By Hannah Osborne
On Friday, March 22, 2024, the Georgia Association of Broadcasters hosted its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. The GAB Hall of Fame recognizes broadcasters who have distinguished themselves from their peers and made a lasting impact on their communities and the Georgia broadcasting industry.
The GAB Hall of Fame Class of 2024:
- Lee Burger – WBHF-AM Cartersville
- Kim Gusby – WSAV-TV Savannah
- Lorenzo “Lo” Jelks – WSB-TV Atlanta
- John Wetherbee – Georgia News Network
- Teresa Whitaker – WRBL-TV Columbus
To begin the ceremony, GAB president Bob Houghton, first recognized the scholarship recipients and their families.
Houghton then spent time recognizing two past Chairman of the Board: John Deushane, former President and General Manager of 11Alive, and Ray Carter, VP and General Manager of WSB-TV, who would retire one week after the event. Each of these individuals were presented with Proclamations from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declaring each as an “Outstanding Georgia Citizen.”
Closing his comments for the evening, Houghton says, “What we do everyday is important and most days we just confirm that everything’s okay, it’s normal. But other days, we save lives, we develop stories that need to be told, we provide ideas in the audiences that make businesses money. We need to walk with swagger, proud of what we do. People trust us, broadcasting is great business. We do good. Those are the things I think about on the tough days, and I will take with me to my retirement. It’s a great day to be a broadcaster in Georgia.”
Bill Maine, Chairman of the Board, took the stage next. Beginning his remarks, Maine first asked for a round of applause recognizing Houghton, for his last GAB Hall of Fame ceremony as President, prompting a standing ovation.
Maine spent time acknowledging some challenges that the industry faces ahead, but also celebrated the strides that have been taken in support of the AM for Every Vehicle Act. The bill has garnered enough sponsors from the House for passage (238) and is making great progress in the Senate (48 sponsors). The Local Radio Freedom Act is also making strides in the right direction.
A special message from Sen. Jon Ossoff was then aired during the event.
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Broadcasting legend, and GAB Hall of Famer, Monica Pearson, emcee of the event, then began the recognition of the evening’s guests of honor. 
First, the 2024 E. Lanier “Lanny” Finch Scholarship recipients were recognized. Recipients are selected based on the merits and aspirations of entering the broadcasting industry after graduation.
The scholarship is named for the late President Emeritus, Lanny Finch, for his outstanding leadership, dedication and numerous contributions to the continued success of this association. Newly inducted Hall of Famer, Lee Burger, played a key role in the re-establishment of the GAB Scholarship Foundation in 2005.
The 2024 recipients included:
- Sophia Ricketts – Georgia College & State University
- Jonathan Haywood – Columbus State University
- Ciera Walker – University of Georgia
- John “JB” Ricks – Georgia Southern University
- Allison Mawn – University of Georgia
The impressive group of students were each brought on stage to receive their scholarship and praise for their achievements.
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Guests then turned their attention to the first inductee of the evening, Lee Burger of WBHF-AM, Cartersville. Burger was introduced to the stage by WBHF-AM Station Manager, Matt Santini. Burger then took the stage, saying he was “deeply honored,” by the induction.
“I’ve been on a 55 year journey. I have laughed and I have had fun. I have been a teacher, I have been a student. I have been a great boss, and I have been a terrible boss, but I have enjoyed every minute. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough, and I hope I’ve done it right,” says Burger.
Kim Gusby of WSAV-TV, Savannah, was introduced by Pearson as the second inductee of the night. Savannah’s mayor, Van Johnson, took to the stage to introduce Gusby, calling the broadcaster’s career “extraordinary, exquisite and exemplary.”
During her speech, Gusby thanked Pearson for her service to the industry, saying that Pearson was on her “Mt. Rushmore of journalists.”
“While we don’t do what we do for awards, it feels incredible to be celebrated by our peers for our body of work,” Gusby said.
The third induction of the night was posthumously given to WSB-TV’s Lorenzo “Lo” Jelks, Georgia’s first Black reporter. To speak about Jelks, Atlanta’s first Black woman anchor, Jocelyn Dorsey, took to the stage. Dorsey acknowledged Jelks’ presence on the air, opened the door for other people who looked like herself to be hired by WSB-TV and other stations across the state.
Jelks’ son, Rev. Ken Jelks, accepted the honor on his father’s behalf.
“The reality is that I still hear his voice,” Ken Jelks said. “For the past year, it’s gotten a little lonely, but the reality is when I think about all of his accomplishments and all of the persons that he has inspired, I kind of hear him saying, ‘Just listen to my voice.'”
John Wetherbee, of Georgia News Network, was then honored as the fourth inductee of the evening. Wetherbee’s longtime friend, Sanders Hickey, introduced his family, who would accept the award on his behalf. One word that Hickey has to describe Wetherbee: integrity.
“Georgia broadcasting lost one of it’s best,” said Hickey. “He was because he gave Georgia broadcasting everything he had to give and seldom every asked for anything in return.”
Wetherbee’s daughter says that he “lived” for his love of broadcasting.
The fifth, and final, inductee of the ceremony was Teresa Whitaker, of WBRL-TV, Columbus. LaTonya Davis, Whitaker’s longtime friend and former classmate, introduced the Hall of Famer.
“She has been gracing the screens of the Columbus and the Phoenix city areas for 37 years. Sharing both local and national news, and dropping knowledge,” says Davis.
One request that Whitaker has for the industry, “Return to this one word: writing. This is about words. It’s about the words that we write, the words that we broadcast, that make a difference.”
The GAB gives many thanks to the sponsors of the evening, Gray Television, the Southern Company, Georgia Farm Bureau and Northside Hospital.
Special thanks to WRBL for filming the event.
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The GAB’s next event will take place on April 10, in Macon, GA. This event will be the kickoff of the organization’s 90th Anniversary Roadshow. For more information on the GAB’s 90th anniversary and how you can get involved visit https://www.gab.org/the-gab-celebrates-90-year-anniversary/
The GAB will also be returning to Jekyll Island this fall for GABCON 2024, Sept. 5-6. More information to come.
