2025 TAB Show Knocks It Out of the Park for Delegates, Vendors

posted on 8.11.2025

- Awards Gala Showcases Industry’s Brightest Stars

From start to finish, the 2025 TAB Show proved a hit with delegates and vendors alike for an expansive schedule of hard-core sales, tech and programming content coupled with a 121-booth exhibit hall that was a hive of activity for deals on studio gear, transmission hardware and cloud-based tech, as well as content affiliation agreements.

The Aug. 6-7 event attracted more than 1,200 delegates with 32 programs for engineers, marketing and management teams, and Radio programmers, showcasing some of the industry’s top experts from across the country and beyond.

Top draws included the Smith Geiger Group’s sales workshop based on the landmark 2025 Texas Media Consumption Study that TAB commissioned, as well as Daniel Anstandig’s thought-provoking revelation and call to action on how Big Tech platforms are shortchanging clients and broadcasters by mis-using artificial intelligence in crafting media buys.

Special thanks to Andy Meadows for his great coverage of the 2025 TAB Show. You can read his full recap and highlights here: 2025 TAB Show Highlights.

Public Service, Leadership Awards

BMI singer songwriter Race Ricketts opened the Awards Gala with a stirring and earth-shaking performance of two of his singles before CBS’ Natalie Morales gracefully emceed the presentation of the night’s honors topped by Wanda and Jerry Hanszen of Hanszen Broadcasting in East Texas who received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Bob Phillips of Texas Country Reporter fame who was named Pioneer of the Year.

Broadcaster of the Year went to Steve Eberhart, owner/operator of KGAF AM-FM Gainesville, and Walt Maciborski, anchor of Sinclair’s CBS Austin, while the Jason Hightower Award for Broadcast Excellence went to KMHT AM-FM’s Ashli Dansby.

Longtime consulting engineer Paul Easter garnered the George Marti Award for Engineering Excellence, while Radio Gearhead’s John Lackness was named Associate of the Year and Al Greule was honored as Educator of the Year after a long career training future broadcasters at Stephen F. Austin University.

Auday’s KRLD AM-FM in DFW and Gray Media’s KLTV in Tyler received the Radio and TV Station of the Year awards.

The Bonner McLane Public Service Award was presented to six stations according to market size, including KLST/KSAN-TV San Angelo, KETK-TV Tyler-Longview, KUVN-TV Dallas-Fort Worth, KMHT AM-FM Marshall, Bryan Broadcasting’s WTAW, and KERA/KKXT/WRR-FM Dallas-Fort Worth.

Planning for 2026

The 2026 TAB Show is set for Aug. 5-6 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Round Rock.

The TAB Convention planning committees already are looking ahead to next year (and beyond!) as they assess participant surveys from the 2025 event, with suggestions welcome from all member stations and firms.

Vendors interested in exhibiting should contact TAB’s Sydney Herrmann, while station leaders are encouraged to consider their own award submissions for next year’s gala celebration.

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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