On Sunday, December 29, 2024, Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, passed away at his family home in Plains, Georgia.
Georgia broadcasters have covered Carter since the early days of his political career, being the first, and only, president from Georgia. Since leaving the White House, coverage has continued of the Carters years of humanitarian work and service to their community.
WSB-TV’s John Pruitt, like many other Georgians covering the former president’s career, remembers the early years of covering Carter’s campaign trail. A station local to Carter’s hometown, WALB has been covering his, and his family’s lives, with each milestone.
In the wake of his passing, Georgia broadcasters have joined their communities in mourning the late humanitarian. Following his passing, WSB Radio reported on Carter laying in repose at the Carter Center; community members who visited to pay respects, shared memories with FOX5 Atlanta.
WTOC11 covered the National Park Service ringing the bell outside his boyhood farm 39 times in honor of the 39th president. 11Alive reports Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, shares that his grandfather’s time in hospice was a time of reflection and since his passing they have experienced an outpouring of love and support.
First Media Services honors the late president by playing clips across its six stations of Carter speaking at various events through his lifetime and career.
These are just a few of the many examples of how Georgia and its broadcasters are honoring Jimmy Carter.
Georgia Public Broadcasting has launched a new logo and a five-year strategic plan “Uniting & Uplifting Georgia: A Roadmap to 2030.”
Under the leadership of CEO Bert Wesley Huffman, who assumed the role in August 2023, the organization has big plans for the next five years.
“We want to build a future for GPB where we lean into our status as a cultural touchstone for the state of Georgia,” Huffman shares with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).
GPB plans to accomplish this by identifying and producing content that services and “enriches” Georgians of all ages.
The new logo is reflective of these ideals and encouraging connectivity across its stations in Georgia. According to GPB, “The design elements are intended to illustrate that GPB is about intersections and community.”
The five-year plan includes diversifying revenue streams and continuing GPB’s investment of public interests, such as education. In its article, the AJC points out GPB’s role as a primary deliverer of emergency information. GPB plan to share these aspects of their operations with the state legislature as proof of the organization’s continued commitment to Georgians.
Read more about GPB’s five-year strategic plan HERE
As of January 1, 2025, Gray Television, Inc., will now be known as Gray Media, Inc.
“Our reach has diversified beyond local media, and we’re investing time and resources into new business models and technologies — more now than at any other time in the company’s 127-year history,” Executive Chairman, Hilton H. Howell, shared in a press release.
Former WSB-TV Channel 2 consumer investigative reporter, Jim Strickland, passed away on Monday December 30, 2024.
Strickland was in the business for almost 40 years, more than half of which was spent with WSB-TV. While with the station, Strickland helped launch WSB-TV’s consumer investigative franchise in 1999. He retired in 2019, after 38 years as a broadcaster.
The GAB expresses its condolences to the WSB-TV community and Strickland’s family.
John Lauer, longtime leader in Georgia radio, passed away on December 22, 2024.
“He [Lauer] was responsible for bringing Atlanta WGST Newsradio, the Georgia Radio News Service (now the Georgia News Network), and elevating WPCH Peach FM 95 to a revenue powerhouse in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. John was a great influence on many of our careers. May he rest in peace,” Friends of Georgia Radio (FoGR) shared in a Facebook post.
FoGR featured Lauer in a podcast episode released in June 2022 that can be enjoyed HERE.
The GAB expresses its condolences for John’s family and the many broadcasters impacted by Lauer’s leadership.
Q99.7 WWWQ welcomes Laura Dickerson as APD and Midday Host.
Dickerson has 15 years of experience in the broadcasting industry, most recently at Cumulus’ 104.1 KRBE in Houston. At KRBE, Dickerson acted as Music Director and hosted nights beginning in March 2022.
Welcome to Atlanta, Laura!
The University of Georgia’s Terry College continues its Economic Outlook series this week.
Each year the Selig Center for Economic Growth, a public outreach unit hosted in UGA’s Terry College, provides an economic forecast report for Georgians. The 2025 forecast shows continued job growth in Georgia, although at a slower rate than in 2024.
On January 7, the school broad the series to Augusta and on January 8, they will be in Savannah. Next week, the series continues in Jekyll Island on January 13.
The Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) has announced its Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Georgia broadcasters to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the ceremony in March are:
- Bob Houghton, Georgia Association of Broadcasters
- Pete Konenkamp, University of Georgia
- Phil Scoggins, WRBL-TV
- Holly Steuart, WTVM-TV
- Mark Winne, WSB-TV
The event will be held in March and hosted by Hall of Fame inductee and Georgia broadcasting legend, Monica Pearson.
Cameron explains the other roles that he has held in Atlanta broadcasting makes his voice recognizable to airport patrons, in the BTS video shot with ANF.
H.R. 3414 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 270 Cosponsors
S.1669 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 62 Cosponsors
H.R. 8449 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2024
Headed by Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
09/18/24 – House of Energy and Commerce passes bill to House floor in 45 – 2 vote
H.R.8072 – Broadcast VOICES Act
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 10 Cosponsors
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 7 Cosponsors
