Neb. Broadcasters To Induct 3 Into Hall Of Fame

The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will welcome Mike Gann, Roger Moody and Dave Otradovsky (Dent) into the NBA Hall of Fame on Aug. 14 in Lincoln during the 84th Annual NBA Convention. These inductees will be the respective 100th, 101st and 102nd members of the NBA Hall of Fame, which was established in 1972.

Gann is the assistant chief engineer at Omaha’s KMTV-TV. After earning his engineering degree from the University of Nebraska in 1974, he worked at KFAB-AM Omaha for over four years before joining KMTV as a staff engineer in 1978. According to NAB, Gann “has guided KMTV through a number of technological advancements to continually meet new industry standards and as a recognized expert in his field, Gann has been called upon countless times by colleagues, former coworkers and even competitors over the years due to his in-depth knowledge of RF engineering. Beyond his daily involvement with KMTV’s towers, control rooms, cameras, live trucks and video streams, Gann is highly respected as a mentor to engineers throughout the region. Engineers are the unsung heroes of the broadcasting business, and Gann personifies the best of his profession.”

Moody is the general manager of KLKN-TV Lincoln and a VP of owner Citadel Communications. A graduate of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska, Moody’s 45-year Nebraska broadcasting career has encompassed radio and television, in news, sales and sales management. Moody worked at WOW radio in Omaha, then KPTM-TV and later WOWT-TV in Omaha before joining KLKN as general sales manager in 1997. He has led startup stations to growth in ratings and revenue while training and mentoring dozens of broadcasters in every station department. According to NBA, “Several of his current employees have worked with him for many years and along with those that have moved on to other stations, a common thread is the respect he has earned for being a highly capable and compassionate leader.”

Otradovsky (Dent) is the owner and GM of KVSH-AM Valentine –— the only station he has worked for in his 49-year radio career. He began his career at KVSH in 1969 as a fulltime DJ, spinning LP’s, 45’s and reel to reels.  A short time later Dave moved into sales before becoming the station’s program director and in 1990, he formed Heart City Radio and purchased KVSH. Bucking industry trends, Dent continues to operate KVSH with live, local DJ’s seven days a week providing live news, weather, area high school sports and emergency bulletins. NBA says: “His live and local operation supplies steady employment while launching the radio careers of dozens of people. Countless community organizations have benefitted from Dent’s generosity through fundraisers, drives, radiothons and the volunteering of his own time.”