Two Western Alaska broadcasters will be inducted into the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame this November.
A posthumous award will be given to John Active of Bethel, who served as a “pioneer” Alaska Native broadcaster in the state. He is known for his time serving at KYUK in Bethel, translating stories from English into Yup’ik, gathering and writing local news, and opening a world for Yup’ik broadcasters. Known as the “Voice of the Yukon-Kuskokwim” Delta, Active continued his work until his death in June (2018).
Former General Manager of KNOM Ric Schmidt will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame this fall. Schmidt served more than 25 years in broadcasting in Alaska. Schmidt initially came to Nome to serve as a volunteer at KNOM in 1984 and returned in 1995. He worked as program director and eventually took over as general manager in 2005. He also served as President of the Alaska Broadcasters Association, or ABA, and retired from broadcasting in 2017.
Active and Schmidt will become the 63rd and 64th inductees into the ABA Hall of Fame on November 9th.
Images at top: broadcasters John Active (left) and Ric Schmidt (right). Left photo: Katie Basile, KYUK (used with permission); right: David Dodman, KNOM.
