in 1955, and joined KPIX as Director of Public Affairs in 1955. Other early-day programs he directed and produced include station editorials, “KPIX Dance Party with Dick Stuart,” and “Open Heart Surgery”—live and remote! The patient was 10-year-old Tommy Hunter who became a Bay Area TV hero. In 1962, Dave became an independent film-video producer and distributor. Dave, now retired, is a former governor, serving during the founding years of the Academy. He says he’ll never forget the “fun of the old days.”

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Bruce Sedley

KTVU Channel 2

BRUCE SEDLEY is probably best remembered for his popular children’s programs, as Skipper Sedley host of “The Popeye Show” (KRON, 1957), and as Sir Sedley, who—with his puppets—hosted the “New Three Stooges” (KTVU, 1962-64). His mark was really made as the inventor of the Talking Storybooks with the Magic Keys, first utilized at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. Current versions of the Storybooks, using computer chips and special cardkeys, are now in use all over the world, at zoos, art exhibits, conventions and similar locales. Bruce is a real innovator.

1997 Silver Circle Honoree

Al Sturges

KHBK 44

AL STURGES began his long television career in 1949 delivering kinescopes to the KPIX transmitter. He enrolled in the Broadcast Arts Department at SF State College, at which time he worked on the Emmy award winning “Science In Action” and “Explorers of Tomorrow” KRON series. Later he joined KGO as a production assistant and assistant director. He was program manager at KTVU, KBHK, and worked for ABC Films and Kaiser Broadcasting. He has written a retrospective on the classic Samuel Goldwyn films, and produced “Free At Last”, a tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King.

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Shirley Temple Black

Actress, Hostess

Shirley Temple Black, well-known motion picture and television actress, is a long-time member of our Chapter and strong in her support of it. She has served as Honorary Chair, Emmy Awards; received the Chapter’s highest honor, the Governors’ Award, and has been highly active in community service. From 1989 to 1992 she was U .S. Ambassador to the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic in Prague. She was Chief of Protocol of the United States, 1976-77.

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Aaron Edwards

KGO ABC 7

Aaron Edwards, now ret i red, performed i n many commercials in the early 1960s, helping to establish this style in television, and continued in news and commercials until retiring in 199I ; he was a regular cast member on the Jack Carney show, KTVU, and a frequent guest on the Don Sherwood Show, Channel 7, and was a KGO-TV reporter from 1983 until his retirement.

2012 Gold Circle Honoree

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Dr. Stuart Hyde

San Francisco State University

Stuart Hyde’s fascination with drama, theatre, film and radio began in Fresno during high school and college days. Following his U.S. Navy service in the Pacific during World War II, Hyde received an AB from UCLA and an M.A. and PhD from Stanford in Speech and Drama. He taught at Stanford and USC before becoming Chair in 1958 of the Department now known as Broadcast and Electronic Communications Arts (BECA) at San Francisco State University. Hyde has taught and inspired thousands of students to pursue careers in broadcasting. His book, Television and Radio Announcing, was written in 1959. Its twelve revisions and 150,000 copies have made it the industry’s standard authoritative text on the subject. He hired San Francisco State’s first African-American broadcast faculty member, Buzz Anderson, during the racially heated political climate of the 1960s. In 1969, Hyde answered the call of students protesting social injustices in America by teaching a class in media performance at San Quentin State Prison for eleven years. He formally retired from San Francisco State in 2007. He was inducted into the Silver Circle (Class of 1996) and Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (Class of 2011) and is a member of the Bay Area Broadcast Legends.

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Terry Lowry

KRON 4, KGO 7, KTVU 2, KICU 36

TERRY LOWRY, vice president of LaCosse Productions and Chapter governor, was a pioneer in bilingual television, putting to good use her background. Growing up in a bilingual home, where her father is of Irish and Swedish decent and her mother is Mexican, Terry began her career at KRON-TV by translating the evening news into Spanish for simulcast on KRON-FM radio. She then moved on to weather anchor, host-producer of an Hispanic public affairs program, news reporter and anchor. In February, 1981, Terry moved to KGO-TV where she became weekend news anchor. In September, 1982, she and her husband, Fred LaCosse, began a successful five-year run as co-hosts of the daily morning talk-show “A.M. San Francisco.” Terry has worked at KTVU and KICU, anchoring and hosting. She has also represented the TV industry in giving generously of her time and talent to a wide variety of Bay Area organizations.

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Bob MacKenzie

KTVU Channel 2

Bob MacKenzie, KTVU roving reporter/commentator, established KTVU’s popu lar “Segment 2,” a highly successful feature series, with a refreshing, insightful approach to his topics; he brought to video a background in writing as the Oakland Tribune video editor, as a TV Guide television critic (succeeding Cleveland Amory), and now writes a monthly column for New Choices, a Reader’s Digest publication with 600,000 readers. He is the recipient of 13 Emmys®.

1996 Silver Circle Honoree

Kevin O'Brien

KTVU Channel 2

Kevin O’Brien, VP and GM of KTVU, is an ardent supporter of this TV Academy chapter, contributing station space and encouraging staff participation in its activities, as well as making positive suggestions through the years. His insistence on quality television has helped shape excellence in the industry throughout Northern California, and his civic caring extended to actively helping keep the Giants in San Francisco.

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

Darryl R. Compton

SF State, KRON 4, Yonchenko, CKS, NATAS

Darryl’s broadcast career began in 1961, working in KRON-TV’s traffic department weekends and holidays. Concurrently, he was a volunteer for the annual KQED-TV Auction. He later became Operations Manager for the Auction. He joined the staff at San Francisco State University, his alma mater, as a video technician in 1963, later becoming Master Control Supervisor. He also served as co-chair of the prestigious SFSU Broadcast Industry Conference. In 1981, he became Business Manager for KRON-TV’s NewsCenter 4, later moving up as News Operations Manager and Associate News Director for Operations. He is currently Director of Operations for CKS Pictures in Cupertino. He has been active in the Television Academy and RTNDA for many years.

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

Don Gold

KGO 7, DGA

A graduate of San Francisco State University, Don began his television activity as floor manager at KOVR, in the Mark Hopkins Hotel studio. After serving as a stagehand on various productions in Los Angeles, Don returned to San Francisco, joining KGO-TV as an associate director later producer), where he was associated with such programs as Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, AM Show, Al Collins Show, Oh MY Word, Gypsy Rose Lee, and other local and ABC network productions. He currently is Senior Field Representative for the Directors Guild of America.

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

Willie Kee

KTVU Channel 2

For the past 25 years, it has been impossible to cover any major news event in Northern California without seeing the distinctive form of videographer Willie Kee, wearing his trademark black outfit and black hat. During his television career, he has won a noteworthy 12 regional Emmy Awards, and other accolade, including the recent Asian American Journalists’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Perhaps even more significant and lasting are the dozens of young journalists Willie has mentored throughout the years. He has always demanded professionalism and has earned the respect of his peers.

2019 Gold Circle Honoree

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

David Louie

KGO ABC 7

David has been a tireless member of the Television Academy, serving as Awards Chair for 10 years, and as a Governor and Trustee. He now holds the Academy’s highest post as Chairman of the Board. He began his television career as a youngster in Cleveland, appearing for eight years on a weekly children’s program series, later serving as a news trainee. After graduation from Northwestern University, David joined KGO TV’s news operation.In addition to serving as East Bay and Peninsula bureau chief for Channel 7, he developed a specialty as a money-and-business reporter. He has received two Emmy statuettes. David did take a brief detour in 1977, becoming Assistant News Director of ABC-Owned KXYZ-TV in Detroit-the first Asian-American in station management. He returned to San Francisco and KGO-TV two years later.

For someone who loves technology, what better job could there be than covering Silicon Valley and the innovators who keep creating new products and services?

I grew up taking photos with a Brownie Instamatic. I learned how to process black & white film. Now I use a high-end Canon DSLR, and I travel the world to take photos that I “process” in digital imaging software. I wrote term papers on a typewriter in school. Later, I built a “hacker special” a PC assembled from components I bought as they went on sale at the electronics store. It’s great to know first-hand about what’s inside the devices and software that we use.

News has been in my blood since I wrote for my high school newspaper. On second thought, maybe it was the ink that rubbed off on my hands that hooked me when I was a newspaper delivery boy. A neighbor, who produced a weekly public affairs show, put me on TV at age five. Being in front of the studio cameras for eight years got me thinking of a TV news career. The dream came true. I’m celebrating my 40th anniversary this year at ABC7.

Along the way, I’ve been on stage at Radio City Music Hall (without the Rockettes) for the Daytime Emmy Awards when I was national chairman of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. I’ve been inducted into two halls of fame (high school and college journalism school), and I’ve received two lifetime achievement awards (Asian American Journalists Association and the City & County of San Francisco). There are four Emmy statuettes, too.

And when I’m not covering news, you can find me either in the kitchen experimenting or on the road in search of great food.

David Louie has been a reporter for ABC7 News for 43 years. He reports on technology and business around the Bay Area.

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

Bob Mitchell

KGO 7

Starting out in 1946 as a part-time employee at the Paramount Theatre flagship operation in Chicago Bob later became an assistant fllm director at that company’sWBKB-TV. In 1953, Bob was offered the position of Film Director at KGO-TV. He took a flight to San Francisco during the winter months, contrasted the Bay Area climate with the snow back in Chicago, and made a quick decision.In 1973 he was promoted to the position of Assistant Program Director. Nine general managers and 16 program directors later and Bob is still happily working at KOO-TV.

1995 Silver Circle Honoree

Wayne Walker

KPIX 5

Recently retiring as sports director/anchor at KPIX, Wayne was highly visible ever since he joined Eyewitness News in 1974. His on-air activity predated his San Francisco news coverage, beginning during his days as an outside linebacker for the Detroit Lions, from 1958 to 1972. During his off-season, Wayne was a sports commentator for WJBK-TV, the Detroit CBS affiliate. After joining KPIX, Wayne also provided color commentary for CBS’s National Football League games for several years, and has been featured as a member of the KGO Radio sports team. Wayne has returned to his native Boise, Idaho, to live in retirement. Wayne declined an offer to play pro baseball to play football at the University of Idaho, where he graduated with a degree in business administration.

2008 Gold Circle Honoree

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Luis Echegoyen

KDTV Univision 14

Luis started his career on the stage as an actor at the age of 13 in his native El Salvador. His first television job was in 1956 at YSEB-TV, San Salvador, El Salvador. In 1962, he moved to San Francisco and stints at KOFY, KBRG, KLOK, KIQI radio, KEMO-TV and KQED-TV, and even hosted a national game show. He joined KDTV in 1975 and became a mainstay on the station’s evening Spanish-Language newscasts until his retirement in March of 2006. An Emmy® award winner himself, Luis is a former member of the NATAS Board of Governors and founder of the KDTV/NATAS’ “Exito Escolar” broadcasting and journalism scholarship program for Latino students. A member of the “Silver Circle” class of 1994, Luis received the TV Academy’s highest honor, “The Governors’ Award,” in May, 2001. He has been instrumental in the founding of a public park and a senior citizens center, organized numerous relief drives to benefit Latin American countries during disasters and lead campaigns for various cultural and arts groups. Luis is still very active in countless non-profit organizations that help Bay Area Latinos, a sought-after speaker and master of ceremonies at community events, a freelance actor, announcer, director and producer of commercials for non-broadcast educational productions and the Principal/Owner of “Hispanic Multimedia,” a Public Relations & Advertising Consultant company for the Hispanic Market.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Roger Grimsby

KGO ABC 7

News anchor and correspondent now in New York City writing and making guest TV appearances, worked in Northern California television from 1961 to 1968, including KGO-TV as anchor. During this time, he made two visits co Vietnam and one to the Near East to cover the Egypt Israel conflict. While at KGO, he worked the first nightly story exchange with KABC-TV in L.A. Under his direction, KGO won several Associated Press Awards, the National Headliners Award and other honors.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Howard J. Harden Jr.

KGO ABC 7

As stage manager, artist and producer/direct Howard participated in the pioneering of live television in the Bay Area. contributed co the presentation of thousands of hours of television programs and news events, including “A.M. San Francisco” “Good Morning Bay Area,” the Jack l.aL.anne Sliow, the Pope’s visit to San Francisco, Gorbachev’s luncheon speech here, and the Republican National Convention at the Cow Palace.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Pat McCormick

KTVU Channel 2

His career began in 1953 as a “gofer” at the old Allied Artists Studios in Hollywood, then became an apprentice film editor and assistant co Producer Walter Wanger. Other “stints” included work as a driver, assistant transportation dispatcher, voice-overs and playing drums in a Dixieland Jazz Band weekends on Catalina Island-and we’re only up to 1955. TV work followed in L.A., Fresno, KGO-TV, ABC Network in New York, and back to KGO resuming duties as producer/host. He’s best known to us now as the KTVU guy who looks out the back door to forecast tomorrow’s weather.

2009 Gold Circle Honoree

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Jan (Moe) Moellering

KNTV 11 NBC Bay Area

Jan Moellering began her broadcast career as the producer/host of a 15-minute weekly show about her high school. She attended San Jose State College (now University) as one of only a handful of women majoring in Radio & TV Production. In her junior year (1959) Jan began her television career at KNTV working the phone banks for a new contest show. She soon became show coordinator for Record Hop. The show ended in 1964 and Jan spent the next decades in the Production Department keeping track of, among other things, all of the tapes that came and went out of the studio. She is now in Programming, managing the program schedules. Jan has seen the transition from black and white film in the 50’s… to color cameras and color tape in the late 60’s… to today’s all-digital technology. “I’ve seen KNTV grow from a tiny station in San Jose to an NBC O&O in the San Francisco Bay Area without getting out of my chair.” By all accounts, in her 50 years at KNTV she has had an amazing and impactful career.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Dennis Richmond

KTVU Channel 2

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1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Wiley Schmidt

KGO 7

Through his career, Wiley moved from designing window displays at the San Jose Emporium (1957-1959) to his position today as arc director at KOO-TV, where he is responsible for all phases of Channel 7’s aesthetic direction. He has received recognition for his excellence through five Emmys and more than a dozen Broadcast Designers Association (BOA) awards in varied categories. A leader in advancing his profession, he was active in the formation of the BOA, now an international organization, and served on its Board, was its president (1988) and twice chaired the BOA Design Competitions.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Charles Schulz

Peanuts TV Specials

“My ambition from earliest memory was to produce a daily comic strip,” and that’s exactly what CHARLES SCHULZ has done since Peanuts debuted in seven newspapers in 1950. Unlike many top-rank cartoonists, Schulz draws every strip himself. He also writes the scripts and storyboards for the Peanuts television specials, which have earned five Emmy and two Peabody Awards. Schulz has been inducted into the Cartoonists Hall of Fame, has received two Reuben Awards from the National Cartoonist Society, and honors from both the French and Italian Ministries of Culture. He is also a Governors’ Award recipient from the San Francisco NATAS Chapter. Charles, a Bay area resident, is very involved in community affairs.

1994 Silver Circle Honoree

Ron Wren

Wren Advertising

In his station career, Ron was publicist for the cause of good television and an accomplished creator of station campaigns and promotion materials. In advertising agency management and ownership since 1966, his support of the television medium as a selling force has helped not only the Bay Area business community, but also provided continuing revenue for the local television stations.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Bob Anderson

KRON 4, KGO 7

If Bob didn’t invent the television documentary art form, he at least perfected it. He’s won three Peabody awards, 43 Film Festival awards, and of course, the coveted Emmy. (He won 13 of them.) Bob started his award winning ways at KRON-TV in 1961 as a producer/director, going on to make more than 300 documentaries, educational films, foreign reports and other specials. For the past 15 years he worked for KGO-TV as a free-lancer.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Dovel (Curley) Devon

KQED 9

DOVEL (CURLY) DeVON Curly has always been the guy in the back room that makes things happen. Starting out in radio, then moving to television, in Yakima, Washington, he made the move to San Francisco, becoming a video engineer at KQED-TV in 1966, where he is still keeping things going. At KQED TV, Curly has run camera, worked remotes, and lit studios. Newsroom, Firing Line, Over Easy and World Press are but a few of the many programs and series he remembers. He is now Broadcast Supervisor Engineer at KQED-TV.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Peter Giddings

KGO ABC 7

A veteran of more than 30 years in his field, Peter was KGO-TV’s first meteorologist, beginning in 1969. He developed and now directs KGO-TV’s “Channel 7 Naturalist Unit,” the largest full-time environmental team at any California station. He was honored by the American Meteorological Society with an Award for Outstanding Service in 1990 for his tireless efforts to combat scientific illiteracy. He’s well-known for his youth oriented community service.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Vern Hawkins

KTVU Channel 2

Vern has held “all the jobs in TV news” and puts all this experience to work in his current KTVU on-air reporting. He’s been a reporter,.cameraman, bureau chief, assignment editor and news director. Starting out in Long Beach in 1954, he served in Armed Forces Radio (Tokyo), and worked in Tucson, at KVIQ-TV in Eureka and at KCRA-TV in Sacramento before coming to KTVU. He was the first bureau reporter to package daily reports.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Jim Lange

KGO 7, ABC

Well-known to national television audiences, as well as those of Northern California, Jim is heard daily as the morning host on Magic 61,KFRC. Starting out as Captain 11, in Minnesota, he joined KGO-TV in 1959, where he was featured in a wide variety of on-air host activities, and is well remembered for Dating Game, Oh M y Word, and the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, among others.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Dorothy Hooker Nye

KGO 7

She was the first woman director of live commercial television on the West Coast-and probably in the country. In the early 1950s, Dorothy and Ida Lupino were the only women in the Radio-TV Directors Guild. Starting out at KTLA, Los Angeles, Dorothy moved to San Francisco in 1948 and helped put KGO-TV on the air. She directed her first program (Les Malloy’s interview show) in 1949. When she resigned in 1959, to pursue a career as a writer/film producer, she estimated she had directed 4,000 individual programs and produced 2,500, of which about 1,500 were musical variety shows.

1993 Silver Circle Honoree

Evan White

KGO 7, KRON 4, Bay TV

A national Emmy® Award recipient, Evan is KRON-TV news anchor and investigative reporter.His Target 4 Reports and news documentaries are often characterized by their controversial nature and many have prompted viewers, legislatures and other media to take action. Starting out in Alaska, he has worked with KGO-TV and KPIX, as well as KRON-TV. He has also worked as an independent producer/director of political films and documentaries.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Dick Cable

KXTV News 10

As a key member of the KXTV News Department since 1969, Dick haws won many honors, including Best Sacramento News Anchor ( 1990)-Sacramento Magazine, and Best Commentary (1990 & 1991)-Society of Professional Journalists. He started out in radio in Ft. Collins, moved to Cheyenne and Boise, becoming a television news anchor in that city in 1966. He is a lecturer in broadcast news at UC, Davis.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Alma Carroll

Writer/Publicist

Now an award-winning free-lance writer/editor, Alma started her television career at KTVU in 1957.Since then she held positions at KQED-TV and KBHK-TV, and was a writer and production assistant for Quinn Martin, Hollywood . She was the first woman elected to office at the San Francisco Press Club, and was a Governor of this chapter, where she has been a member since 1963.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Al Kasch

KRON 4

A five-time Emmy® recipient, Al began his television career at KCRA-TV in 1961, moving to KRON-TV in 1965 where he has served since that time, currently as a news director. He has also been honored by San Francisco State University with a Broadcast Media Award and received a George Washington Medal from the Freedom Foundation as a Director/Producer.

2002 Gold Circle Honoree

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Elaine LaLanne

KGO 7

ELAINE LA LANNE was a junk food junkie, living on chocolate doughnuts, candy, soft drinks, hot dogs, and ice cream. That was when she was 27. Elaine Doyle was working at KGO, the ABC-TV station in San Francisco, where she appeared on and was the talent booker for The Les Malloy Show. She would sit in for Les and ended up hosting the show on Mondays with Freddie Jorgenson. It was there that she first met Jack La Lanne. Elaine, who claims she feels 19, has just turned 71. She has written five books. She is also a lecturer, civic leader and businesswoman (in fact, she runs Befit Enterprises).

2002 Gold Circle Honoree

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Jack LaLanne

KGO 7

Jack La Lanne just turned 88, and got his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He started in 1936 with a health studio in Oakland. He developed the first models of the exercise equipment that is standard in health spas today. By the early 1950s, he had taken to the new medium of television in order to reach more people. Live shows at KGO-TV, then on to LA and syndication. Ever the innovator, Jack used television to reach out to millions of Americans everywhere with his gospel message of get up, work out and feel better. At the present, Jack La Lanne is still coming up with incredible new ideas and exercise programs. Together with his wife, Elaine, he travels throughout the world, lecturing and inspiring people to greater heights through exercise and nutrition.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Marty Pasetta

KGO 7

A local Emmy® recipient, Marty got his start as an early day stage manager at KGO-TV, moving up to executive producer. After 16 years at KGO-TV, he began producing and directing network extravaganzas, such as Inaugural Galas for both Pres. Carter and Pres.Reagan, 17 consecutive Academy Awards telecasts, the Grammy Awards for eight years and the Emmy Awards for two, to name but a few. He was responsible for the first satellite TV broadcast and pioneered worldwide satellite and ad hoc distribution , and high definition video.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Robert P. Roth

KTVU Channel 2

Bob has spent his entire television- career at one station, KTVU. As Director,Studio Production/Lighting Director at KTVU, Bob can look back to his start in 1959 as a switchboard operator, later moving into the Art bepartment to do layout and shoot slides for the news. He then became a stage manager for the Don Sherwood Show and newscasts

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Anthony (Tony) B. Tiano

KQED 9

Tony is a veteran communicator. He has been President and CEO of KQED, Inc. since 1978, developing innovative methods of providing public media service. He holds an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the California School of Professional Psychology, a Master's Degree in Business and Communciations from the University of New Mexico, and has completed programs at Harvard and USC.

1991 Silver Circle Honoree

Fred Zehnder

KTVU Channel 2

With humble beginnings as a copy boy at the Lake County Bee, Fred later became the first news director at KVIQ-TV, Eureka. During his military service, he was broadcast director for the Army’s Information office at Ft. Bliss, later working as a news producer in Los Angeles. He moved to San Francisco, where he joined KPIX, later moving to Sacramento as Executive Producer for KOVR-TV’s news. Fred joined KTVU in 1974 as an assignment editor, then·was assistant news director at KGO-TV, returning to KTVU in 1978 as News Director.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Walt Bjerke

KQED 9

Technical Director and Field Supervisor, KQED-TV. Volunteer during Vietnam War era producing closed-circuit telecasts to local military hospitals-including the first four Raider/Forty Niners exhibition games.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Mike Boyd

KCRA 3

With a background in news broadcasting at the Voice of America and NBC in Washington, D.C., and on-air news in Seattle and Maine, Mike joined KCRA-TV in 1963, anchoring the late night news. He is the only reporter to be allowed on death row in San Quentin, was present when Robert Kennedy was assassinated, and covered the return of 400 veterans from Vietnam. Medical breakthroughs are his specialty.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Dan Cervelli

KTVU Channel 2

Assistant Chief Engineer, Operations, KTVU Television. Dan helped put KNTV on the air, was on staff at the original Channel 40 in Sacramento, was at Channel 13 when the transmitter was moved from Mt. Diablo to Jackson, and has been on staff at KTVU since 1958.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Lillian Fortier

KRON 4

A private consultant, Lillian has been on the staffs of KPIX, KQED-TV and KRON TV. In addition- to her work in publicity, promotion, producer/commentator, writer, public and community relations, she has been active in founding ACT-SO annual Broadcast & Print Media Event and Black History Month.

2017 Gold Circle Honoree

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

James Gabbert

KOFY TV 20

James Gabbert is a radio and television entrepreneur and innovator. He changed the way people listened to radio and watched tv in the Bay Area. Starting with a little FM station in Atherton which became K101, a bay area music powerhouse. He added 3 more radio stations before he sold them to create a television phenomenon. He bought KEMO-TV, channel 20, renamed it KOFY-TV, launching a new approach in creativity and viewers were hooked. There was the Dance Party show he hosted, the dogs used for station IDs, 3D movies, outrageous promotions, live coverage of parades and community events. And a news department turning out a nightly newscast. Several reporters currently on tv got their bay area starts there. Even though Gabbert achieved initial acclaim with his radio stations, he was no stranger to tv, first appearing on KCSM in the 60’s then People Are Talking on KPIX before taking up residence at the Sleepy Arms Hotel on KOFY. Gabbert sold Channel 20 in 1998, then became a radio talk show host. He is a past president of the National Radio Broadcasters Association and past Commodore of the Sausalito Yacht Club. He was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2006.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Harry Jacobs

KGO 7

HARRY JACOBS, former Chief Engineer, KGO-TV. Harry, now retired, was the designing engineer for the first KGO-TV transmitter tower-also used by KPIX. He supervised the total coordination and construction of the current Sutro Tower, and is presently a consultant to that structure.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Bob March

KTVU Channel 2

Now News Director, KWAV, Monterey, Bob is remembered as a producer-director-performer at KTVU, creating the character Captain Satellite-a role he played for many years. He has served on the faculty at Laney College and San Francisco State University, and is a marriage and family therapist in conjunction with Dr. Alice March.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Rufus Pederson

KGO 7, DGA

Producer/Director, KGO-TV. He has directed every form of television production, from live talk shows, news, variety, syndicated magazine and specials. Rufus began his video career in the Army in 1952 as a director. He was the founder of the San Francisco Coordinating Committee of DGA, and has been a long-time member of its governing board.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Rollin Post

KRON 4, KQED 9

Political Reporter, KRON-TV. Widely known as the dean of political reporters on television, Rollin has also covered a wide range of other news stories. He was a mainstay on the famed KQED TV Newsroom, and was affiliated with KPIX as well.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Jules Power

KQED 9, Power Rector

Power/Rector Productions. Jules has won widespread national recognition and respect as a television producer. His productions include the award winning “Over Easy” series and “Bits, Bytes and Buzzwords” on PBS.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

George Rodman

KGO 7

President of his own television promotion consulting firm headquartered in Carmel, George was promotion manager at KGO-TV for many years, and also worked at CBS as well as ABC. He is a past president of the national Broadcast Promotion & Marketing Executives organization.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Don Tayer

AFTRA

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Don is presently counsel for AFTRA in San Francisco. He served for over 25 years as the Executive Secretary for the San Francisco local of AFrRA. He has served as mayor of Tiburon, where he resides.

1990 Silver Circle Honoree

Jeanne Baker Toncre

KRON 4

Formerly Director of Community Affairs at KRON-TV, Jeanne conducted more than 200 publicity workshops for non-profit organizations, and managed student intern programs. She has produced many television programs, including the award-winning “Youth Inquires,, for 15 years. Jeanne later became Director of Media & Community Relations for the State Bar of California and is now a media consultant.