About the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame

Honoring Sports Broadcasting Pioneers, Visionaries, and Stars

 

For the sports-broadcasting-production community, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame is dream turned reality. In an industry that has more than its fair share of halls of distinction, it was strange and somewhat disillusioning for there not to be a single place where all of those individuals who have enriched the lives of so many fans, and who have utilized technology in so many brave new ways, could be recognized for their achievements.

Our goal is simple: to honor those from across the entire spectrum of the sports-broadcast industry who have had an impact, directly or indirectly, on the way sports television is produced. Each class demonstrates a range and diversity of inductees who truly represent the many facets of our unique business. Here, league commissioners join directors, producers, technologists, management, and operations. Here, the renowned stand proudly alongside the unrecognized. And rightfully so. No other industry is so interdependent as one that goes live to air; that crafts stories, legends, and dramas in real-time before hundreds of millions of people.

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame is especially proud of the openness and equitable methodology used to select each class of inductees. A call for nominees is sent out to more than 10,000 industry professionals each year, representing virtually every broadcaster, league, and team in the nation.

Over the years, the categories from which our inductees are chosen has evolved to keep up with the times. Categories now include Management, Production, Operations and Engineering, Technical Crafts, Leagues and Teams, Manufacturers and Vendors, and two announcing categories: Play-by-Play/Studio Host, and Reporter/Analyst. In addition, we have added a special veterans category designed to give those whose career might have pre-dated many of the voters a chance to be inducted.  Our transparent voting and nomination process requires two votes for each panel: first to whittle down the nominees for each category to five individuals, and then a final vote for each category to elect the final inductees.

-Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Chairman