Congrats to all the 2025 Leadership, Station Award Winners
posted on 6.05.2025- Awards to be Presented at the TAB Show, Aug. 6-7 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions
Texas Radio and Television stations will come together in August to celebrate the outstanding achievements of many broadcast leaders and stations.
The following awards will be presented during TAB's Annual Awards Gala - Thurs., Aug. 7 from 7:30-9:30 PM.
Registration and Hotel Room Block
Questions? Contact TAB.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jerry & Wanda Hanszen, Hanszen Broadcasting
Jerry and Wanda Hanszen have owned and operated KGAS Carthage, along with KMHT Marshall for many years. Jerry is a Past TAB Chairman, TAB Broadcaster of the Year, and NAB Radio Board Member. Together, Jerry and Wanda have accumulated many honors, awards and titles through their hard work and community involvement - and given tirelessly back to the broadcast industry and TAB.
Pioneer of the Year: Bob Phillips, Phillips Productions/Texas Country Reporter
Bob Phillips has inspired countless Texas-born or educated journalists to pursue more personable and touching storytelling in an all-Texas broadcast career spanning beyond five decades. His initial work as a Dallas photojournalist grew into special storytelling segments and ultimately, the longest-running statewide syndicated feature reporting show in Texas broadcast history - "Texas Country Reporter." Bob and his wife, Kelli, recently retired from TCR, but now you can catch them on the Radio through “On the Road with Kelli and Bob," syndicated on Texas State Networks.
Radio Broadcaster of the Year: Steve Eberhart, KGAF Gainesville
As a broadcaster for 50+ years, Steve Eberhart spent 20 of them with the ABC Radio Network before his entrance into ownership by purchasing a portion of KGAF in 2008. He furthered KGAF's commitment to live local broadcasting and community involvement. Purchasing the remaining percentage this year, Steve wrangles it all as an owner/operator, host of the KGAF morning show, host of a syndicated oldies show called “Solid Gold Saturday," and serves as a TAB Board Member.
TV Broadcaster of the Year: Walt Maciborski, CBS Austin
With 31 years of journalism on network news and in major markets, Walt Maciborski is a Regional Edward R. Murrow, Emmy and Barbara Jordan Award winning journalist. He is on a mission to make shows dynamic, showcase new technology and encourage fellow anchors, reporters and producers. Walt knows leadership entails being willing and eager to work with all at his station, demanding the most from himself and enjoying the craft of newsgathering along the way. Whether he's volunteering on a project for the station or on his own in the community - Walt makes sure to give back his own time to make Austin a better place.
George Marti Award for Engineering Excellence: Paul Easter, Fort Bend Broadcast Services
A broadcast engineer since 1975, Paul Easter has owned five broadcast engineering companies during his career. At Fort Bend Broadcast Services, he strives to keep his clients operating with the latest technological advances both in the studios and at the transmitter site. He’s a lifetime SBE Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer who has won many industry awards, from Univision’s Corporate Engineer of the Year to SBE’s Steve Schott Excellence in Engineering Award, all while taking time to enjoy ham Radio. Paul and his wife Anita do field work across Texas, but still find time to mentor young engineers new to the industry.
Jason Hightower Award for Broadcast Excellence: Ashli Dansby, KMHT Marshall
Ashli Dansby began her Radio career in 2002 at KMHT Marshall. After a brief stint with Clear Channel (iHeart) in Oklahoma City (2005-2008), Ashli returned to KMHT and became General Manager in 2022. She has been KMHT’s morning show host for the entirety of her time there. She is always the first to arrive and often the last to leave. At KMHT you can find her installing equipment, selling advertising, newsgathering, producing commercials and other content, as well as meeting with policy makers. She understands every aspect of Radio and truly gets what it takes to have a thriving local station in today’s broadcasting climate. Ashli is an industry leader in attracting and retaining young talent. She says you just have to "hook them by giving them fun things to do.” Community leaders praise Ashli and the KMHT team as Marshall’s best source for current and accurate local news.
Associate of the Year: John Lackness, RADIO GEARHEADS
Working with many TAB Associate Member companies, John Lackness has been a longtime broadcast equipment salesman to Texas stations and many others across the country. Always offering to help with projects, John never misses a TAB (or NAB) Show. He also served as emcee of the inagural Texas Broadcast News Awards ceremony! John grew up in Floresville, where he helped build, and later signed on KWCB-FM in 1977. He went on to DJ for several San Antonio stations, and also worked in other station positions such as engineer, salesman and voice acting. With close to 50 years of industry experience, he previously sold for Marti Electronics, Tieline Technology, SCMS, RF Specialties of Texas and BE/Elenos. Based in the San Antonio area, John serves as the DOS for RADIO GEARHEADS, a Radio technology service and equipment sales company.
Distinguished Service Award: Stacy Allen, Jackson Walker LLP
Stacy Allen is a partner with Jackson Walker LLP, TAB's state legal counsel. For more than a decade, he has been a strategic asset in TAB’s efforts to preserve access to government records under the Texas Public Information Act, as well as defend the Texas Citizens Participation Act, the state’s anti-SLAPP litigation law that protects citizens’ free speech rights. Through many legislative sessions, and countless long days of bill hearings, Stacy’s persuasive testimony has thwarted efforts to chip away at the public’s right to know. He has often saved the day by his masterful crafting of bill language, strengthening newsrooms’ ability to report on matters of public concern. In one memorable end of session fight, he wrote a legislative brief demonstrating the unconstitutionality of a proposed law. That document, which preserved newsrooms’ access to highway accident reports, was written while sheltering in place at his Williamson County horse ranch during a tornado threat. Stacy also has leant his legal expertise to TAB's Legal Guides and the annual TAB Newsroom Workshop. Jackson Walker has been an invaluable supporter of the TAB - and the TAB Show.
Educator of the Year: Al Greule, Stephen F. Austin State Univ. (Retired)
Al Greule recently retired from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches where he was the Associate Professor Emeritus, Media and Communication. He received a Master of Arts (MA) degree from Ohio University in Athens, OH, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Texas A&M in College Station. Al started at the SFA in 1989 as an Assistant Professor and spent 32 years there. A longtime supporter of the Texas Broadcast Education Foundation – TAB's scholarship foundation – he recommended many TBEF scholarship winners during his tenure at the university. Al often brought successful former students back to campus so current students could benefit from their experiences. He enjoyed working with students on outside classroom projects such as the SFA Christmas Tree Lighting, the Nine Flags Christmas Parade, or SFA basketball and football broadcasts. The latter helped give students real broadcast experience. Al has been a member of the Texas Association of Broadcast Educators since 1989, serving twice as TABE’s president.
Radio Station of the Year: KRLD Dallas-Fort Worth
Audacy's KRLD-AM/FM has been a Dallas-Fort Worth market leader for many years. KRLD-AM began broadcasting in 1926, and over many decades, the station has won numerous industry awards, mostly for its news coverage. These include RTDNA's 2013 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast, and multiple Texas Broadcast News Awards. The KRLD staff take pride in live and local news coverage, as well as station involvement in the community. KRLD-FM "The Fan" airs local sports and news/talk shows. It is the flagship station of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. In the past year, both stations have committed many staff hours and much airtime to DFW-area charities such as the North Texas Food Bank as well as Lena Pope and My Possibilities - a non-profit that provides adults with Down syndrome, autism, and other cognitive disabilities the chance to continue their education.
TV Station of the Year: KLTV Tyler-Longview
The KLTV-TV staff take the "Proud of East Texas" brand seriously by forming and maintaining a lasting relationship with the station’s audience. Many of the station’s advertisers are longtime clients who value the station’s connection with East Texas, one that started in 1954 when the station signed on the air. This past year the KLTV-TV team participated in multiple fundraisers, food drives, and other local initiatives such as Coats for Kids, Heroes Flight, and Santa Scirto. The station continues to innovate and expand its content offerings, recently launching the station’s 11th mobile app (Pet Project) and growing KLTV-TV's high school football Red Zone to five days a week. KLTV-TV has been honored many times for its reporting and newscasts including winning five 2025 Texas Broadcast News Awards this year for outstanding news coverage. Gray Media named KLTV-TV its Station of the Year in 2024.
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